A shadow war is shaking the very walls of the Dar el Makhzen. Mehdi Hijaouy, 53, a former high-ranking official in Morocco’s foreign intelligence service (DGED), has become the most wanted man by the Cherifian kingdom of Morocco. Now a fugitive abroad, this key witness to the regime’s « dirty tricks » has taken highly flammable state secrets with him. Here is a look back at a manhunt straight out of a John le Carré novel.
An Earthquake at the Heart of the Security Apparatus
Since 2024, Mehdi Hijaouy’s clandestine departure has caused major turmoil in Rabat. Proving the Palace’s nervousness, the Moroccan justice system has unleashed a ruthless wave of retaliation against the former agent’s inner circle. Between March 2025 and February 2026, no fewer than 42 people were prosecuted and convicted of « scamming » and « complicity in assisting a criminal on the run ».
Among the collateral damage of this purge:
- His ex-wife, sentenced in 2025 to three years in prison, who is scheduled for an appeal trial this month.
- The brother of the head of security for Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.
- Several police commissioners.
The Great Franco-Moroccan Thaw Seals His Fate
To understand Hijaouy’s flight, one must go back to the summer of 2024. Exiled in Paris, the spy suddenly found himself in jeopardy. The reason? French President Emmanuel Macron had just recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, ending three years of a deep diplomatic freeze between Paris and Rabat. That crisis had originally erupted when the French head of state’s phone number was discovered among the potential targets of the Pegasus spyware operated by Morocco.
With the reconciliation between the two capitals, Paris ceased to be a safe haven. In September 2024, Hijaouy’s wife filed a police report in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, complete with photographs, to denounce the continuous surveillance by plainclothes Moroccan agents. The « big fish » had to move.
He then fled to Madrid. However, Rabat convinced a Spanish judge to confiscate his passport pending an extradition hearing. Realizing he was about to be handed over, Hijaouy slipped away from Spanish authorities and vanished into thin air, heading for a destination that remains unknown today.
From the Mossad to the King’s Inner Circle
The fugitive’s profile alone explains Rabat’s panic. The son of a diplomat highly regarded by Hassan II, Hijaouy joined the DGED in 1994. He was the very first Moroccan trainee to be officially trained in Israel by the Mossad and Shin Bet in the early 2000s.
Rising to become the number two of the foreign intelligence service and chief of staff to DGED boss Yassine Mansouri, he orchestrated sensitive operations across Europe and Africa. Starting in 2017, he was assigned directly to royal advisor Fouad Ali El Himma, often dubbed the « vice-king ». In this strategic position, Hijaouy had round-the-clock access to the kingdom’s most confidential data, including the ultra-sensitive Pegasus spyware files.
Fall from Grace: The Affront of the « Cage Fighters »
How did this zealous servant become public enemy number one? The rift began five years ago when the spy publicly defended the Azaitar brothers. These MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) champions, close confidants of Mohammed VI, were criticized by the security establishment for their perceived toxic influence and ostentatious lifestyle at the Palace (luxury cars, €100,000 watches).
By publishing opinion pieces to support the King’s protégés and sending a « White Paper » directly to the monarch suggesting a deep reform of Moroccan intelligence, Hijaouy crossed a line. By bypassing the hierarchy and short-circuiting the courtiers, he permanently earned the hostility of the country’s two strongmen: Fouad Ali El Himma (the King’s advisor) and Abdellatif Hammouchi (the head of the security apparatus).
Political Warfare or a Case of Fraud?
Today, a communications war is raging. To downplay the fallout of his escape, official Moroccan media have attempted to discredit Hijaouy, portraying him as an incompetent « low-level operative » who was dismissed back in 2013 and is guilty of fraud. This version is starkly contradicted by international intelligence experts, who confirm his status as a former top executive.
On the other side, the spy’s French lawyer, William Bourdon, has petitioned Interpol to delete his client’s personal data and cancel the Red Notice (international arrest warrant) issued by Rabat. According to the defense, the case is purely political: Hijaouy is being hunted for speaking out against internal corruption and exposing the regime’s « abusive use of technological surveillance ».
As Mohammed VI’s health continues to decline, the flight of this man who holds the keys to Morocco’s darkest state secrets appears more than ever to be a ticking time bomb for the Palace.
Source : Libération
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