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RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco's King Mohammed VI, on the subject of social and economic issues, said the North African country struggles with social disparities.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017. REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
He delivered the speech from the northwestern Rif region in the the city of Al Hoceima where the popular protests over poverty and neglect in 2016 after a fishmonger was a victim of a crime.
Rif activists including protest leader Nbader Zefzafi were sentenced to 20 years in jail on charges of undermining state security and attacking law enforcement members.
Billions of Moroccan dirhams allocated to social development plans could not have been better.
"I attach special importance to and take a keen interest in social affairs – both as a king and as a person," he said.
Morocco is struggling to attract investment to curb rising unemployment as the economy has been hit by rising oil prices.
Reporting by Ahmed ElJechtimi; Editing by Ulf Laessing
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