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Terrorism: Belgium seeks collaboration with Morocco

Morocco

Belgium is to collaborate with Morocco in the fight against terrorism.

This follows recent discussions between the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelilah Benkirane on issues of terrorism and immigration.

The Belgian Prime Minister was in Morocco for a two-day working visit.

Charles Michel sought Morocco’s assistance in tackling security adding that both countries had collaborated in the past during the Paris attack.

“We have evoked the question of the fight against terrorism, the question of the fight against all the forms of radicalism which feed terrorism” he said.

#Morocco plays fundamental role in fight against terrorism: #Belgian PMhttps://t.co/V5gNmc9KuJ pic.twitter.com/xsUemY8ulc

— AlBawaba EG (@AlBawabaEG) March 1, 2016

Director General of Morocco’s Domestic Intelligence Agency (DGST) and Director General of Morocco’s External Intelligence Agency (DGED) also met with their Belgian peers for the same purpose.

Rabat in January this year announced the arrest of a Belgian of Moroccan descent connected to the November 13 attack in Paris which killed 130 people.

The Islamic States (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last week, Morocco’s intelligence services played a pivotal role in helping their French counterparts locate the whereabouts of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks.

Thanks to the information provided by Moroccan authorities, French police were able to corner the alleged terrorist in the apartment where he was hiding with two other terrorists in Saint-Denis, in Paris’ suburbs. The three suspects were killed in the operation.

The Moroccan Prime Minister has consented to the request for security cooperation, and has also in turn requested for economic cooperation.

He called on the European Union to support Morocco in its efforts to stabilise and develop the country.

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