Morocco Faces International Scrutiny Over Western Sahara Claims and Human Rights
Morocco is facing international criticism regarding its claims over Western Sahara and its human rights record. The nation considers any challenge to its borders, including its claim to Western Sahara, a national security threat. Moroccan law prohibits public speech that criticizes the monarchy, insults Islam, or questions the Western Sahara claim, leading to arrests of activists, suppression of independent news, and crackdowns on protests. The nomadic Sahrawi people in Western Sahara are engaged in a prolonged conflict for independence. Additionally, Morocco has drawn sharp international criticism for human rights abuses along its borders, which serve as primary transit points for Sub-Saharan migrants heading to Europe. The country also disputes Spanish ownership of the coastal cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Internally, severe, multi-year droughts are exacerbating the divide between the wealthy and the poor, pushing families from rural areas into urban slums. 
