Historic Oujda Military Building Vandalized, Sparking Heritage Preservation Concerns

The former officers’ mess of the Rose Camp has existed since the early 1920s, reports the newspaper l’Economiste. This historic vestige is now vandalized and a large part of its accessories and construction materials have been resold. The situation has alerted several associations, which have called on all stakeholders in the protection of public property and architectural heritage.

The Association for the Research of History and Heritage of the Moroccan Oriental (ARHPOM) has contacted several departments, including the Interior, Culture, Housing, the municipality of Oujda and the justice system, so that they can assume their responsibilities to save the rest of this historic vestige. The association has emphasized the former officers’ club, located in the Captain Mohamed Bel Miloudi district, which suffered reprehensible acts during the month of September.

On social networks, other associative actors are calling for rigorous protection of the material and immaterial heritage of the city. "It is time to remedy the constant hemorrhage that the architectural heritage of the city is experiencing... Monuments that are part of a collective memory to be preserved," said Mohammed Chabir, president of a heritage rescue association. "The heritage of Oujda and its memory are only a secondary aspect compared to real estate speculation and the opportunities for urbanization of the city without cultural and civilizational added value," laments Jamal Eddine Tmimi, an architect in Oujda.

It should be recalled that the officers’ mess in Oujda is located in the urban center, an area with dozens of hectares allocated for the construction of upscale buildings. Currently, infrastructure work is underway in the area, according to l’Économiste.