Morocco at a Crossroads: King Mohammed VI Battles Advanced Leukemia as Succession Crisis Intensifies

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

With the Monarch Set to Relocate to Paris for Treatment, Power Struggles Erupt Within the Royal Palace Amid Fears of Foreign Meddling

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Algiers, Algeria– Sunday, July 13, 2025 | The Moroccan royal court has officially confirmed what had long been a source of persistent speculation in diplomatic and political circles: King Mohammed VI is suffering from advanced-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a serious and potentially fatal blood cancer. The sovereign, aged 61, began undergoing chemotherapy three months ago and is expected to leave the country shortly after the close of Throne Day celebrations this July to continue his treatment in Paris.

The announcement, though long anticipated, has sent shockwaves across the Moroccan political landscape, igniting concerns over a power vacuum and fueling an already escalating succession crisis. The Royal Palace has refrained from providing a timetable for the King’s absence—an omission that has only deepened the uncertainty and speculation surrounding the future of the monarchy.

A Monarch in Retreat, a Palace in Disarray

Mohammed VI, who has been notably absent from the national scene—spending more than 200 days outside Morocco in the past year—is now expected to fully withdraw from political life, leaving the machinery of the state to a cadre of unelected and often controversial figures. While the King has long been accused of governing from afar, his medical condition now renders him a largely ceremonial figure, with little involvement in the daily affairs of governance.

According to regional analysts, the levers of real power have increasingly fallen into the hands of an opaque inner circle, comprising names such as Abdellatif Hammouchi, head of Morocco’s intelligence and security services; Fouad Ali El Himma, the King’s influential advisor; André Azoulay, a Jewish-Zionist counselor with close ties to foreign lobbies; and the Zaiter brothers, individuals with criminal pasts whose flamboyant lifestyle and questionable proximity to the King have raised alarm bells in diplomatic and security circles.

Succession Under Threat

The King’s deteriorating health has placed an unprecedented spotlight on Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, the teenage heir to the throne. However, reports from palace insiders suggest that the young prince is increasingly vulnerable in the wake of internal rivalries and power plays among competing factions.

Tensions escalated recently when Moulay Hassan’s personal driver and bodyguard was found dead inside the royal compound, under murky and suspicious circumstances. Though no official statement has clarified the event, it has intensified concerns that the prince himself may be targeted by those seeking to influence or control the next phase of Moroccan leadership.

A Broader Geopolitical Game

Further complicating the crisis is the growing perception of foreign interference, particularly from the Zionist entity, which has significantly deepened its footprint in Morocco following normalization accords. Observers point to Tel Aviv’s interest in securing a strong foothold in North Africa—using Rabat as a launchpad for political, economic, and security influence across the continent.

The succession battle, therefore, risks transcending national borders, transforming into a high-stakes geopolitical contest involving international actors with divergent interests and agendas. With King Mohammed VI expected to settle in one of his French châteaux—financed by wealth extracted from both the Moroccan and Sahrawi peoples—many question whether this prolonged foreign stay will mark the end of direct monarchical control in the kingdom.

As the Moroccan monarch faces a grim medical prognosis, the nation is left in a state of political limbo, vulnerable to power grabs, elite infighting, and foreign meddling. For now, the Moroccan people watch and wait—some with anxiety, others with wearied resignation—as their nation teeters between continuity and chaos.

To be continued…

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