Moroccan youth defy monarchy by rejecting military service in Western Sahara

A growing digital protest movement in Morocco is challenging the royal authority as young citizens openly refuse to participate in potential military actions regarding Western Sahara. Protesters are circulating a slogan demanding that if King Mohammed VI insists on war, he should send his own son to the front lines instead of conscripting the country's youth. This pushback comes amidst severe economic hardship that is already driving thousands of young people to emigrate. Critics argue that the population should not sacrifice their lives to protect the interests of a ruling elite. Furthermore, activists from the Rif region have joined the dissent, urging a boycott of military service and expressing solidarity with the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, highlighting deep-seated internal tensions within the Moroccan state.