Morocco’s Public Security Director El Hail Zitouni Dies After Four-Decade Career

Casablanca – El Hail Zitouni, Morocco’s director of public security, died Thursday evening at the Military Hospital in Rabat after more than four decades of service in the National Security service, Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security said Friday.

Zitouni held several senior security positions during his career, including heading the Marrakech Security Prefecture. Before moving to Marrakech, he served as regional security chief in Ouarzazate from 2003, according to Moroccan media reports. He was appointed to head security services in Marrakech in 2008 after arriving from Ouarzazate.

In August 2012, he was transferred from Marrakech to the DGSN’s central administration in Rabat. He later became director of public security at the national police directorate, a position he continued to hold until his death.

In that role, Zitouni represented the DGSN at several national and international events. In 2021, he presented national police data on cases of violence against women during a study day in Casablanca. Police recorded 50,844 such cases in 2020, involving 47,033 victims, with minors accounting for 9% of the victims.

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In March 2023, Zitouni also spoke at the launch of Morocco’s “My Missing Child” system, a joint initiative between the DGSN and Meta aimed at using social media to help locate missing children.

In August 2024, he led a major security operation in Marrakech involving around 1,200 officers from traffic police, public security, and judicial police units. The operation resulted in 2,956 arrests and the seizure of 415 vehicles, according to local reporting.

His most recent public appearances included discussions on securing major sporting events ahead of Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and preparations for the 2030 World Cup.

The DGSN offered condolences to Zitouni’s family and instructed central directorates and the Mohammed VI Foundation for National Security Employees’ Social Works to provide support to his relatives.