HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
The city of Agadir has witnessed, in recent weeks, a noticeable return of activity in a number of shisha cafes, in the absence of the punitive campaigns that were launched by the local authorities, represented by the first and second administrative annexes, in coordination with the security services, to curb the phenomena associated with these spaces.
According to consistent data, the cessation of these periodic campaigns has contributed to an increase in the pace of activities described as suspicious within some cafes, where their activity is not limited to providing shisha, but extends to prohibited and unauthorized services, which raises growing fears among the population and local actors. The same sources indicate the return of a number of cafes previously known for stirring controversy, including a place on Hassan II Street, against which a closure decision was issued due to the security unrest it witnessed, in addition to other cafes located on Grenada Street and the Swiss neighborhood near the Regional Command of the Royal Gendarmerie, as well as a striking spread of these spaces in Ait Sous Square, and other neighborhoods and different areas of the city. In this context, civil society actors expressed their concern about what they considered a decline in the level of supervision, warning of the repercussions of this situation, especially with the city's readiness to host major continental sporting events, and the reception of significant numbers of tourists coming from different nationalities. These actors believe that the continuation of this situation may negatively affect the image of Agadir as a tourist destination, and affect the quality of services provided, calling for the need to intensify monitoring and control the nature of activities within these spaces, in accordance with the laws in force and preserving public order. At the conclusion of their demands, civil society components stressed the importance of reactivating the punitive campaigns regularly, to limit violations, and ensure respect for legal controls, in order to preserve the security of the city and its tourist reputation.
