Morocco Sees Surge in Military Service as Youth Seek Employment Opportunities

Abolished in 2006, compulsory military service was reinstated through the adoption in January 2019 by the government of a bill, before being interrupted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to official figures from the central commission, the number of conscripts has seen a sharp increase: 178,166 (women represent 16%) for the year 2022, an increase of 33% compared to 2019, reports the pan-African weekly Jeune Afrique.

Over the years, the government has changed its strategy. "We are not in forced mobilization. But the more we raise awareness among people, the more we explain the objective behind this operation and the more we give them the latitude of choice. Obviously, we try to transmit through military service patriotic values and the protection of territorial integrity. But there is no militaristic will," explains Kamal Hajja, a teacher-researcher at the Euromed University of Fez.

According to him, the popularity of compulsory military service is explained by a series of factors: "the desire to join the institution that encompasses all nationalist values [...] in the face of threats to our borders", "the prospect of a stable professional and social situation" in the face of "an unemployment rate that continues to rise since the health crisis" and "registration for a recognized vocational training that would facilitate access to the labor market for young people who do not have the required school or academic level."

During the military service, high school graduates considered non-commissioned officers receive 1,500 DH (140 euros) while those with a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree who are assigned the rank of officer receive a salary of 2,100 DH (196 euros). This monthly salary is exempt from all taxes and is not subject to any deduction, we are informed. Other benefits related to military service: free clothing, accommodation, food and access to care in military hospital institutions, a travel allowance and a special allowance for those who will serve in the South operational sector.