After Algiers and Pretoria, Rif separatists head to the UN headquarters in New York

Members of the «Parti nationaliste rifain» (NRP) were in New York on Monday, April 15th. In front of the United Nations headquarters, a leading figure of the separatist group, Yuba El Ghadioui, went live on social media, took photos, and even attached the flag of the «Republic of the Rif» to police barricades set up to prevent unauthorized access. Yuba affirmed in his speech that meetings with foreign delegations would be held at the UN soon. This 30-minute live,

Three Moroccan banks among MENA’s 30 Most Valuable

Three Moroccan banks have been featured in Forbes' 30 Most Valuable Banks for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The 2024 list of MENA's 30 most valuable banks, compiled by Forbes, includes Morocco's Attijariwafa Bank, ranked 18th with a market value of $10.6 billion, BCP Group, ranked 22nd with a market value of $5.9 billion, and Bank of Africa, which is ranked 30th with a market value of $4.1 billion. According to Forbes, while Saudi Arabia represents a third of the list with

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné's Sahara statement angers Algeria

After a week of silence, Algerian media has finally commented on Stéphane Séjourné's latest statement on France's economic recognition of the Moroccan Sahara. «This statement is a new threat to relations between Paris and Algeria», says El Khabar. The Arabic-language daily wondered about the «impact» of the Foreign Minister's remarks on «Algerian-French relations». The Algerian government is preparing a visit to France by President

Staffan de Mistura holds talks with UN head and a Polisario member ahead of Sahara meeting

Staffan de Mistura met, Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. The UN envoy informed Guterres of all the meetings he held, since the adoption of Resolution 2703 by the Security Council in October 2023, with the parties involved in the Sahara conflict and international players to relaunch of the negotiation process. In recent months, De Mistura visited South Africa, Russia, the UK, Mauritania and Morocco. After his meeting with Guterres, De Mistura met with the Polisario

Man wanted for burning woman to death in Morocco arrested in Italy

A man wanted for murder in Morocco was arrested in Forlì, Italy, on April 11th, after applying for international protection at the immigration office. Identified as a man with Spanish citizenship, he had only been living in Italy for a few days before applying for international protection. According to Italian media, Interpol had recently issued an alert for him as he was considered a dangerous individual and wanted by the Moroccan authorities. Police investigations revealed that the

Investment, security, culture... the key points of the Morocco-Belgium joint declaration

Through 25 main points, the joint declaration issued at the third meeting of the High Joint Commission for Partnership between Morocco and Belgium, held this Monday in Rabat, underlined the commitment of both countries to strengthen their cooperation in various sectors.

How a Pakistani passport helped end French colonialism in Morocco

Moroccan independence figure Ahmed Balafrej was granted Pakistani citizenship to address the UN in 1952 and call for the end of French colonialism. The act cemented excellent diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Morocco.

An Amsterdam bridge named after the «Moroccan Van Gogh»

An Amsterdam bridge was named after Moroccan painter Abdellah Zaki, known as the Moroccan Van Gogh. The bridge, located in Amsterdam West, was officially dedicated on Sunday, April 14, by the city's mayor in the presence of the painter’s daughter. «The Abdellah Zaki Bridge symbolizes the connection between two cultures», said Zaki's daughter, Hajia Zaki. «He was a bridge builder, he brought people together», his daughter explains. «When I see today how many

Israel to build drone plant in Morocco

Israel’s BlueBird Aero Systems, which specializes in the design, development, and production of Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and peripheral equipment will open a drone production site in Morocco. Ronen Nadir, CEO of BlueBird Aero Systems told Israeli media that the company has already established the local production facility that «will start operations in the near future». The military cooperation agreement between Morocco and Israel, signed on November 24, 2021,

Moroccan street newspaper seller wins back life savings after wrongful seizure by Dutch police

A 63-year-old Moroccan street newspaper seller residing irregularly in the Netherlands, who was arrested in February after police found piles of money in his hotel room, will have his money back, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported on Friday. After confiscating his money, which totaled 31,800 euros, investigations showed that Mohamed had saved the money himself. «I don't go on holiday or eat out. I save everything. It was my money», he told AD. According to Judith Eykelenboom,