South Africa President Ramaphosa sidesteps Polisario in his inauguration speech

On Wednesday, June 19, Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in as the new President of South Africa. In his address to parliament, he dismissed the country's traditional support for Polisario positions and the right to self-determination. Ramaphosa announced that the new foreign policy of the «government of national unity», formed through a coalition of five parties, will be «based on human rights, solidarity, and peace». For the record, Ramaphosa's party, the African

Real Madrid blocks Morocco's Brahim Diaz from Olympic participation

Real Madrid will not allow Moroccan international Brahim Diaz to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris this summer with the Moroccan Olympic team. The Moroccan team wanted him as one of their three overage players allowed in the Olympics, «but Real Madrid informed him that the club's decision is not to allow him to go to Paris 2024», according to the Spanish newspaper AS. With a packed summer schedule including the European Championship and Copa America, Real Madrid has 18

NGOs blame Spain and Morocco for Melilla border deaths

Three human rights groups have published a new investigation, blaming Moroccan and Spanish authorities and European migration policies for the death of more than 23 migrants on June 24, 2022, at the fence of the city of Melilla.

GCA joins €171M project to boost climate resilience and jobs in Morocco's forests

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), an international organization that promotes adaptation to climate change impacts, announced Wednesday its involvement in an African Development Bank (AfDB) led project, PADIDZOF, aimed at improving Morocco's forest areas' climate resilience and creating jobs for youth and women. In a press release, GCA stated that PADIDZOF, with a total investment of €171 million, aims to restore 133,000 hectares of vegetation cover in Morocco by 2030. This project

Moroccan captain forced on migrant journey : Two men face trial in Spain

A Granada court on Tuesday began the trial of two men accused of forcing the captain of a fishing boat in Morocco to take them under threat to Motril in Granada in order to enter Spain irregularly. The two defendants, who have been in pre-trial detention since their arrest by the Civil Guard's Maritime Service, are facing a five-year prison sentence requested by the Granada prosecutor's office for illegal detention and causing minor injuries to the captain. The incident dates back to May

Football Arbitration Court reverses suspension of Moroccan footballer Mohamed Chibi

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned the suspension imposed on Moroccan international Mohamed Chibi by the Egyptian Football Association. Pyramids FC, Chibi's club, explained in a press release that CAS recognized Chibi's right to seek civil justice for El Shahat's aggression, requiring the Egyptian Football Association to lift the suspension immediately. The decision comes a day after the club lodged an appeal, saying it wanted to «preserve the rights of its

Cold snap and drought cripple Morocco's melon and watermelon season

Morocco's melon and watermelon season has been severely disrupted this year by exceptional weather conditions. Unseasonably cold temperatures and persistent drought have crippled production. The main producing regions, notably Souss, Al Haouz, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Settat, and Beni Mellal, saw harvests delayed, further exacerbating the shortage, reports FreshPlaza. The consequences of this crisis are being felt on both local and international markets. Prices for melons and watermelons have

Morocco becomes top buyer of Spanish regasified gas

The Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) resumed operations in reverse flow on June 28, 2022. In the past two years, Morocco has become one of the main customers of Spanish regasification facilities. Since the beginning of the year, deliveries to Morocco have accounted for 16.5% of all Spain's natural gas re-exports, significantly surpassing the 12.5% share achieved in 2023, reported Iberian media. The record was broken in January, when Morocco became the top importer of gas processed in Spain,

The Sahara sent warnings before it became a desert

Before the Sahara turned into a desert, warning signs emerged according to German scientists who are trying to predict major shift in weather patterns.

Morocco intercepts over 200 migrants near Ceuta on Eid al-Adha eve

Just over 200 migrants were intercepted in the two days leading up to Eid al-Adha in Morocco on suspicion of attempting to enter Ceuta, according to Moroccan media citing local authorities. The migrants included Moroccan nationals, Algerians, and sub-Saharan Africans. Authorities apprehended them in the forested border zone and neighboring areas. The sources report that the migrants planned to cross into Ceuta via the double border fence, by swimming across the breakwaters, or using fishing