Abderrahmane Youssoufi

Abderrahmane Youssoufi (/ɑːbdɛˈræxmɑːn ˈjuːsuːfi/ (listen) ahb-deh-RAKH-mahn YOO-soo-fee; Arabic: عبد الرحمن اليوسفي‎; 8 March 1924 – 29 May 2020) was a Moroccan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Morocco from 1998 to 2002. He was a human rights lawyer.[1][2]

Abderrahmane Youssoufi
12th Prime Minister of Morocco
In office
4 February 1998 – 9 October 2002
MonarchHassan II
Mohammed VI
Preceded byAbdellatif Filali
Succeeded byDriss Jettou
Personal details
Born(1924-03-08)8 March 1924
Tangier, Morocco
Died29 May 2020(2020-05-29) (aged 96)
Casablanca, Morocco
Political partySocialist Union of Popular Forces

Early life and education

Born in Tangier,[3] Youssoufi was a socialist from a young age,[3] dedicating himself to organizing the working class of Casablanca as early as 1944.[3] In 1949 Youssoufi began also to fight for the rights of emigrant Moroccan workers in France.[3] He also studied law, practicing in Tangier from 1952 to 1960.[4]

Political career

In 1959, Youssoufi was one of the founders of the National Union of Popular Forces, a left-wing political party.[5] He was arrested for his involvement in 1959 and again in 1963,[3] the latter arrest leading to a prison sentence of two years.[4] Following his release, Youssoufi went into self-imposed exile in Paris for a period of fifteen years.[4] Later he returned to Morocco.[6] Meanwhile, the National Union of Popular Forces became the Socialist Union of Popular Forces. In 1980 Youssoufi returned to join the new party, becoming the party secretary in 1992 after the death of Abderrahim Bouabid.[1]

Prime Minister

On 4 February 1998 King Hassan II named Youssoufi the Prime Minister of Morocco,[7] a post he held until October 2002. He formed a left-center government.[8] His government provided greater freedoms for the people and media.[1]

Later life

In October 2003, Youssoufi announced his retirement from politics.[5] He began to live in Casablanca after his retirement.[1] On 15 October 2016, Youssoufi was hospitalized for pneumonia and King Mohammed VI visited him in the hospital.[9] Youssoufi died on 29 May 2020, at the age of 96 due to lung cancer.[10][11]

Awards

In 1999, Youssoufi was one of the two winners of the North-South Prize.[12] In 2016, King Mohammed VI of Morocco honored Youssoufi by naming an avenue in Tangier after him.[13]

References
  • This article is based in part on the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia, accessed 1 October 2005.
  1. Marvine Howe (2005). Morocco:The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges. Oxford University Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-19-516963-8.
  2. Clements, John (29 May 2003). "Clements' Encyclopedia of World Governments". Political Research, Incorporated. Retrieved 4 December 2007 – via Google Books.
  3. Hatim, Yahia (29 May 2020). "Casablanca Hospital Admits Morocco's Former PM Abderrahmane Youssoufi". Morocco World News. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  4. Staff (29 May 2020). "Morocco's Ex-PM Abderrahman El Youssoufi Dies at Age 96". North Africa Post. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. Park, Thomas Kerlin; Boum, Aomar (2005). Historical Dictionary of Morocco. Scarecrow Press. p. 360. ISBN 978-0-8108-5341-6.
  6. "Morocco's Acknowledgement of Past Abuses". Human Rights Watch. 28 November 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  7. Leveau, Rémy (6 December 1998). "A democratic transition in Morocco?". Le Monde Diplomatique. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  8. Susan Searight (1 November 1999). Maverick Guide to Morocco. Pelican Publishing. pp. 62–. ISBN 978-1-56554-348-5. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  9. "Hospitalisé, Abderrahmane Youssoufi visité par le roi Mohammed VI (photos)", h24info.ma, 15 October 2016. (in French)
  10. "Décès de l'ex-Premier ministre marocain Abderrahman El Youssoufi". Laquotidienne.
  11. "L'ancien premier ministre Abderrahmane Youssoufi est décédé".
  12. "The North South Prize of Lisbon". North-South Centre. Council of Europe. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  13. "Morocco's ex socialist PM Youssoufi dies". Journal du Cameroun. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.


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