On Thursday evening, residents of Aït Bouguemez began returning to their region after staging a peaceful protest march on foot toward the Beni Mellal-Khenifra province, demanding long-overdue development efforts. Their decision to return followed a meeting with the governor of Azilal province, who pledged to address several urgent demands within ten days, according to a member of the organizing committee who spoke to Yabiladi. Hassan Laakoun, a participant in the march, said the governor was initially receptive to the residents' concerns, resulting in a verbal agreement, though no written document was signed, to fulfill three key demands within the agreed timeframe. The first commitment involves improving mobile network coverage, with authorities promising full coverage across various parts ofAït Bouguemez within ten days. In the healthcare sector, an anticipated partnership was announced with an association operating under a contracting system to ensure the presence of a permanent doctor in the area. Regarding building permits, authorities agreed to work with the rural council to grant permits free of charge in remote villages not connected to main roads. Laakoun added that the governor pledged to visitAït Bouguemez soon to meet with local community leaders and discuss other remaining demands, particularly those related to education and infrastructure. He also said the governor announced plans to build seven local sports fields across the province, with one to be allocated to Aït Bouguemez. More than a thousand people from 27 villages took part in the march, chanting slogans calling for an end to the isolation of their mountainous region in the heart of the High Atlas.
