Moroccan authorities expel Portuguese photojournalist from Laayoune

Moroccan authorities expelled Portuguese photojournalist Rafael Lomba from Laayoune on January 17, following his arrival in the city earlier that day. Prior to his time in Laayoune, Lomba had spent several days in Dakhla as a guest of a local association. While in Laayoune, Lomba reportedly met with Ahmed Dadech, the president of a pro-Polisario organization known as the «Committee to Support Self-Determination for the people of Western Sahara». However, he was subsequently

Butec completes acquisition of Veolia's Moroccan operations

Lebanese industrial and construction giant Butec has announced the complete acquisition of the Moroccan businesses of Société des Eaux de Marseille (SEM), a subsidiary of Veolia Group. This move, reported by Yahoo Finance on Thursday, involves the repurchase of shares in Eaux de Marseille - Maroc (EMM). This acquisition aligns with Butec's ambitious growth strategy in Africa and the Middle East. It follows their recent acquisition of ENGIE Group's «Energy Services»

Human Rights Watch criticizes Morocco's «continued crackdown on dissent»

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its annual report for 2024, raising concerns about alleged ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression and association in Morocco. The report mentions imprisonment of journalists and protest leaders, allegedly as «retaliation» for their criticism of the monarchy.

Sahara : Saudi Arabia bans «incomplete» Morocco maps in universities

With the pending opening of a consulate in Dakhla or Laayoune, Saudi Arabia has banned the publication of maps of Morocco without the Sahara and the use of «Western Sahara» in official correspondence. Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman issued this directive to university presidents, as confirmed by an official document from the Saudi royal cabinet. This move marks a renewed commitment to Saudi Arabia's longstanding support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara,

Casablanca to close car wash shops and public baths three days a week due to drought

Authorities in Casablanca have ordered the closure of car wash shops and public baths three days a week to rationalize potable water consumption.

Moroccan research vessel to visit Liberia for fish stock assessment, boost investment

A Moroccan scientific research vessel, commissioned by Liberia's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), will arrive in Liberia on Friday, January 26th. This visit marks a significant step in assessing the commercial viability of Liberian waters and attracting further investment in the sector. FrontPage Africa, a Liberian daily newspaper, reports that the vessel will conduct an independent stock assessment of Liberia's territorial waters. This data will be crucial for developing

Ivorian joy explodes as national team clinches second round with Morocco's help

Yesterday, Ivorian media erupted in celebration as the team secured a surprise qualification to the African Cup of Nations' second round. While the Elephants themselves fell short of topping their group, they benefited from Morocco's narrow 1-0 victory over Zambia, claiming one of the coveted four best third-place spots. This sets them up for a thrilling encounter with Senegal in the next round. «Thanks to midfielder Ziyech's goal», remarked Connection Ivoirienne, «Morocco

Morocco coach suspension explained, national teams fined after post-match incident

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has levied disciplinary measures against the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the Congolese Federation of Association Football (FECOFA) following heated incidents at the end of the Morocco vs. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) match in the ongoing African Cup of Nations (CAN 2023). National coach Walid Regragui received a four-match suspension, with two matches deferred for a year. This stems from a verbal exchange with the

Algerian Foreign Minister meets UN Chief, Sahara tops agenda

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Wednesday, January 24. Although Attaf's trip coincided with a Security Council meeting on the Israeli war in Gaza, the Algerian-UN talks focused primarily on the issue of Western Sahara, according to a press release from Algeria's Foreign Ministry. This emphasis reflects President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's support for the Polisario, declared a «national cause» alongside Palestine in his

History : General Dlimi’s nephew believes his uncle’s death was decided by the Americans

Unlike the assassination of Mehdi Ben Barka, the death of General Dlimi received little attention. But this was not the case in 2015, when Dlimi’s nephew argued that the death of his uncle was plotted by Washington, referring to the suspicious relationship between the Moroccan general and France.