EU to give Morocco €200 million for quake reconstruction efforts  (Read more...)

Spain's PM Sanchez isolated by allies due to the Sahara issue

Pedro Sanchez's PSOE finds itself isolated on the Sahara issue in Spain's lower house of parliament. Its coalition partner, Unidas Podemos, and the Basque formations PNV and Bildu, its parliamentary allies, voted in favor of a Popular Party proposal earlier this week, demanding a return to «consensus» and Spain's «neutrality» on the Sahara question. Vox also joined the other parties, having abstained in April 2022 when the Senate approved a resolution condemning

Casablanca judicial police seize 1.4 tonnes of cannabis resin

On Wednesday, March 13, the Casablanca Judicial Police, in coordination with the Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire, seized 1.4 tonnes of cannabis resin in an operation aimed at curbing international drug trafficking. Two individuals, one with a prior criminal record, were arrested for their alleged connection to a criminal network involved in the international trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances. According to a press release from the

South Africa puts Western Sahara on agenda at Ghana Summit

President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed the Western Sahara issue on the agenda for the South Africa-Ghana summit in Pretoria on Tuesday, March 12. «On our own continent, the matter of Western Sahara remains unresolved. As we pursue our own developmental goals, we stand in solidarity with all who continue to suffer the effects of occupation and dispossession», he stressed in an address at the opening ceremony. «The Heads of State agreed to intensify support for the cause of

Sahara : Polisario welcomes De Mistura's visit to Russia

The Polisario has welcomed Staffan de Mistura's visit to Moscow on Monday, March 11th. «Russia wants to relaunch the political settlement process, based on UN resolutions and its Charter. It has always opposed the arbitrary and undemocratic manner, without participatory discussion by all members, in the elaboration of Security Council drafts and decisions on the Western Sahara issue», Oubi Bachir, the Front's representative in Geneva, told Echoroukonline. «Russia, if it so

Morocco squad announcement : Brahim Diaz, Soufiane Rahimi to play against Angola, Mauritania

Morocco’s national football coach Walid Regragui has named 24 players to participate in the two friendly matches scheduled for Friday, March 22, 2024, and Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The matches will see the Moroccan national team facing off against Angola and Mauritania at the Adrar stadium in Agadir. Among those called up is Real Madrid striker Brahim Diaz, who recently decided to represent the Moroccan national team. The list also features newcomers Youssef Enríquez Lekhedim and

An Englishman helps build temporary shelters in Morocco after devastating earthquake

EarthquakeAn Englishman living in Morocco has been assisting in building temporary shelters for survivors of the September 2023 earthquake, which killed thousands and left many homeless. Steve Sleight, a plumber by profession, has joined relief efforts in the Atlas Mountains. Shortly after, he realized that the temporary tents housing victims and survivors needed reinforcement to withstand the weather conditions. Sleight told the BBC that over the past three months, he volunteered with a

Smuggled birds headed for Morocco rescued in Italian port

Authorities in Genoa, Italy, intercepted a cruel attempt to smuggle birds to Morocco. 37 birds, including diamond finches and Pacific parakeets, were found crammed into two tiny cages hidden under the seat of a car, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported on Tuesday. These birds came from Turin and were headed for a 50-hour journey in a hot ship hold with no water, most likely not surviving the trip. The International Organization for Animal Protection (Oipa) was called in to help the birds. The

Jazzablanca roars back with platinum-selling artist Paolo Nutini

The Jazzablanca festival (June 6 to 8, 2024) will kick off this year with Scottish artist Paolo Nutini. The singer, with 18 platinum records, will perform for the first time in Morocco, in a much-anticipated performance that promises to be a powerful mix of soul, blues, and pop-rock on the Anfa stage. Born in Scotland in 1987, Paolo Nutini left school at 16 to pursue a career in music. He found immediate success in London in 2006 with his debut album «These Streets», featuring

FIFA approves Brahim Diaz's switch to Moroccan national team

FIFA has approved the change of sporting nationality for player Brahim Diaz, who could be poised to make his debut for the Moroccan national team in their upcoming friendly matches against Angola and Mauritania, as reported by the Spanish newspaper Marca. On Tuesday, March 12, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation obtained a document approving the change of Diaz's sporting nationality from FIFA. The Real Madrid player had previously played only one friendly match with Spain against Lithuania

