Auxiliary Forces

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Moroccan Royal Armed Forces القوات المسلحة الملكية

Founded	1956
Service branches	-Royal Moroccan Air Force -Royal Army -Royal Navy -Royal Gendarmerie -Auxiliary Forces -Royal Guard
Leadership
Supreme Commander and Chief-of-Staff	King Mohammed VI
Available for military service	7,908,864 males, age 18-49 (2005), 7,882,879 females, age 18-49 (2005)
Fit for military service	6,484,787 males, age 18-49 (2005), 6,675,757 females, age 18-49 (2005)
Reaching military age annually	353,377 males (2005), 341,677 females (2005)
Active personnel	196,300 (2006) (ranked 25th)
Reserve personnel	150,000 (2002 est.)
Expenditures
Budget	7,630,000,000 [1]
Percent of GDP	5%
Industry
Foreign suppliers	France Spain United States
Related articles
History	Military history of Morocco

The Moroccan Auxiliary Forces is a paramilitary force which supplements the military, gendarmerie and police when needed.

They have a military status, but depend on the Ministry of the Interior of Morocco, and not the Royal Armed Forces.

They contribute to maintaining order and the static guards, they are also present as border guards and are the main reinforcements firefighters during the forest fires. During the bad years, custody facilities such as (Tazmamart and Agdz) was made by elements of the auxiliary forces.

They are known colloquially mokhazni.

1 Composition
2 Armaments
3 Recent activity
4 Sources
5 External links

[edit] Composition

The auxiliary forces are composed of 45 000 men. In urban areas and cities, they are not usually armed.

The auxiliary forces are divided into two parts:
- The administrative Makhzen, a sort of administrative police posted in front or inside public buildings.
- the Makhzen mobile units consisting of rapid intervention, a family who live in barracks and are constantly moving in groups.

[edit] Armaments

As armenent, they have MAS 36, AK-47 and FN MAG's and 32 armoured vehicles UR-416.

[edit] Recent activity

During clashes in the Sahara (against the Polisario and against Algeria), auxiliary troops were almost always in the front line. Today a large part of Moroccan soldiers fallen in the Sahara were elements of the auxiliary forces, even for Moroccan prisoners of war.