Moroccans Demand Prime Minister’s Resignation Amid Soaring Fuel and Food Prices

Calls for the resignation of Aziz Akhannouch are multiplying on social networks, and the hashtags #GetoutAkhannouch and #Akhannouchleave have gone viral. On Friday, #GetoutAkhannouch generated more than 11,000 tweets and thousands of retweets. Many Moroccan internet users are protesting against the dizzying rises in food and commodity prices, particularly that of fuel. The maintenance of the fuel price at more than 16 DH and 17 DH in recent months is causing anger.

"As a Moroccan citizen, I add my voice to the voice of truth and the people in general who are suffering because of the rise in oil prices. For the Moroccan people, we are a hand against the government of Akhannouch," tweets a Moroccan internet user. "Only in Morocco: the head of government owns the country’s largest oil company and plays with people’s lives by setting the prices he wants," writes another, stressing that Aziz Akhannouch is the boss of the Akwa oil group, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate.

In addition to demanding Akhannouch’s departure, Moroccan internet users are calling on the government to set gasoline and diesel prices at 7DH and 8DH, in order to relieve households.