Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie

Royal Gendarmerie
الدرك الملكي
ⵜⵉⵊⴹⵕⵎⵜ ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⴰⵏⵜ
Agency overview
FormedApril 29, 1957 (1957-04-29)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionMorocco
Constituting instruments
  • Dahir No 1-57-979 of 29 April 1957
  • Dahir No 1-57-280 of 14 January 1958[1]
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersRabat, Morocco
Elected officer responsible
  • Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the administration of National Defense
Agency executive
  • General Haramou, Commander
Parent agencyRoyal Moroccan Armed Forces

The Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie (Arabic: الدرك الملكي المغربي, Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⵜⵉⵊⴹⵕⵎⵜ ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⴰⵏⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ) is the national gendarmerie force of the Kingdom of Morocco, and comes under the joint-authority of the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the administration of National Defense, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice.

History

During the period of the French protectorate in Morocco, the French national gendarmerie was tasked to maintain law and order in Morocco & Tunisia. The Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie was founded on 29 April 1957 by the late King Mohammed V following independence.[2] A Dahir issued on 14 January 1958 further defined the principle and purpose of the Gendarmerie.[1] This describes the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie as a public force designed to guarantee public security and public order and the implementation of laws. Article 2 of the legislation attaches the Gendarmerie to the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, then constituting a military force in its structure, administration and command forms. And its personnel consists of officers and NCOs. Structure of its functions has been determined by the two major different but complementary traditions. One of them has its roots in the history and culture of Morocco. The gendarmerie was born of the Moroccan administrative and political system which has ensured public security and maintenance of public order for centuries. The second tradition (Makhzen) is much newer.

Duties

The Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie is a force of police tasked mainly to ensure public safety, maintain order and ensure law enforcement.[2] Article 7 of the legislation stipulates the purpose of the gendarmerie is to ensure especially administrative, judicial and military policing activities directly and to help to the competent authorisations with the envisaged laws, which implies that the legislature has given great importance to policing duties.[1]

Article 3 of the legislation further define responsible ministry on the gendarmerie roles, which are:[1]

  • the National Defence Administration especially on the subjects of organisation equipment and military judicial policing ;
  • the Ministry of Justice for the implementation of judicial policing; and,
  • the Ministry of Interior on the subject of Common Administration Policing.

Judicial Police

The duties of the Royal Gendarmerie, in the field of judicial policing, have been determined by the Criminal Procedure Code of 1959. It performs all these duties under the administration of the royal prosecutor and control of the Court of Appeal. Duties consist of criminal investigation, evidence gathering, arresting criminals and execution of judge's orders. The personnel of the Royal Gendarmerie participates in the implementation Judicial Policing. The Royal Gendarmerie who acts with the characteristics of being a judicial oriented police officer according to the Court of Penal Proceedings, Detects and determines the violation of the laws as a judicial police; and as a police of public force, informs the royal prosecutor of crimes and offences over which they have no jurisdiction.[3]

To struggle against the continuous increase of crime and its international aspects and, on the other hand, the increase of the texts and their complexity the Royal Gendarmerie is modernising its methods and equipment continuously and reinforcing its efficiency by evaluating technical and scientific policing and criminal data. With this aim, two laboratories, which are under the administration of senior researchers, were established.[citation needed]

Administrative Police

In regards to duties of the Royal Gendarmerie, in the field of administrative policing, determined of a set of regulations dedicated to the maintenance of public order,[2] including serve as border guard.[4] On this role, the gendarmerie is responsible to the Ministry of Interior. The article 3 of the legislation allow gendarmerie to assists other ministerial departments such as:[1]

Organization

The organization of Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie is consist of:[2]

Ranks

Officers

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie
Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Major Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant

Enlisted

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-major Sergent-chef Sergent

Inventory

Pistols SMG's: Assault Rifles: Sniper Rifles: Shotguns:
Heckler & Koch MP5 SAR 21 FR F1 Benelli M4
Heckler & Koch VP70 FN P90 M16 rifle PGM 338 SPAS-12
Heckler & Koch HK4 Uzi M4 carbine M24 Sniper Weapon System SPAS-15
Walther PPK MAT-49 FN FAL Valtro PM-5
Beretta 92 Ingram MAC-10 HK G36
MAB PA-15 Heckler & Koch UMP FN2000
MAC Mle 1950 Steyr AUG
SIG Sauer P226
SIG Sauer P228
Colt Detective Special
Smith & Wesson Model 10
Heckler & Koch USP
Heckler & Koch Mark 23

Aircraft

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Helicopters
SA 315B Lama France liaison 7[6]
SA342 Gazelle France observation 5[6]
Eurocopter Fennec France utility / observation 6[6]
Eurocopter EC135 Germany utility / MEDIVAC 3[7]
Eurocopter EC145 Germany utility / MEDIVAC 3[7][8]
SA 330 Puma France utility / aerial firefighting C/F/H 7[6]
Sikorsky S-70 United States utility / transport S-70A-26 2[7]
Eurocopter AS332 France VIP AS332/EC225 2[9] one of which is an EC225 Super Puma
Sikorsky S-92 United States utility / transport Sikorsky S-92 2[7]

International co-operation

Since its foundation, the Royal Gendarmerie has developed efficient mutual co-operation basis with the other similar organizations and also joined in the FIEP organization in 1999 which provides a framework for the improvement of mutual relations between organizations and the maintenance of security in the region.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Dahir n° 1-57-280 du 14 janvier 1958 22 joumada II 1377 sur le service de la Gendarmerie royale marocaine [Dahir No.1-57-280 of 14 January 1958 (22 joumada II 1377) on the service of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie] (Dahir 1-57-280) (in French). 1958.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Moroccan Gendarmerie Royale at the service of citizens". FIEP. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  3. ^ Dahir n° 1-58-261 du 1er chaabane 1378 (10 février 1959) formant code de procédure pénale [Dahir No.1-58-261 of 10 February 1959 (22 joumada II 1377) on the Criminal Procedure Code] (Dahir 1-58-261) (in French). 1959.
  4. ^ Sanmartin, Olivier (November–December 2011). "Frontière, territoire et mémoire à Figuig, oasis des confins marocains". Annales de Géographie 120e Année (in French). 682 (682): 683–696. doi:10.3917/ag.682.0683. JSTOR 23457824.
  5. ^ "Lutte contre la pêche INN" (in French). Ministry of agriculture, maritime fisheries, rural development and water and forests. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d "World Air Forces 2004 pg. 75". Flightglobal Insight. 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d "Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie". helis.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Aircraft Data CN-BZR, 2003 Eurocopter-Kawasaki EC-145 (BK-117C-2) C/N 9033". airport-data.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  9. ^ "MOROCCAN ROYAL GENDARMERIE: THE MULTI-MISSION SPECIALIST". airbushelicopters.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  • Association of the European and Mediterranean Police Forces and Gendarmeries with Military Status [1]
  • gendarmerie royale marocaine wordpress [2]