Sahara : South Africa says US recognition «totally surprising», has «no force and effect»

Days after the United States announced that it has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, the Polisario’s allies rushed into denouncing the decision. After Algeria, South Africa said that US President Donald Trump’s decision «has no force and effect». Speaking on Monday, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor argued that the American decision «was totally surprising». «It is essentially the

Sahara : Spain bets on Joe Biden to revise Trump's decision

The US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara is at the heart of political debate in Spain. Opposition parties and government officials in the country commented on the Trump administration's decision. On Monday, the Spanish Foreign Minister reaffirmed her country's position on the territorial dispute. The solution to this problem «does not depend on the will or the unilateral action of a country, regardless of its size». On this issue, «the

Covid-19 in Morocco : 1,217 new infections, 3,042 recoveries and 35 deaths in 24 hours

1,217 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Morocco during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections in the country to 400,826. 3,042 new recoveries were recorded during the same period, bringing the total number of recoveries to 359,065. 35 deaths were recorded between yesterday and today, bringing the total number of deaths to 6,659. 12 of these deaths were recorded in the Casablanca-Settat region, 9 in Marrakech-Safi, 7 in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, 2 in

Salem Abdelfattah, from Morocco to Tindouf, a trip of disenchantment

We often talk about Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps who chose to leave for Morocco. But what about those who have chosen the opposite path, out of romanticism, spite or anger? Yabiladi met one of them, Mohamed Salem Abdelfattah, who joined the Polisario for eleven years in 2004, before returning to Laayoune in 2015.

Morocco has «special» ties with Israel and the Moroccan Jewish community, Nasser Bourita says

«Morocco has an important history with its Jewish community, unique to the Arab world», Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita told Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Saturday. «King Mohammed VI is the religious head of state, and even his predecessors, including his father Hassan II, respected and protected the Jewish community. Morocco's relationship with the Jewish people is a special one, unheard of in any other Arab nation», Bourita

Sahara : The US decision «is insane and dangerous», according to Christopher Ross

American diplomat Christopher Ross, who served before as the UN envoy to Western Sahara, commented on Monday on the United States' recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara. Speaking to Radio Algerie, the former UN envoy estimated that «the sovereignty of Western Sahara does not belong to US President Donald Trump or to Morocco». He thus qualified this recognition as «a dangerous decision which would negatively affect the stability of the region and the

To Moroccan Salafist Mohamed Fizazi, Morocco-Israel normalization is more acceptable than that of the UAE

Moroccan Salafist Mohamed Fizazi has put a little water in the wine. Uncompromising with the normalization of certain Gulf countries with Israel, he showed himself to be more understanding when it came to that announced by Morocco.

Sahara : To Moscow, the American decision could «provoke new violence»

The Russian Foreign Ministry estimated on Saturday that the American position on the Sahara issue could «provoke further violence in the region». According to Russian News Agency TASS, Russia believes that «the United States’ recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara may hamper the United Nations’ efforts to resolve the conflict». Moscow speaks of «a new unilateral initiative which threatens stability in the

Authorities in Rabat refuse to authorize a demonstration against normalization with Israel

Local authorities in Rabat have reportedly refused a request submitted by several pro-Palestine organizations to organize a demonstration in front of the parliament on Monday against the resumption of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel. Well-informed sources told several media that they had been informed by the local authorities that their request was not authorized. On Sunday, a number of pro-Palestine organizations announced that they are planning to organize a

Sahara : Haiti opens a consulate in Dakhla

The Republic of Haiti opened on Monday a consulate general in Dakhla, the 8th diplomatic representation inaugurated in this city in less than a year. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad, Nasser Bourita and the Ambassador of Haiti to Canada, Weibert Arthus, chaired the inauguration ceremony of this consulate. This Caribbean country is, therefore, the first non-Arab and non-African country to open a consulate in the Sahara. ????Le ministre des