Royal Activities
Wednesday 31 July 2019

Throne Day: HM the King Chairs in Tetouan Oath-taking Ceremony of Graduate Officers of Major Military and Paramilitary Schools

Throne Day: HM the King Chairs in Tetouan Oath-taking Ceremony of Graduate Officers of Major Military and Paramilitary Schools

HM King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of the general Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, chaired, Wednesday afternoon at the Mechouar Square in the Royal Palace of Tetouan, on the occasion of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Sovereign's accession to the Throne of His glorious Ancestors, the oath-taking ceremony of 1,839 officers who graduated from various military and paramilitary institutes and schools, and officers who were promoted, including 283 women-officers.

HM the King has named this year's Group of Graduates "Mr. Abderrahmane Youssoufi".

After saluting the national flag as the national anthem was playing, the Sovereign delivered the following address:

"Praise be to God,

May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Honorable Officers,

As the Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, it gives me pleasure to preside over this oath-taking ceremony. I have made sure you received modern, integrated training and gained the required skills and competences.

I have decided to name this year's Group of Graduates after Mr. Abderrahmane Youssoufi, who shares with my late father, His Majesty King Hassan II, and with me the same unwavering principles: love for the homeland and a strong commitment to the nation's sacred values, to the Kingdom’s territorial integrity and to the defense of its best interests.

I am proud of the solid ties and the special, mutual affection between me and Mr. Youssoufi.

I therefore urge you to live up to all this name stands for, namely integrity, commitment, adherence to principles and genuine patriotism; and be loyal to your everlasting motto: God, the Country, the King".

Following the oath-taking ceremony, HM the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of the general Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, reviewed the various detachments of the graduated officers.

The sworn-in year group includes 566 officers from major military schools, including 105 women-officers.

These are:

- The Royal Military Academy

- The Air Royal School

- The Royal Naval School.

- The Royal School of Military Health Services

- Training Centre of Social Services of FAR

Added to them, 500 Special Corps officers and newly-promoted officers from the ranks of the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie and the Auxiliary Forces, including 121 women-officers.

In addition, there are 773 reserve officers from the major paramilitary schools, including 157 women-officers, who graduated from the following schools:

– The Mohammedia School of Engineers

– The Royal Institute of Territorial Administration of the Ministry of the Interior

– The Royal Institute of Police

– The National School of Forest Engineers

– The Customs Training Center

Afterwards, HM the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of FAR, promoted several chief officers to the ranks of General and Colonel-major, and authorized the dissemination of the promotion board of FAR staff for the year 2019.

These nominations take place every year on the occasion of the commemoration of the Glorious Throne Day and are part of the usual promotion of staff in FAR's different components (land, air, sea, royal gendarmerie).

This royal gesture reflects the high solicitude of HM the King, the constant attention granted by the Sovereign to the family of the Royal Armed Forces and his determination to ensure directly its moral and material well-being.

HM the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of FAR, received on July 29 in Tetouan, Lieutenant General Abdelfettah Louarak, Inspector general of FAR, chairman of FAR Promotion Committee, who submitted to the Sovereign the conclusions and results related to the promotion of FAR's staff.

During this audience, chairman of FAR Promotion Committee expressed to HM the King his deep gratitude and pride over the solicitude and Royal Instructions that have guided the work of the Committee on this promotion board during all its phases.

The Sovereign approved the promotion board of FAR's staff and gave his orders to convey his congratulations to the newly-promoted personnel. HM the King also urged the Royal Armed Forces to continue fulfill the lofty mission entrusted to them, loyal to the Sacred Motto: "God, the Country, the King".

The oath-taking ceremony took place in the presence of the head of government, the speakers of the two houses of parliament, HM the King’s advisors, government members, senior officers of the General Staff of FAR, foreign military attachés accredited in Rabat, as well as other civilian and military prominent figures.

MAP 31 July 2019