Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in the context of "Desert warfare"

The Sahrawi refugee camps (Arabic: مخيمات اللاجئين الصحراويين; Spanish: Campamentos de refugiados saharauis), also known as the Tindouf camps, are a collection of refugee camps set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria, in 1975–76 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces, who advanced through Western Sahara during the Western Sahara War. With most of the original refugees still living in the camps, the situation is among the most protracted in the world.

The limited opportunities for self-reliance in the harsh desert environment have forced the refugees to rely on international humanitarian assistance for their survival. However, the Tindouf camps differ from the majority of refugee camps in the level of self-organization. Most affairs and camp life organization are run by the refugees themselves, with little outside interference.

The Royal Moroccan Navy (Arabic: القوات البحرية الملكية المغربية) is a branch of the military of Morocco responsible for conducting naval operations. The Royal Moroccan Navy is administratively managed by the Administration of Defence, which is (de facto) commanded by King Mohammed VI, the commander-in-chief of the Moroccan Armed Forces.

Mohammed VI (Arabic: محمد السادس, romanized: Muḥammad as-sādis; born 21 August 1963) is King of Morocco. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he acceded to the throne on 23 July 1999, upon the death of his father, King Hassan II.

Upon ascending to the throne, Mohammed initially introduced several reforms and changed the family code to grant more rights to women in Morocco. Leaked diplomatic cables from WikiLeaks in 2010 led to allegations of corruption in the court of Mohammed, implicating him and his closest advisors. In 2011, protests in Morocco that were considered part of the wider Arab Spring occurred against alleged government corruption. In response, Mohammed enacted several reforms and introduced a new constitution. These reforms were passed by public referendum on 1 July 2011. His other reforms have included modernising the economy and military force of Morocco, promoting non-sectarian Islam and Berber culture, including designating Standard Moroccan Amazigh as an official national language alongside Standard Arabic, and curtailing the influence of religious extremism.

The Royal Moroccan Army (Arabic: القوات البرية الملكية المغربية Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah) is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations.

The Royal Army consists of 500,000 soldiers. In the event of emergency situations, an additional force of 400,000 reservists, 240,000 gendarmes, 100,000 members of the Auxiliary Forces, and 5,000 members of the Mobile Intervention Corps are made available to the Moroccan Defense Staff.

Hassan II (Arabic: الحسن الثاني, romanized: al-Ḥasan aṯ-ṯhānī; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Abla bint Tahar.

He was named crown prince in 1957 and was the first commander-in-chief of the Royal Armed Forces. He was enthroned as king in 1961 following his father's death. His reign was marked by the start of the Western Sahara conflict and the Sand War, as well as two failed coup attempts against him in 1971 and in 1972. Hassan's conservative approach reportedly strengthened his rule over Morocco and the Western Sahara. He was accused of authoritarian practices, as well as human rights and civil rights abuses, particularly during the Years of Lead. A truth commission was set up after his death to investigate allegations of human rights violations during his reign.