HIBAPRESS
The residents of the towns of Beni Tadjit and Talsint, located in the far south of the Oriental region of Morocco, have demanded the establishment of an independent prefecture that would unite the two cities and the surrounding areas. The aim is to break the administrative dependence on the prefecture of Figuig-Bouarfa, which is about 200 kilometers away, or to return to the old administrative system that allows administrative affiliation with the province of Berrechid, which is closer in terms of distance.
Local sources revealed to HIBAPRESS that the residents of the two towns believe that the distance is an obstacle to their effective benefit from public services, including the administrations related to civil, health, educational, and economic affairs, which increases their daily suffering and limits their ability to follow up on their administrative files in a timely manner. The same sources explained that the residents of the two towns and their surrounding areas, whose number is nearly 50,000 according to the general census of 2024, are forced to travel a distance of 200 kilometers in order to obtain health or administrative services, knowing that Errachidia, to which they were previously administratively affiliated, is only 120 kilometers away. In this context, the political and human rights activist Ali Balghoud presented practical proposals based on a socio-economic study that relies on scientific indicators, according to him, and considered it a gateway to launching real development in the region, stressing that the establishment of an independent prefecture for the two cities will enable the allocation of sufficient financial allocations, bringing the administration closer to citizens, and strengthening the presence of public institutions in remote areas, which enhances local development and alleviates the material and moral burden on the population. Balghoud stressed the importance of including the dimension of disability in public policies, organizing awareness meetings to raise awareness among the community, and combating profiteering in the field of disability, with the involvement of those concerned in the search for practical solutions on the basis of a rights-based approach, in implementation of the slogan "Nothing for us without us." Local figures confirm that the establishment of this prefecture will contribute to improving the quality of administrative services, and supporting comprehensive development in the region, which is considered one of the most fragile areas in Morocco on all levels, highlighting that this step will also reduce the suffering of citizens resulting from the geographical distance and the current administrative dependence.
