News Flash

Former Polisario member killed in Mali

The Malian army announced they had killed Abu Hudhayfah, known as Hugo, who is considered one of the leaders of the Islamic State organization in the Greater Sahara, during an operation carried out on Sunday in the Indelimane area (Talatai, Gao). This Sahrawi from the city of Laayoune had joined the group of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, who was killed in 2021 by the French army in Mali. Both were members of the Polisario Front, where they learned how to handle weapons and explosives in the

Moroccan rappers sentenced to jail for a song accused of inciting «assault on minor girls»

The Fez Court of First Instance has sentenced two rappers, known for their song «Kobi Atay» to two years' imprisonment each, in addition to a fine. The defendants were charged with «inciting minors to prostitution and to commit a felony or misdemeanor by an electronic means» and participation in such acts. In its verdict, the court also ordered the removal of the clip from YouTube. In early April, the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Fez Court of First Instance decided

CAS rejects Algerian appeal to halt CAF cup

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the request from the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) for an urgent suspension of the decision by the Confederation of Africa's Appeals Committee to declare Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB)'s victory in the first leg of the CAF Cup semi-final by three goals to nil against USM d'Alger. The CAS President explained to the FAF President that the federation could not force CAF to suspend the CAF Cup competition until the case had been

Moroccan footballer Aymen Barkok hospitalized after assault in Berlin

The German club Hertha Berlin announced that its Moroccan attacking midfielder Aymen Barkok was physically assaulted in a bar in Berlin, requiring him to be rushed to the hospital. The attack caused a facial injury, requiring Berkok to be hospitalized for surgery. The club indicated that «the operation was successful», but Berkok will be unavailable for selection due to his loan agreement ending on June 30. The former Moroccan national team midfielder Berkok joined Hertha Berlin

Moroccan coach Adil Ramzi takes helm of Dutch U-18 team

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB, Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond) has appointed Moroccan coach Adil Ramzi as the new head coach of the Dutch Under-18 team. The announcement was made on Monday, marking a significant development in Dutch football management. Ramzi, a former Moroccan international, is set to commence his tenure on July 1st, as confirmed by the KNVB through their official statement on the social platform X. Expressing his gratitude and excitement for the

Morocco rescues 81 migrants off Dakhla

A unit of the Royal Navy, 280 km southwest of Dakhla and 165 km from the coast, assisted a boat in a difficult situation on Monday. The boat carried 81 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, who were planning to head to the Canary Islands. The people who were rescued, in very bad weather conditions, received the necessary aid before being safely transported to the port of Dakhla and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie to carry out the administrative procedures in force, said a

GE Vernova invests $10.2 million in Xlinks' Morocco-UK power cable project

Xlinks First Limited, the investment company established by Xlinks Limited, announced on Tuesday, April 30, that American energy equipment manufacturing giant GE Vernova has invested $10.2 million in Xlinks' Morocco-UK power link project as a minority shareholder. In a press release sent to Yabiladi on Tuesday, Xlinks said the step is to further accelerate the delivery and construction of the project, which consists of building four 3,800-kilometer high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables.

European digital services leader Inetum partners with Morocco to create 1,500 jobs

European digital services company Inetum signed a memorandum of understanding with Morocco on Monday in Rabat to expand the group's activities in the kingdom, creating 1,500 jobs by 2027. Signed by Jacques Pommeraud, Chairman and CEO of Inetum Group, Minister Delegate for Investment Mohcine Jazouli, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies), and Minister Delegate for the Digital Transition and Administration Reform Ghita Mezzour, this agreement will cover a provisional investment of over

Gambian FM hands letter to king Mohammed VI from The Gambia’s President

Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, met with Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mamadou Tangara, on Monday in Rabat. Tangara delivered a written message to King Mohammed VI from Gambian President Adama Barrow. Following the meeting, Tangara spoke to the press, praising the strong relations between Morocco and The Gambia. He commended Morocco's «considerable support» under King Mohammed VI for the

