Belkhir El Farouk

Belkhir El Farouk
Belkhir El Farouk
بلخير الفاروق; ⴱⵍⵅⵉⵔ ⵍⴼⴰⵔⵓⵇ
	Belkhir El Farouk in 2022
Inspector General of the Armed Forces
	In office; 15 September 2021 – 22 April 2023
Preceded by	Abdelfattah Louarak
Succeeded by	Mohammed Berrid
Commander of the Southern Zone
	In office; January 2017 – 22 April 2023
Preceded by	Bouchaib Arroub
Succeeded by	Mohammed Berrid
Personal details
Born	1948 (age 75–76); Id Bouchini, Mirleft, Morocco
Children	3
Military service
Allegiance	Morocco
Branch/service	Royal Moroccan Army
Rank	General de Corps d'Armée
Battles/wars	Western Sahara War; Guerguerat crisis

Belkhir El Farouk (Arabic: بلخير الفاروق, Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴱⵍⵅⵉⵔ ⵍⴼⴰⵔⵓⵇ; born 1948) is a Moroccan military general.

He was appointed as Inspector General by King Mohammed VI in 2021, replacing Abdelfattah Louarak, having previously been appointed Commander of the Southern Military Zone in 2019.^[1]^[2]^[3] He was replaced by Mohammed Berrid on April 22, 2023 after asking to be relieved of his duties for health reasons.^[4]^[5]

Early life

Belkhir El Farouk was born in the village of Id Bouchini, near Mirleft, in 1948.^[1]^[6] He was born into the Shilha Ait Baâmran [fr] tribal confederation.^[6] He graduated from the Meknes Royal Military Academy in 1972 with the rank of second lieutenant.^[7] El Farouk obtained a Diploma of Higher Military Defense Studies in France.^[8]

Military career

El Farouk had held several positions of military responsibility, notably in the 13th Infantry Battalion, the 4th [fr] and 6th Motorized Infantry Regiment [fr], the Headquarters Battalion, the 1st Skiers Battalion, the 10th Motorized Infantry Brigade, 7th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 3rd Headquarters Company, and Headquarters and Theater Support Battalions.^[8]

In 2006, he was appointed head of the 3rd office of the Royal Armed Forces' general staff.^[1] He was appointed Commander in Chief of the Southern Military Zone by King Mohammed VI in 2017.^[1] El Farouk led the military intervention to take control of a border crossing in Guerguerat, leading to the 2020–2023 Western Saharan clashes.^[1]

El Farouk was named Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces by King Mohammed VI on 15 September 2021, replacing Abdelfattah Louarak.^[3]

On 22 April 2023, El Farouk was replaced by Mohammed Berrid as Inspector General by King Mohammed VI.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Personal life

El Farouk is married and has three children.^[1]^[8]

Decorations

Commander of the Order of the Throne^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kozlowski, Nina (2021-09-22). "Belkhir El Farouk : dix choses à savoir sur le nouveau numéro 2 de l'armée". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-14.
^ "Le roi Mohammed VI nomme le général de corps d'armée Belkhir El Farouk inspecteur général des FAR". TelQuel (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-02.
^ ^a ^b "Morocco names Lieutenant General Belkhir El-Farouk as new army commander". Al Arabiya English. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
^ "Qui est le général Berrid, le nouvel inspecteur général des FAR?". www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-23.
^ "Le Roi Mohammed VI nomme Mohammed Berrid à la tête des Forces Armées Royales". Hespress Français - Actualités du Maroc (in French). 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
^ ^a ^b "من يكون الجنرال بلخير الذي عينه الملك مفتشا عاما للقوات المسلحة الملكية" [Who is General Belkhir, who was appointed by the King as Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces?]. Al Akhbar (in Arabic). 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
^ El Kanabi, Mohamed Jaouad (2021-09-16). "Le Général Belkhir El Farouk, le bon Inspecteur à la bonne place". Hespress (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Portrait du nouvel Inspecteur Général des FAR Belkhir El Farouk". Les Eco (in French). 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
^ "Mohammed VI remplace Belkhir El Farouk par Mohammed Berrid à la tête des FAR". Le Desk (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
^ Sahnouni, Mariya. "Mohammed Berrid Named Inspector General of Morocco's Armed Forces". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
^ "الملك يعين بريظ مفتشا عاما للجيش". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kozlowski, Nina (2021-09-22). "Belkhir El Farouk : dix choses à savoir sur le nouveau numéro 2 de l'armée". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-14.

[2] "Le roi Mohammed VI nomme le général de corps d'armée Belkhir El Farouk inspecteur général des FAR". TelQuel (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-02.

[:2-3] "Morocco names Lieutenant General Belkhir El-Farouk as new army commander". Al Arabiya English. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2022-09-14.

[4] "Qui est le général Berrid, le nouvel inspecteur général des FAR?". www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-23.

[5] "Le Roi Mohammed VI nomme Mohammed Berrid à la tête des Forces Armées Royales". Hespress Français - Actualités du Maroc (in French). 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.

[:4-6] "من يكون الجنرال بلخير الذي عينه الملك مفتشا عاما للقوات المسلحة الملكية" [Who is General Belkhir, who was appointed by the King as Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces?]. Al Akhbar (in Arabic). 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2022-10-04.

[7] El Kanabi, Mohamed Jaouad (2021-09-16). "Le Général Belkhir El Farouk, le bon Inspecteur à la bonne place". Hespress (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-05.

[:3-8] "Portrait du nouvel Inspecteur Général des FAR Belkhir El Farouk". Les Eco (in French). 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2022-10-02.

[9] "Mohammed VI remplace Belkhir El Farouk par Mohammed Berrid à la tête des FAR". Le Desk (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-22.

[10] Sahnouni, Mariya. "Mohammed Berrid Named Inspector General of Morocco's Armed Forces". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-04-22.

[11] "الملك يعين بريظ مفتشا عاما للجيش". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.

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