Hamas leader urges Morocco’s PJD Secretary-general to help «end Israeli aggression»

Chairman of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, who currrently lives in Qatar, has sent a written message to the secretary general of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdelilah Benkirane, the Islamist party's website reported on Tuesday, March 12. In his letter, the Palestinian calls on his «brother», referring to Benkirane, to «contribute to providing urgent aid» to the population of Gaza, «oppose normalization with» Israel and «put

Polisario fears invasion as Morocco deploys forces near the buffer zone

The Polisario expresses concern regarding the significant presence of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) in the Sahara region, particularly in Aousserd, Mahbes, and Gueltat Zemmour. According to Polisario sources cited by Sahrawi media, this deployment undermines diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict. These sources also report the arrival of military formations, including Abrams tanks, self-propelled howitzers, and approximately ten armored rapid intervention vehicles, in Aousserd. They

Morocco refuses repatriation of migrants who swam to Ceuta irregularly, Spanish media claim

Morocco is reportedly still refusing to return its citizens who swam into the city irregularly, local media in Ceuta claimed. The El Faro de Ceuta website reported that «none of the approximately 70 Moroccans, who entered Ceuta on Saturday, were accepted». The same source added that this position has remained unchanged for more than a month, which in fact forced the Civil Guard to change its procedures. They now transport migrants to Paseo de Colon and not directly to the

King Mohammed VI orders humanitarian aid for Gaza and Al Quds

King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al Quds Committee, has given his instructions to deploy a humanitarian food aid operation for the Palestinian population in Gaza and the holy city of Al Quds, reads a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates. This aid, which coincides with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, aims to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian populations, notably their most vulnerable sections, according to the

Over 2.1 million tourists visited Morocco in first two months of 2024

The Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Social and Solidarity Economy announced that the number of tourists who visited Morocco during the first two months of 2024 increased to over 2.1 million, up 14% compared to the same period last year. A statement from the ministry on the number of tourist arrivals said that «the efforts made to promote Morocco as a destination and improve air links to it continue to bear fruit. In 2024, Moroccan tourism continues its path towards achieving the

Air Arabia Maroc announces Tetouan to Amsterdam direct connection

Air Arabia Maroc announced on Tuesday the launch of its direct flight program linking Tetouan to Amsterdam, as part of the extension of its travel offers to Europe. This connection will be operational from May 7, 2024, with two weekly flights, on Tuesday and Friday. «For Tuesday flights, the planes will depart from Tetouan (TTU) at 06:10 and land in Amsterdam (AMS) at 10:15, before resuming their flight from Amsterdam at 11:15 for an arrival in Tetouan at 1:20 p.m. On Fridays, the planes

French court upholds deportation of Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen over hate speech

A French administrative court upheld, Monday, the deportation of imam Hassan Iquioussen to Morocco, RFI reported. Iquioussen, a French-born man of Moroccan nationality, had previously challenged the deportation order issued by the French Ministry of the Interior in July 2022. Iquioussen was initially accused of hate speech, with French authorities alleging he made «repeated acts of explicit and deliberate provocation to discrimination, hatred or violence against Jews, women and

Dakhla consulate plans pushed by the Biden administration

The Biden administration is not planning to open a consulate in Dakhla anytime soon. Funding for this project is not included in the 2025 budget of American diplomacy. This announcement was made on Monday, March 11, by Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. «I think that some of the planning is still ongoing for the appropriate presence, given the security conditions», he responded to a question on the subject. Verma is the State Department's

Spain coach respects Brahim Diaz's choice to play for Morocco

Commenting on Moroccan-Spanish footballer Ibrahim Diaz's decision to play for Morocco, Spanish national team coach Luis de La Fuente said he respects the young man’s choice. «Everyone has the freedom to choose. For me, there are always three criteria for selection: the player's ability to play for the national team, their desire to play for the national team, and my own selection choice», he explained. He continued, as reported by the Spanish newspaper AS, «The most