Rabat Residents Face Displacement as City Modernization Plans Advance

"We have never had a problem with the landlord. We pay our rent every month and have always maintained the house at our own expense. [...] My elderly mother did not accept the idea of being ’chased’ from her home," confides a man of about 70 years old who has lived in a house in the Saniet Gharbia neighborhood since childhood. His house and other dwellings will be demolished in the next few days. The pasha had made an announcement to this effect the week before Ramadan.

The family of the almost septuagenarian and others acknowledge the validity of the demolition operations, that of giving a "new face" to Rabat. However, they deplore the lack of suitable solutions to their needs. "We cannot settle in Temara or Salé. My mother and sister would not adapt to it. They would feel lost, disoriented," insists the resident. He asks the authorities to provide concrete support that would allow the families of a historic neighborhood of Rabat to remain in their environment.