Summary: Non-signatory Morocco adopted the convention in 2008 and acknowledges the harm caused by cluster munitions, but says it cannot accede due to the dispute over Western Sahara. Morocco hasparticipated in most of the convention’s meetings, but abstained from voting on a key UN resolution on the convention in December 2016.

Morocco says it has never produced or exported cluster munitions. It has imported cluster munitions, but has not provided information on the numbers and types stockpiled. In the past, Morocco used cluster munitions against the Polisario Front. Morocco is participating in a Saudi Arabia-led coalition of states that has used cluster munitions in Yemen since March 2015.

Policy

The Kingdom of Morocco has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Morocco acknowledges the humanitarian rationale for the convention and claims to comply with its provisions, but says it cannot accede until the dispute over Western Sahara is resolved.[1]

In December 2016, Morocco abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution, which urges states outside the Convention on Cluster Munitions to “join as soon as possible.”[2] It also abstained from the first UNGA resolution on the convention in December 2015.[3]

Morocco participated in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions and joined in the consensus adoption of the convention in Dublin in May 2008, but did not sign it.[4]

Morocco has participated as an observer in every Meeting of States Parties of the convention except the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2016. It attended the convention’s First Review Conference in 2015 and intersessional meetings in 2011–June 2015.

Morocco has voted in favor of UNGA resolutions expressing outrage at the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2016.[5] It has voted in favor of Human Rights Council resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in September 2016.[6]

Morocco is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty. Morocco is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Production, transfer, and stockpiling

Morocco informed the Monitor in March 2011 that it has never produced or exported cluster munitions.[7]

Morocco has not provided any information on the current types and quantities of its stockpiled cluster munitions. Between 1970 and 1995, the United States (US) transferred to Morocco 2,994 CBU-52, 1,752 CBU-58, 748 CBU-71, and 850 Rockeye cluster bombs containing a combined total of nearly 2.5 million submunitions.[8]

Morocco also acquired a total of 12 300mm PHL-03 multi-barrel rocket launchers from China in 2009–2010. This weapon is a copy of the Russian-made 300mm Smerch launcher and its rockets include types containing explosive submunitions, but it is not known what types of rockets were acquired.[9] Morocco also possesses Grad 122mm surface-to-surface rocket launchers, but it is not known if the ammunition for these weapons includes versions with submunition payloads.[10]

Use

Between 1975–1988, Moroccan forces used artillery-fired and air-dropped cluster munitions against the Polisario Front in the disputed Western Sahara. Between 1980 and 1981, the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) conducted attacks on Akka, Guelta Zemmour, Hausa, and Messeid using French-made cluster bombs.[11] In March 1982, the RMAF attacked the Bu-Crag area with cluster bombs supplied by the US.[12]

In 2006, British NGO Action on Armed Violence reported that Western Sahara was significantly contaminated by cluster munitions, including US-made CBU-71 cluster bombs with BLU-63 submunitions and M483A1 155mm artillery projectiles with M42 and M46 dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) submunitions.[13] Neighboring Mauritania was also affected by these same types of cluster munitions used by Morocco in Western Sahara.

Since March 2015, Morocco has participated in a Saudi Arabia-led military operation by a coalition of states against Houthi forces (Ansar Allah) in Yemen. Morocco stockpiles a type of cluster munition used by the coalition in a 6 January 2016 attack on the Yemeni capital.[14]

Morocco has not commented on that attack or any other cluster munition use in Yemen, but a statement on behalf of the “Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen” published by the Saudi Press Agency in December 2016 states that:

“International law does not ban the use of cluster munitions. Some States have undertaken a commitment to refrain from using cluster munitions by becoming party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Neither the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia nor its Coalition partners are State Parties to the 2008 Convention, and accordingly, the Coalition’s use of cluster munitions does not violate the obligations of these States under international law.”[15]

Policy

The Kingdom of Morocco has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Officials from Morocco have repeatedly stated that the dispute over Western Sahara is the only obstacle preventing Morocco from acceding.[1] At the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in 2017, Morocco stated it “fully subscribes to the founding principles and humanitarian goals” of the treaty, and has been voluntarily active in its obligations to clear minefields and destroy stockpiles.[2]

On 5 December 2016, Morocco voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 71/34 calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, as in previous years.

