Ever since the gravel and sand quarry emerged on the mountainside (2014), a few hundred meters away from their homes and agricultural lands, the inhabitants on Beni Oukil, at the foothill of Jbel Dchira, have been in the midst of an ecological struggle [1]. The mountain was previously owned by the State and has significant historical and cultural value. It was then sold, in rather fraudulent circumstances, for 20 million Dirhams and the new ownership was registered using forged documents [2]. The Oriental region of Morocco is the second most important when it comes to volume extracted from quarries, with 14% of national production. Mainly of sand and gravel, these quarries present cumbersome consequences on the environment [3]. In addition to the vague legal background of the issue, villagers living close to the project assert that the quarrying operation does not respect legislation pertaining to the regulation of quarrying activities and environmental impact assessment (EIA) [1]. In fact, the “dahir” regulating quarrying that was issued in 1914 stipulates that quarries should operate at a minimal distance from residential areas [4]. But the Economic, Social and Environmental Council considers this “dahir” obsolete and the sector has been regulated by a memo issued by the Prime Minister in 2010, which opened the door for disorderly proliferation of quarries [2]. The Beni Oukil quarry, for example, is at less than 60 m from homes and arable land. The law 12.03 pertaining to EIAs, forces investors to conduct a public consultation with the local population which was not done according to activists [5]. Dust and dynamite explosions have been some of the main public health issues related to these quarries. Moreover, the potential drying of the water table could have dire consequences on the nearby agricultural and ranching activities. In addition to that, open-air quarrying radically alters the landscape. The Beni Oukil mountains are being mined without proper restauration. Activists from Beni Oukil have tried getting their message across in many ways. Sit-ins, road blockades and even a stall occupied by associations from the Oriental region at the COP22 were used to warn about the environmental dangers in the region [6]. On February 15, 2017 Mohammad Akkad and 15 other activists were violently arrested after the police department criminalized all actions that go against the implementation of this project. After condemnations by ATTAC Maroc and The Moroccan Association for Human Rights and other public campaigns, the defendants were cleared of all charges on February 27 by the Oujda court. [7][8][9] |
Name of conflict: | Beni Oukil Gravel Quarries, Morocco |
Country: | Morocco |
State or province: | Nador |
Location of conflict: | Beni Oukil |
Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Type of conflict. 1st level: | Mineral Ores and Building Materials Extraction |
Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Building materials extraction (quarries, sand, gravel) |
Specific commodities: | Sand, gravel |
Project details | A 20 ha gravel and sand quarry close to the village of Beni Oukil. Managed by Société Gypse Nord on privately owned land. It is listed by the ministry of equipment and transport as temporary (Although in service since 2014) and one of the few quarries on the list without a declared yearly extraction volume. |
Project area: | 20 |
Level of Investment: | Unkown |
Type of population | Rural |
Affected Population: | Unknown |
Start of the conflict: | 2014 |
Company names or state enterprises: | Société Gypse Nord from Morocco |
Relevant government actors: | Conseil Économique Social er Environnemental (CESE) Ministère de l'Équipement et du Tranport Ministère de l'Energie, des Mines, de l'Eau et de l'Environnement |
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | ATTAC Maroc: http://attacmaroc.org/fr/ Association Maroccaine des droits humains: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AMDH.org.ma/about/?ref=page_internal |
Intensity | HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...) |
Reaction stage | In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation) |
Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements |
Forms of mobilization: | Blockades Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Public campaigns Street protest/marches |
Environmental Impacts | Visible: Air pollution, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Soil erosion Potential: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Desertification/Drought, Food insecurity (crop damage), Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity |
Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Loss of livelihood, Militarization and increased police presence, Violations of human rights, Increase in violence and crime |
Project Status | In operation |
Conflict outcome / response: | Corruption Criminalization of activists Court decision (victory for environmental justice) Repression Violent targeting of activists |
Development of alternatives: | As far as the villagers are concerned, they want the quarry to stop all its activities and that the site is rehabilitated. |
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
Briefly explain: | The quarry has not stopped any of its activities and the inhabitants of Beni Oukil are still fighting to stop it. |
Related laws and legislations - Juridical texts related to the conflict |
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Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites |
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Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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Other documents |
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Contributor: | Christophe Maroun - ICTA |
Last update | 08/05/2017 |
Images |
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Mohammed Akkad
Source: Attac
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Imider/ Beni Oukil
Source: Attac. Stop au harcèlement des militants écologistes au Maroc.
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