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«The Happy Valley», that’s the name locals give to Aït Bouguemez, a scenic area nestled in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains, in Morocco’s Azilal province. But behind the nickname lies growing frustration. For weeks, the region has witnessed mounting social tension driven by stalled development demands and what residents describe as years of «neglect», especially compared to neighboring areas that have seen significant infrastructure upgrades.
In a bid to escalate their protest, residents of Aït Bouguemez launched a peaceful march on foot on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Their goal: to reach the Azilal provincial headquarters, and eventually the Beni Mellal-Khenifra regional capital, after exhausting all other channels to make their voices heard.
More than a thousand men from across Aït Bouguemez’ 27 villages took part in the march, joined by Khaled Tougougun, president of the Tabant rural commune. But the demonstrators encountered their first obstacle at the Tizi N'Terghist mountain pass, where security forces blocked the road with vehicles, forcing them to take an alternative route.
Blocked but undeterred
«The march began at 9 a.m. from Aït Bouguemez. When we reached Tizi N'Terghist, the authorities blocked our way, so we changed course», said Hassan Laakoun, a protester and member of the organizing committee, speaking to Yabiladi. «Now we’re out in the open, continuing toward the Ait M'hamed rural commune, then on to the Azilal provincial headquarters, and finally to the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region».
«All of us are men, over a thousand of us. And our five main demands are embarrassingly simple», he added.
At the top of the list is the need for a resident doctor. The local health center has lacked a full-time physician for years, forcing residents to travel long distances for even basic care. «There are only nurses», said Hassan Laakoun.
Road repairs are another urgent demand. Residents are calling for the rehabilitation of regional road 302 (linking Aït Bouguemez to Tizi N'Terghist) and road 317 (Ait Abbas), both vital links that become impassable in winter due to snow.
Connectivity is also a major concern, with many areas still lacking basic phone and internet service, a reality made evident during our call with Hassan, where the connection was poor and hard to maintain.
The protesters are also calling for the construction of a community sports field for local youth, the creation of a training center for mountain-related trades that matches the region’s landscape and job needs, and the establishment of a community school to address rising dropout rates. They also demand the construction of small dams to protect the region from seasonal floods.
Finally, residents want an end to housing permit restrictions caused by the absence of an urban development plan. As a result, many families are unable to build homes in their own villages.
