By Mohamed al-Tahiri

RABAT

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani on Thursday urged members of his cabinet to “draw a lesson” from the recent dismissal of several government ministers.

Earlier this week, Morocco’s Royal Court announced the dismissal of four cabinet members for allegedly failing to implement the government’s development program for Morocco’s northern Al-Rif region.

Over the course of the past year, the region has been rocked by frequent protests by disaffected youths demanding more job opportunities and stepped-up local development.

“This is the first meeting of the ministerial council since His Majesty the King [Mohammed VI] announced the dismissal of several government ministers,” Othmani said in a Thursday statement, calling on members of his cabinet to “draw a lesson” from the king’s decision.

The prime minister went on to urge cabinet members to listen to -- and address -- citizens’ grievances.

He also told members of his government to continue visiting different parts of the country “with a view to identifying the main problems faced by citizens”.

For nearly a year, Morocco’s northern Al-Rif region -- especially the restive city of Al-Hoceima -- has been rocked by protests by local youth demanding jobs and an end of perceived government corruption.

On several occasions, the demonstrations have been forcibly dispersed by security forces, leading to a number of injuries -- and at least one death -- among protesters.

The demonstrations first erupted in October of last year when a local fisherman, Mohsen Fikri, was crushed to death by a garbage truck in Al-Hoceima while protesting attempts by police to confiscate his fish.

Since then, at least 250 people have been arrested for taking part in the demonstrations, dozens of whom remain in police custody.