Ahmed Dlimi
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Ahmed Dlimi was a Moroccan army General (b. ? - d. 1983).
Dlimi headed the Moroccan security services and played an important role as a military supporter of King Hassan II. During the time of his service (known as the Years of lead) he was accused of numerous human rights violations. He was reportedly connected to the disappearance of the exiled opposition leader Mehdi Ben Barka in 1965, in Paris, France. [1][2][3]
During the 1970s, Dlimi was entrusted with increasingly important tasks and promoted to the rank of general, after staying loyal to the King through the two military revolts of 1970 and 1972. Some sources claim that he personally executed his superior, General Mohamed Oufkir, on the orders of the King, after Oufkir was found responsible for the coup d'êtat of 1972.[4]
After the Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara in 1975 (see Green March), he was entrusted with command of Moroccan forces in the war against the Polisario Front. He was increasingly viewed as the main military strongman. In 1983, Dlimi died in what was officially reported by the Moroccan sources as a car accident. However, there are allegations that he was killed after attempting to organize a coup against King Hassan II. [5][6], or that he was killed for having become too powerful, and a threat to the monarchy[7].