Morocco, NATO discuss security cooperation in the Mediterranean

Morocco's Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of the National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudyi, met with Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee, on Monday. Admiral Bauer is on a visit to Morocco from April 28th to 30th. «This visit is part of NATO's efforts to strengthen its partnership with members of the Mediterranean Dialogue», the National Defense Department said in a statement. «The aim is to

1,000 Dhs raise for public servants, SMIG up 10% in Morocco

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch announced, Monday, a general salary increase of 1,000 Dhs net for civil servants in the public sector. Additionally, the guaranteed minimum wage (SMIG) in the private sector will rise by 10%. These measures follow social dialogue agreements that include consultations with the most representative trade unions and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) to improve incomes across government departments, local authorities, public establishments, and

Cocaine smuggling suspect arrested in Spain arriving from Morocco

A drug trafficker wanted by Belgian authorities was arrested last week in Tarifa, southern Spain, as soon as he arrived by boat from Tangier. Border checks revealed that Hassan B. had been tried in absentia and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in 2023 by a Belgian appeals court. According to Belgian newspaper GVA, Belgian justice had ordered his immediate arrest as part of a major drug case. The 36-year-old is considered a leading figure in a criminal group accused of attempting to

SDX Energy starts gas production in Morocco

SDX Energy Inc., a MENA-focused exploration and production company, announced receiving the necessary government approvals to begin gas production. In a statement, the company said, Monday, that «production of gas has commenced» at the KSR-21 well, located in Morocco's Gharb region near Kenitra. This follows SDX's earlier announcement in January regarding the successful drilling and testing of the KSR-21 well in Q4 2023. At that time, SDX reported that the well «has now been

Tindouf : Three Saharawi gold miners killed by Algerian Army

The Algerian army has reportedly killed three Saharawi gold miners from the Tindouf camps, the Forum de Soutien aux Autonomistes de Tindouf (FORSATIN) reports. According to FORSATIN, a military patrol spotted the gold miners' vehicle near the «Dakhla camp» located on Algerian territory. A chase ensued, then shots were fired. One of the victims was killed on the spot, while the other two succumbed to their wounds. FORSATIN provided the tribal affiliation of the three gold miners,

Algeria withdraws from African Gymnastics Championship in Morocco

Algeria will withdraw from the African Artistic Gymnastics Championship scheduled from April 30 to May 7 in Marrakech. The decision was announced by the president of the Algerian Gymnastics Federation in a message to his Moroccan counterpart. «We regret to inform you that our teams will not be participating in the upcoming African Artistic Gymnastics Championship scheduled in Marrakech from April 30 to May 7, 2024», the message stated. The president explained that «the

Algeria’s USMA withdraws from CAF game against Morocco’s RSB over jersey dispute

Union Sportive de la Médina d'Alger (USMA) refused to play the return leg of their semi-final against Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) on Sunday evening. The Algerian delegation left the Berkane stadium and is due to fly back to Algiers in the next few hours, according to the Algerian sports TV channel El Heddaf. This withdrawal was to be expected. Algerian team officials had already threatened to boycott the match, if RSB played with their jersey flocked with the full map of

France’s Engie to sell stake in Morocco’s coal plant SAFIEC

French multinational utility company Engie is planning to sell its stake in Morocco’s coal plant in Safi (SAFIEC), the company North Africa director told Reuters on Friday. The move is to shift focus on renewables and energy infrastructure, the company said. «By January 2027, we plan to have already divested from all our coal assets», Loic Jaegert-Huber told British news agency on the sidelines of a Moroccan-French business forum in Rabat. «We are committed to divest

US Peace Corps Morocco celebrates 61 years of partnership

Peace Corps Morocco held its 61st-anniversary ceremony on Friday at its offices in Rabat. The event celebrated the «impactful service and dedication to fostering cross-cultural understanding, volunteerism, community service, and sustainable development in the Kingdom of Morocco», according to the US Embassy. The celebration saw the participation of US Ambassador Puneet Talwar, Peace Corps Associate Director of Global Operations Scott Beale, Minister of Youth, Culture, and