Nasser Zefzafi and fellow Hirak prisoners to join symbolic hunger strike on December 10

Hirak detainees at the Tangier 2 prison have announced that they are joining the call for a symbolic hunger strike, to be observed from Wednesday to Thursday to demand the release of poltical prisoners in Morocco. Nasser Zefzafi’s father announced the decision Tuesday evening. For Ahmed Zefzafi and Hirak detainees, this is a «peaceful stage of the struggle». It is also a response to the call launched by journalists Omar Radi and Soulaiman Raïssouni, as well as

A Catalan party urges Spain to stop arms sales to Morocco

In Spain, members of the Republican Left of Catalonia have tabled a bill urging Madrid to stop selling arms to Rabat, local media reported on Tuesday. The party believes that Morocco is engaged in an «accelerated» process of strengthening its military capacities. The kingdom is ranked seventh among the countries with which Spain concludes arms sales and second after Brazil outside the European Union. The decision of the Republican Left of Catalonia is above all motivated

Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine, to be used by Morocco, has 86% efficacy

The coronavirus vaccine developed by Sinopharm unit China National Biotec Group Co. has 86% efficacy, according to trials conducted in the United Arab Emirates, wrote Bloomberg. The results of the trials that included 31,000 volunteers in the UAE have found that the vaccine was «highly effective in preventing moderate and sever cases of Covid-19 and had no serious safety concern». The announcement will allow the full public use of the vaccine in the country, the UAE Health

Covid-19 : 2,900 new infections in Morocco, mainly in Casablanca, Skhirat-Témara and Marrakech

2,900 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Morocco during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections in the country to 384,088. 3,450 new recoveries were recorded during the same period, bringing the total number of recoveries to 337,719. 50 deaths were recorded between yesterday and today, bringing the total number of deaths to 6,370. 14 of these deaths were recorded in the Casablanca-Settat region, 11 in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, 6 in Marrakech-Safi, 6 in

King Mohammed VI orders free Covid-19 vaccination for all Moroccans

King Mohammed VI gave, Tuesday, his instructions to the government to provide free Covid-19 vaccination for all Moroccans, a press release by the Royal office announced. The same source recalls that the sovereign chaired a working session devoted to the vaccination strategy against Covid-19, as part of the king's continuous monitoring of the evolution of this pandemic and the measures taken to fight against its spread. Morocco is likely to launch by the end of December a Covid-19 vaccination

In 1985, the Polisario shot down the first German airplane to reach the South Pole

In February 1985, the Polisario Front guerilla shot down a German survey-and-research airplane on its way home after an Antarctica expedition.

Behind the scenes of the Spanish ambassador's mandate extension in Rabat

In October, the Spanish government decided to extend the mandate of the current Spanish ambassador to Rabat, Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner Rodríguez, by one year. The latter served for five years as head of the diplomatic representation. The Spanish government has made the decision after the Moroccan authorities were given a list of names. According to El Español, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya has decided to elect a new head of the Iberian

Guerguerate : Mike Pompeo says the conflict has to be resolved through a set of conversations

The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reacted, Friday, to the military intervention in Guerguerate. Answering a question by Moroccan foreign and public policy analyst Imru AL Qays Talha Jebril on the situation in the Sahara during his opening statement for the start of the IISS Manama Dialogue, Pompeo said that the US’ policy regarding the territorial conflict «hasn’t frankly changed very much from where we were six months or even 24 months

To the Algerian army, Morocco’s military intervention in Guerguerate is an «aggression»

In an article devoted to the military intervention led by the Royal Armed Forces in Guerguerate, El Djeich, the Algerian Army’s magazine, criticized Morocco for launching the operation in November. «By attacking Sahrawi civilians in Guerguerate, Morocco violated the ceasefire agreement», the magazine wrote, adding that it is «time for the international community and the United Nations to assume their responsibilities because this situation can cause a 'state of war'

Was Ramaphosa's speech to the AU in favor of Morocco or the Polisario ?

The 14th extraordinary session of the African Union «Silencing the Guns» Summit, held by videoconference, drew opposite reactions. Morocco and the Polisario were focused on the speech of the South African president who chairs the AU.