Algeria's Tebboune justifies visa requirement for Moroccans as «self-defense»

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has defended his government's decision to reinstate the requirement for foreigners holding Moroccan passports to obtain an entry visa for Algeria. The decision was based on «political and security considerations», he said last night in an interview with local media. «There's a twinning, it's not even... between the Zionist entity and the Kingdom of Morocco... it's political... What interests us is the security aspect. We have doubts about the

Polisario welcomes ECJ rulings, criticizes European states

The Polisario Front has welcomed the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) recent ruling, which rejected appeals by the European Council and European Commission. The Front considers these rulings a «significant victory for the Saharawi people, unprecedented in the history of decolonization». The Polisario views these rulings as a message to states recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara or supporting the 2007 Moroccan autonomy initiative. They are seen as a «response to

Spain respects EU court ruling, vows to maintain partnership with Morocco

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that his country respects the decision of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) issued today to cancel the agreements on agriculture and fisheries between the European Union (EU) and Morocco, while emphasizing its desire to maintain the «strategic partnership» with the Kingdom. The agreements were concluded «without the consent of the Sahrawi people», Albares said during his appearance before the Foreign

Morocco leads in business regulation but faces Tax and dispute challenges, World Bank says

The World Bank's 2024 «Business Ready» report ranks Morocco among 50 economies, highlighting its strong performance in regulatory framework and public services but noting room for improvement in operational efficiency. Morocco scored highest in business location and entry but ranked lower in areas like market competition, taxation, and dispute resolution.

EU reaffirms strategic partnership with Morocco despite CJEU ruling on trade agreements

Following the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the Morocco-EU trade agreements, the EU reiterated «the high value it places on its strategic partnership with Morocco». «Over the years, we have established a profound friendship and solid, multi-faceted cooperation, which we aim to elevate in the coming weeks and months», said a joint statement from President von der Leyen and High Representative/Vice-President Borrell regarding the European

UN Envoy meets Polisario leader Brahim Ghali in Tindouf camps

The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Staffan De Mistura, met on Thursday at the Tindouf camps with the Polisario head, Brahim Ghali. De Mistura landed on the same day at the Tindouf airport. He then traveled to the Tindouf camps to meet with the Polisario leader. During this meeting, attended by other Polisario members, the separatist movement «reiterated their position, which is firmly rooted in the principle of enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise

Morocco tightens regulations for sustainable hunting season

On Thursday, October 3, the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) and the Moroccan Royal Hunting Federation (FRMC) organized a study and awareness day in Kénitra to mark the opening of the hunting season. The event was held to promote the sustainable management of hunting resources and combat poaching. It was attended by hunters, associations, and representatives of the tourist hunting industry. The meeting was marked by the signing of a research contract to «deepen

Morocco's 2024 census completed : A cost-effective approach with reduced refusal rates

The High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi, has announced the successful completion of the General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH 2024). He highlighted that all the census data had been securely stored in the institution's data management center. During a press conference in Rabat on Thursday, Lahlimi explained that HCP executives had centralized the information collected via tablet computers used by census workers, which were later handed over to the Ministry of National

CJEU declares Morocco-EU trade and fisheries deals invalid in Western Sahara

As in September 2021, the Court of Justice of the European Union has once again ruled in favor of Polisario’s claims, rejecting the appeals submitted by the European Commission and other parties in their entirety.

Antonio Guterres : Small drones flew over FAR units in the Sahara

In his report on the situation in Western Sahara, submitted to the Security Council on October 1, UN Secretary-General António Guterres revealed that drones had flown over positions held by the Royal Armed Forces. «The FAR reported, on 14 occasions to MINURSO, flights over its units by small, unmanned surveillance aircraft in the area of Oum Dreiga», located approximately 280 km east of Dakhla, the Portuguese stated in paragraph 40 of his report. The Secretary General did