Morocco regularly submits voluntary Article 7 reports, including in 2017, 2016, and 2015. It submitted its most recent report on 20 March 2017.[3]

Morocco is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II on landmines. It submitted its latest annual report required by Article 13 of the protocol in April 2017. Morocco is not party to CCW Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

Use, stockpiling, production, transfer, and retention

Morocco reiterated at the Meeting of States Parties in 2013 that it has never produced or transferred antipersonnel mines.[4]

Morocco has acknowledged extensive use of mines in the past, most notably at the berms (defensive earthen walls) it built from 1982 to 1987 to secure the northwest corner of Western Sahara. There have been no confirmed instances of mine use since that time.[5]

In May 2009, in response to a Monitor questionnaire, “Does Morocco reserve the right to use antipersonnel mines in the future?” Morocco replied, “Non.”[6] Morocco also stated that it stopped the use and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines in 1987 and that it has never produced antipersonnel mines.[7]

In May 2009, Morocco told States Parties that it still possesses antipersonnel mines that are used for training its army for participation in peacekeeping operations.[8] Its Article 7 report submitted in March 2017 does not provide the number of mines retained.[9]

Recommendation for action

• The Kingdom of Morocco should seek assistance to develop a functioning mine action program.

Contamination

The exact extent of contamination of the area of Western Sahara controlled by Morocco, on the west side of the Berm,[1] is not known. In the past, Morocco declared, highly improbably, that a total of 120,000km² of area was contaminated,[2] although the threat is undoubtedly significant.

Morocco’s contamination is a result of the conflict between the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) and Polisario Front forces over Western Sahara. Morocco has reported having registered and mapped the minefields it has laid, and has pledged to clear them as soon as the conflict for Western Sahara is over.[3]

In April 2013, Morocco had identified 10 areas as having been mined by the Polisario Front since 1975: Bir Anzarane, Douiek, Gerret Auchfaght, Gor Lbard, Gor Zalagat, Hagounia, Idiriya, Imlili, Itgui, and Tarf Mhkinza.[4] It repeated this list in a voluntary Article 7 report it submitted in November 2015.[5] The area of Glibat Jadiane, which had been listed as contaminated in earlier years, was no longer included on the list of mined areas.[6]

Program Management

Morocco does not have a national mine action authority or a mine action center.

Operators

Morocco initiated major demining efforts in 2007, following an increase in the number of incidents. All mine clearance in Morocco is conducted manually by the RMA.

In March 2016, it was reported that United States (US) Marines were providing training to build the demining capacity of the RMA. US instructors covered ordnance identification, safety, basic demolition, and basic combat casualty care.[7]

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has been coordinating mine action activities with both parties to the conflict. In March 2016, however, Morocco required that MINURSO international civilian personnel “leave the Kingdom of Morocco within three days.”[8] This included all international staff overseeing the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS)-managed demining project within MINURSO, resulting in the suspension of all demining activities from 20 March 2016.[9] Morocco demanded the staff leave because UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had used the term “occupation” to describe the situation east of the Berm during a visit to the region.[10] The Mine Action Coordination Center relocated to Tindouf, Algeria, in September 2016, from where UNMAS reported that mine action operations returned to full capacity.[11] (See Western Sahara profile for details).

Standards

Morocco has not adopted national mine action standards, but reported, most recently in April 2013, that “normal safety and environmental protection standard have been followed.”[12]

Land Release

Morocco has not reported with any detail on its release of mined areas in recent years. In its voluntary Article 7 report for 2016, Morocco reported the release of 283km² with the destruction of 288 antipersonnel mines, 170 antivehicle mines, and 1,899 explosive remnants of war (ERW).[13]

In his April 2016 report to the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General noted that the RMA had reported “clearing” more than 220km² of land to the west of the berm with the destruction of 9,873 items, including “anti-tank” mines and antipersonnel mines, unexploded ordinance (UXO), and small arms ammunition.[14] No further details were provided.

In April 2016, Morocco was planning to launch a new effort to clear mines from the berm that divides Western Sahara into the Moroccan-controlled area and the Polisario-controlled area. The units to be deployed were reportedly those trained by the US Marines.[15]

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the mine action research in 2017, including on survey and clearance, and shared all its resulting landmine and cluster munition reports with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.

Casualties

In 2015, 14 mine casualties were identified in the Kingdom of Morocco by the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Anti-vehicle mines (AVM) project. All casualties occurred in antivehicle mine incidents. One person was killed and the other 13 were injured.[1] Three mine/ERW casualties were identified in 2011.[2] Before the casualties reported in 2011, the last mine/ERW casualties recorded in Morocco occurred in 2008.[3]

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in Morocco is not known. Morocco reported 28 casualties for 2016, including six people killed and 22 injured. However these included casualties in the area of Western Sahara.[4] Morocco reported 2,536 mine/ERW casualties (831 persons killed; 1,705 injured) from 1975 to the end of 2012.[5] No information was provided as to whether these casualties occurred in Morocco or in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.[6]

Morocco has reported having government programs to provide for the economic and social reintegration of landmine survivors.[7]

Morocco ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in April 2009.