Morocco: Holders of longest sit-in intending to end an 8-year protest

On Wednesday, the organisers of Morocco’s most prolonged sit-in declared they are willing to end their eight-year protest near Africa’s largest silver mine.

This announcement came in a statement and which was issued by the popular non-governmental IMIDER movement, the leader of the protests.

According to media reports, several residents from Imder town located near the city of Tinghir in central Morocco, have been protesting since 2011 calling for developing the region and providing infrastructure. The town has the largest silver factory in Africa.

“The movement’s activists are considering a program aiming to put an end to one of the most prominent peaceful protests it has been supervising since 20 August 2011, before the largest silver mine in Africa. This move involves the longest sit-in in the history of modern Morocco,” said the statement.

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“The movement will announce details about this step in the upcoming days,” added the statement without specifying an exact date.

Anadolu could not acquire an immediate response from the Moroccan government regarding the statement of the movement.

Years ago, people in the region had protested by organising a sit-in to call for the development of the region, mainly as it includes a factory extracting silver.

According to local media, protesters are taking turns to keep their sit-in going.

Residents are calling for infrastructure and amenities in the area, such as a hospital, school and roads, as well as stopping what they described as the “drainage” of water that has caused the region to dry up.