The Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) has mobilized over 6,500 police officers of all ranks to ensure adequate security for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank (WB) Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Marrakech (October 9-15).
The Directorate General has also mobilized hundreds of police vehicles and deployed technical, technological, and logistical resources to ensure the security of this event, in line with its strategy of providing specific, integrated security support for international events held in the Kingdom.
A detailed action plan was adopted and a comprehensive security protocol was drawn up to serve as a roadmap for the successful completion of this important operation.
The security protocol for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank (WB) Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) features an integrated mapping of the city of Marrakech, including first and foremost a precise delimitation of the “Bab Ighli” site housing the meeting village, outlining its boundaries, entrances, and peripheral roads. The other sectors of the city and its outlying areas are also taken into consideration, with the identification of all important sites and points that have a direct or indirect link with the venue of this event (hotels, accommodation institutes, transport, and foreign representations…).
The security protocol preparation phase also covered the operational distribution of police units, teams, and vehicles of different types, according to the different, carefully delineated urban security sectors. The security executives responsible for the chain of command were assigned to each sector, setting out their level of responsibility and specifying the coordination mechanisms between them and the command centers at the Marrakech police headquarters.
Additionally, a wireless communication network has been established, enabling instant digital communication between all these components.
The final security protocol also includes a detailed schedule of events throughout the Annual Meetings, from the arrival of participants to the closing ceremony and their safe departure from the country.
In accordance with international security standards for major events, Moroccan security authorities have introduced several levels of surveillance to guarantee the safety of the village hosting the Assemblies. These include a security perimeter manned by law enforcement teams, traffic management, and mobile police patrols equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance cameras, whose mission is to facilitate the smooth, unobstructed arrival of participants while preventing unauthorized access to the areas reserved for the event.
At the village gates, a second level of surveillance has been set up using scanning and inspection devices with highly advanced technologies capable of detecting all types of threats and sources of danger. In addition, intelligent electronic gates were installed, and security officers highly skilled in thorough searches were deployed, supported by police teams with trained dogs to detect all types of explosives and dangerous chemical substances.
As for the village, it has been the subject of several inspection operations by explosives experts and trained dogs. In addition, the village is subject to an access system using special badges, as well as a 24-hour optical surveillance system consisting of an advanced camera system and smoke and fire detectors linked to an effective warning and intervention system, which was repeatedly tested during the preparation phase.
On the outskirts of the village, rapid intervention teams from the Directorate General of Territorial Security (DGST), specialized in dealing with major threats, were deployed. Rapid intervention police patrols were also deployed, along with others specializing in electronic surveillance using thermal imaging cameras.
In addition, the DGST has set up a police station dedicated to the event, with a room for telecommunications management and camera surveillance. The station also includes a police district offering all necessary police services to visitors to the event area, combining efficiency and proximity, with autonomy in the application of security protocol.
Through this major police mobilization, the DGSN is betting on the success of this international event, which will undoubtedly promote the Kingdom’s position as a safe and stable country and establish credibility and confidence in Moroccan institutions and services, as part of the Kingdom’s determination to host the biggest international events in different fields (sporting, artistic, economic, and political) in the future.