Marocco situation
 

Anybody right now in Marocco ? How is situation? Whoever have any informations about, please, share with us all. Next week i should be entering Marocco with my car from Spain, most probably Algericas-Ceuta or from Almeira.
No metter what, i will not quit my trip, but... i would apresheat some infos. thanks,
Lana

Yes I,ll second that. Anybody on the ground got any info on the current situation in Morocco? It seems life is a little more interesting in Moroccos neighbouring countries than it was a couple of weeks ago!! Is it rubbing off I wonder??

Thanks

Callum

The best summing-up of the situation was this post on ThornTree.

Incidentally, the five guys who died in the bank fire in Al Hoceima were looters who were overcome by smoke when fellow looters set fire to the building. The phrase poetic justice comes to mind.

I've been in regular contact with friends in Marrakech and Ouarzazate who have seen very little--unless you were in the close vicinity of the small areas where people were marching, you would have been totally unaware of any dissent.

The reality, though, is that nobody can foresee what will happen, so my advice is here.

Tim, thanks.

As usual, you are a golden source and come always when you are needed :thumbup1: to clear the fog.

I was in Bolivia long time ago and in Sri Lanka, during a military occupation and a "certain" civil war and i was women alone.... but, using a common sence was enaugh to keep me safe. (and a bit of luck) :innocent:

Next week will drop here a line from Morocco :rockon:

Lana

Great advice Tim, thanks.

We'll be there in about 5 weeks. Will be plotting any POI's and reporting back. Thanks for all your help, Mark

Ps. hoped to go to Libya this year as well, have to wait and see on that.

2 weeks ago I back from Marooco and Western Sahara. Everything was normal. I did not felt any dangerous. It was 2 weeks ago.

Bartosz

Checked out at Fniqeq - Seuta border crossing yesterday, writing this from Spain. All quiet, the usual mob of Moroccans, and not too many tourists leaving. In Morocco itself I did not notice any signs of trouble. Have been talking to locals and other tourists lately, all repeat the same bit of news about the fire, nothing new.

My friends are on motorbike in Merzouga just now. Everything is ok. No infor about ANY troubles.

There were some tiny half-hearted peaceful demonstrations yesterday and today in various places, but everyone's attention seems to be on what's happening in Libya.

I can't help wondering if things will kick off in Algeria, and whether that would be a good or bad thing--my definition of a 'good thing' is if the border with Morocco opens and the country is safe.

Riots in Dakhla cuts the Sea and Desert Festival short

afrol News - New clashes in occupied Western Sahara

This kind of thing, though mostly on a smaller scale goes on quite a bit in this area of WS.

saw nothing few weeks ago- usual smiling welcome from all Moroccans.
Police v friendly- always hapy to fine you 400 Dirhams "for speeding sir" but you can have 200 back because you look honest doh
ah well

In Tangier Med yesterday my poor French read the newspapers as saying Feb 20th, what now? as if that one day was it, nothing since, or any impetus to have anything else in the near future.

The ferry from Barcelona had a few Spanish and French offroaders but not many other European holidaymakers. While we waited ages for the Assurance office to open we saw plenty of Euro campervans, off roaders and a "Raid" of about 20 Fiat Panda 4*4s all entering Maroc with support Hiluxs etc.

In Asilah now there are a fair number of Euro campervan retirees heading both south and for the boat, and there is no mention either among them or any of the smiling, welcoming locals of any hint of trouble.

If that helps :)

Jason

There's talk about more protests, one each coming Sunday, with a bigger one on 20 March, but I sense there's not widespread support. The King is heading off some criticism by replacing the prime minister, and there's a new scheme to employ 4000 university graduates.

And if the border with Algeria opens as is widely forecast next week this will be seen as a major coup and will also help to defuse wider criticism. You can never say never, but I wouldn't be at all worried about travelling within Morocco at the moment.

... next week

If that happens you can't help thinking that with the timing they're doing it as a distraction to diffuse a possible 'situation'. Beats a war I suppose.

I read some flakey rationale in a link above about the fact that '2 million Algerians can't go to Tunisia for their hols anymore' (or smth like that) so they need to open up east Morocco quick. Certainly one reads it's Mk that will benefit financially for the deal.

The question for us is, will they open the border for non-Maghrebis? And even if they do, will you still have the whole expensive agency-escort business in Algeria (as at all other Alg borders) if you have a moto/car?

Worth noting, if you [can] cross from Figuig to Beni Ounif and head south you may get bogged down in tedious gendarmerie escorts too (as my group found recently). But it is a great area for a quick desert tour as Rafke's pix showed.

Could be great news for some; let's wait and see.

Ch