اخبار المغرب – وطن نيوز
اخر اخبار المغرب اليوم – اخبار المغرب العاجلة
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-03-24 16:00:00
The repercussions of the collapse of an important part of the historic municipal palace of the Tetouan community, known as the “Headquarters of Al-Azhar”, continue in the city of Tetouan. The building was built in 1946 during the period of the Spanish protectorate, and is considered one of the prominent urban and administrative landmarks in the city. The roof of the building collapsed the day before yesterday, Sunday, without causing human casualties, before the local authorities quickly intervened to cordon off the area and evacuate it of passers-by, a few days after the group decided to evacuate and close the building. The collapse was not limited to the physical structure of the building, but also affected the administrative archive, which contains important documents and files, which sparked widespread controversy and anger among the group’s employees and executives, amid mixed political reactions. Demanding the intervention of the Public Prosecution in this regard, the Free Moroccan Party of Tetouan demanded the opening of an urgent and comprehensive investigation to determine the real reasons behind this collapse, and to arrange legal and administrative responsibilities. In a statement, a copy of which is available to Al-Amqa, the party called for “the intervention of the Public Prosecution and all competent oversight bodies to determine the circumstances of this disaster, especially in light of the growing doubts about what may be withheld from public opinion.” While the party praised the work of the city’s local authorities and taking all precautionary measures to protect residents and employees, it criticized the group and demanded that it immediately provide accurate and transparent explanations about the incident, while publishing all the data related to it. Read also: The collapse of the “Municipal Palace” in Tetouan.. Employees hold the president responsible for the “loss of the archive” and demand clarifications. The party stressed “the need to expedite taking the necessary measures to repair the collapsed building and return it to its original state, while taking all necessary measures to protect the archive and the building from loss, damage, or any illegal behavior, including transfer or sale under any justification.” He pointed out that the accident “cannot be considered merely an accident, but rather a direct result of mismanagement and negligence,” explaining that this collapse “comes as a result of the collapse of the city in all economic, social, sports and cultural fields,” according to the statement. The Sharia Party added that what happened “raises serious questions about the extent to which officials, led by the group’s leadership and all elected officials, are committed to their duties in preserving public property and protecting historical heritage. It clearly reflects a miserable failure in management in which the group’s leadership bears full political and administrative responsibility.” Questions about “ignoring warnings” In the same context, Adel Bennouna, head of the opposition Justice and Development Team in the Tetouan group, described the collapse as a political and administrative incident that carries with it a grave breach of the duty of responsibility. Bennouna said that the head of the group, Mustafa Al-Bakoury, bears full responsibility for managing the facility and protecting its property, explaining that the collapsed building was not just an ordinary building, but rather a historical and administrative landmark that forms part of the city’s urban memory, and that the loss of the financial and administrative archive represents a huge loss for the entire city. He pointed out that the building witnessed major modifications in the 1990s, when an entire wing was added, which sparked controversy about adherence to building and safety standards, especially after cracks appeared years ago, without assigning an independent engineering studies office to evaluate the situation, and without effective follow-up of safety recommendations. Read also: “Tel Aviv” is at the heart of the controversy.. The opposition questions the reasons behind the evacuation of the historic municipal palace in Tetouan. Bennouna raised questions about the legality of permits and previous works, respect for construction conditions and the approval of the Regional Directorate of Culture, and the group’s responsibility for not carrying out comprehensive technical expertise. The opposition team pointed out that the collapse came at a time when the group’s leadership places the annual festival season as its top priority, leaving the protection of the historic building on the sidelines, as it put it. He continued to say: “Tetouan today does not need justification reports from the Tetouan group, whose last thing on its mind is the citizen’s right to information. Rather, it needs the complete truth and clearly defining responsibilities, because cities are not governed by silence, heritage is not protected by improvisation, and institutions do not respect themselves when their headquarters collapse and then no one is held accountable.” The proposal to “revive the building.” In turn, Ayman Al-Ghazi Al-Harras, a leader in the Authenticity and Modernity Party in Tetouan, considered that the collapse was not just a crack in the structure, but rather a reflection of a deeper management crisis related to the accumulations of neglect and planning missteps, according to what he said. Al-Harras indicated in his blog post that the building has been a witness to prominent political milestones since its construction, including historical positions of former heads of the local council. He said in this regard: “Behind this rubble lie the stories of an ancient city. Since its construction, this headquarters has been a witness to significant political milestones, perhaps the most notable of which is the courageous stance of Council President Mohamed Abdel Malek Hajjaj in 1962, when he spoke frankly to the late King Hassan II of the reality of impotence and limited powers in a past era.” He explained that this event should be a turning point for rebuilding the Al-Azhar Municipality headquarters with a modern vision that preserves the heritage and includes multi-functional facilities, while ensuring the maintenance of paintings and monuments and adopting sustainable and energy-efficient designs, making the building a true service to the city and its people. He continued to say: “Today we must aspire to revive the site as a multi-functional space: a modern garage that relieves traffic congestion, a public library that embraces generations, and seminar halls equipped with the latest technology in the same place that witnessed immortal historical speeches.” The “Loss of the Archive” controversy In the same context, the collapse of the roof of the historic municipal palace sparked a wave of anger among the group’s employees, after direct accusations were made against the head of the collective council of negligence in protecting the administrative archive, amid fears of the loss of sensitive documents. The local office of the Democratic Union of Local Communities in Tetouan called on the group’s president for an urgent clarification about the fate of these files, in light of the absence of accurate official data on the matter, which increases concern about the repercussions of the incident. This came in a report from the union office of the Democratic Federation of Labor, a copy of which is available to Al-Aqma, following an emergency meeting and a field visit to the site of the collapse that affected the Al-Azhar building, where employee representatives examined the extent of the damage to the administrative offices and their contents. Read also: Collapse affects the historic municipal palace in Tetouan days after its evacuation.. and the authorities close the area (photos). The union recorded what it described as “inaction and negligence” in preserving the administrative archive, considering that its loss or damage constitutes a direct threat to the rights of employees, especially with regard to administrative and professional situations, calling on the group’s presidency to provide immediate clarifications to reassure those concerned and reveal the truth of what happened. In a related context, the union criticized the method of managing the crisis, accusing the group’s president of not involving the social parties and not interacting with communication attempts to find solutions that guarantee the continuity of the public facility in sound conditions, considering that this reflects an absence of good governance principles and a participatory approach. On the other hand, the report noted the intervention of the local authorities, who quickly evacuated the building and closed it precautionarily before the collapse occurred, which contributed to avoiding recording human casualties. The union considered that it would continue to closely follow developments in this file, in defense of employees’ rights and to ensure that they are not lost, while calling for accelerating the rehabilitation of this historical landmark, which forms part of the city’s memory, according to the statement. Details of the collapse: The historic municipal palace in the city of Tetouan witnessed the collapse of large parts of its building, without recording human casualties, in an incident that brought to the forefront the controversy that accompanied the decision to evacuate and close the building weeks ago, which is the building belonging to the Tetouan community. According to data from the scene, the collapse occurred over a number of the group’s administrative offices, causing severe material damage. The old road station located beneath the building was also severely damaged, and it is likely that the corrosion of its supports was the main cause of the accident. Immediately after the accident occurred, the vicinity of the Municipal Palace witnessed a widespread security alert, as local authorities and elements of National Security and Civil Protection moved to the scene, and worked to cordon off the area and close the roads leading to it, especially the axis linking “Riyadh Al-Ashaq” and the old road station, as part of precautionary measures to ensure the safety of citizens. The competent authorities also began operations to remove archives and documents from the damaged offices, amid fears that part of them might be damaged or lost, awaiting official confirmation of the extent of the losses. Local sources spoke about the possibility of losing part of the group’s documents and archives as a result of the collapse, but this data has not been officially confirmed yet, in light of the ongoing extraction and technical inspection operations. According to the newspaper’s sources, the main hall, which hosts the official meetings and sessions of the Tetouan Collective Council, was not damaged in this collapse, but a number of the group’s offices were severely damaged and their contents destroyed. This collapse comes to revive the controversy raised by the decision to evacuate and close the municipal palace, which the group justified for technical reasons related to the safety of the building, as a result of cracks resulting from the erosion of the supports of the road station due to rainfall. Read also: Corrosion of the old station’s supports prompts the Tetouan group to evacuate the historic “Municipal Palace.” However, this decision did not pass without criticism, as the opposition questioned its background and linked it to political contexts, including a controversial previous visit to Tel Aviv attributed to the group’s leader, Mustafa Al-Bakouri, considering that the timing of the closure raises questions that go beyond the technical aspect. An official source in the group had previously revealed to Al-Amq newspaper that the decision to evacuate the Municipal Palace came as a precaution, based on technical reports that detected cracks and fissures in the building, as a result of the erosion of the supports of the old road station underneath, due to the recent rainfalls. The shops and the mosque located above the road station were also closed. The same source explained that the group launched a procedure to repair and strengthen these pillars, allocating financial funds for this within the framework of the road station restructuring project, noting that the “Al-Azhar” building, in turn, will undergo a comprehensive restoration process to preserve its historical character. To manage the situation temporarily, an agreement was reached with the interests of the Ministry of Equipment and Public Works to use its old building, located near the Hassan II Mosque in Tetouan, in the city center, as a temporary headquarters for the group’s offices to replace the municipal palace, until the expected repair works are completed. However, according to observers, the collapse incident reinforces the hypothesis that a real threat existed, and at the same time raises questions about the effectiveness of the measures taken. It is noteworthy that the old road station in Tetouan is located in the heart of the city, and for decades it formed the main artery of road transport in Tetouan before it was closed following the opening of the new road station in 2007. Months ago, an agreement was signed to transform the headquarters of the old road station into the “University of Culture and Heritage Sciences,” under the supervision of Royal Advisor André Azoulay, as an academic initiative considered the first of its kind in Africa, according to the academy’s introductory papers.
