Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Saturday appointed a new second-in-command of the armed forces, a release from the royal palace said, amid tensions with neighbour Algeria over the Western Sahara. Under the North African country's constitution, the king himself commands the armed forces. His new number two is Inspector General Mohammed Berid who replaces General Belkhir El Farouk, the announcement carried by the official MAP news agency said. His successor is around seven years younger and was in charge of the zone that includes disputed Western Sahara. The Algiers-backed Polisario Front seeks independence for the Western Sahara which Rabat says is Moroccan territory.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 23, 2023 05:10 UTC