Sahara : The Biden administration reaffirms support for the autonomy plan  (Read more...)

France approves UAE sale of 30 Mirage jets to Morocco

After a three-year wait, France has finally authorized the United Arab Emirates to sell 30 Mirage 2000-9E aircraft to Morocco. «Bad news for Spain», laments the Spanish daily La Razon. The sale benefited from the recent rapprochement between Rabat and Paris. Indeed, Abu Dhabi had expressed its willingness to offer 30 Mirage 2000-9E aircraft to Morocco, following the conclusion, in December 2021, of a mega order for 80 Rafale F4 aircraft armed with Mica NG air-to-air missiles and

Mutiny in the Polisario, leader detained over alleged fuel diversion

Elements of the Polisario militia detained the head of the first military region and several of his collaborators on Friday, April 13, without authorization from their superiors, according to reports on Saturday by the Forum de soutien aux autonomistes de Tindouf (FORSATIN). They accuse him of diverting large quantities of fuel (around 25 tonnes) to the Mauritanian market. This action, seen as a mutiny by some, forced the Polisario leadership to act quickly to prevent the protest from

Morocco rescues 118 migrants near Tarfaya

A Royal Navy combat unit intercepted, Sunday, two boats, 22 km and 19 km southwest of Tarfaya respectively, carrying 118 irregular migrants, including 9 women and 3 minors. These migrants, of sub-Saharan and Asian origin, were hoping to reach the Canary Islands, said the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces in a press release. The rescued people received the necessary treatment on board, before being handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures.

Hit Radio and host Momo appeal prison sentence for staged phone theft

Moroccan radio station Hit Radio announced on Saturday that it was reiterating its support for its host Mohamed Bousfiha (Momo), who was sentenced in the first instance to four months in prison for staging a fake phone theft on air and disseminating false information. In a press release sent to Yabiladi, the private channel reiterated its support for the radio host, who will appeal against the sentence. At the same time, it announced that it would also lodge an appeal against the rejection of

King Mohammed VI's former manor in France has not been listed for sale [Erratum]

On April 13, Yabiladi.com reported, citing French magazine Paris Match, that the former manor of King Mohammed VI in the town of Gritz-Armenvilliers, in the Seine-et-Marne region of France, would be on sale for 425 million euros. The French magazine reported at the time that the property was built in 1884 by the Rothschild family replacing the old building dating back to the seventeenth century. The same source reported that the chateau underwent a major renovation in the 1990s,

Tangier police seize 5kg of cocaine, arrest suspect

Members of the Tangier prefectural judicial police confiscated five kilograms of cocaine and a vehicle suspected of being used for transporting and trafficking drugs on Friday morning. According to a security source, the investigation led to the arrest of an individual involved in drug trafficking. The vehicle, which contained the cocaine, was found in his possession. Additional searches related to the case resulted in the discovery of significant amounts of money, totaling approximately 8.5

Morocco's Mehdi Qotbi named Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit by President Macron

Moroccan artist and president of Morocco's National Museums Foundation, Mehdi Qotbi, was promoted by French president Emmanuel Macron to the rank of Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit, one of the highest honors bestowed by the French Republic, during a ceremony held Thursday evening at the Elysee Palace. Addressing the recipient, the French president emphasized that Mehdi Qotbi is an «exceptional artist» and «a bridge builder between countries and

Morocco to switch back to daylight saving time (GMT+1) on April 14th

Morocco will switch back to GMT+1 on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 02:00, shifting clocks one hour forward, the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform has announced. This measure follows Decree 2-18-855, issued in October 2018, concerning legal time. It also adheres to the recent decree by the Head of Government, published in February 2024, regarding changes in legal time.

Morocco vegetable exports surge to US$1.6 billion in 2023

Over the course of 2023, Morocco showed a strong increase in export revenue in the fresh vegetable sector, even as actual export volumes declined, according to EastFruit. Vegetable exports generated export earnings of around US$1.6 billion - a 12% increase from the previous year and a figure almost 50% higher than the five-year average. Despite adverse weather events resulting in a 14% drop in Morocco's fresh vegetable export volume to 1.06 million tons, this figure still represents a 5%

Societe Generale sells Moroccan business to Saham in €745 million deal

Banking group Societe Generale SA has agreed to sell its Moroccan business to Moroccan private holding Saham, founded and owned by former Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy. The deal, estimated at €745 million, will see Societe Generale SA sell its stake in Societe Generale Marocaine de Banques, its subsidiaries, and stakes in insurance firm La Marocaine Vie, according to a statement by Dociete Generale on Friday. «Société Générale continues to

Spain : «Morocco did not spy on Pedro Sanchez's phone»

The Spanish government has reaffirmed that Morocco did not spy on Pedro Sanchez's cell phone. This clarification was made by Oscar Lopez, the 12th Moncloa Chief of Staff, when appearing before the Joint Security Committee of the House of Representatives. He called the allegations attributing to Morocco the operation using Israeli Pegasus software a «hoax, slander and conspiracy theory», revealed by the government in May 2022. Lopez’ statement is as the same as the

Leader of Kabyle autonomy group sends letter to King Mohammed VI

Ferhat Mehenni, leader of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), sent a letter to King Mohammed VI of Morocco regarding the group's planned declaration of a «State of Kabylie» on April 20. In the letter obtained by Yabiladi, Mehenni writes, «We would like to inform you of a historic event we have scheduled for April 20: the rebirth of the State of Kabylia». Mehenni outlined the reasons behind MAK's planned declaration, including grievances against

Dakhla in the spotlight in the Morocco-Spain investment forum

While France has given the green light to its public operators to invest in the Sahara, Dakhla will be in the spotlight in the new edition of the Morocco-Spain investment forum on April 16, in Madrid. A meeting organized by the Kingdom's embassy in Spain and the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, according to an Iberian media outlet close to the Polisario. The forum had the blessing of the Madrid city council and the autonomous government of the Madrid region, led by the Popular Party, adds the

Morocco unveils logo of Cannabis products, exports first ever legal cargo

Morocco has unveiled the logo that legal products obtained from the processing of cannabis in Morocco must bear. The logo consists of the emblematic cannabis leaf in green in the middle of a Morocco-inspired shape in red, symbolizing the colors of the Moroccan flag, according to images published in the Moroccan Official bulletin on April the 1st.  The logo comes as Morocco has recently exported its first legal cannabis lot abroad. According to information compiled by Medias24, two

Morocco women’s football team misses out on Paris Olympic Games qualification

The Zambian women's football team booked its place at the Olympic Games (Paris 2024), following a 2-0 victory over Morocco after extra time on Tuesday evening at the Complexe sportif Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan in Rabat. The match was the second leg of the final round of African qualifiers for the Olympics. Zambia's two goals were scored by Barbra Banda (39th) and (106th, penalty). Morocco had won the first leg 2-1 in Ndola.

Chariot finalizes partnership with Energean for Morocco offshore licenses

Announced in December 2023, the partnership agreements with Energean plc Group have been finalized. Energean now holds 45% and 37.5% respectively in the Lixus and Rissana offshore licenses, becoming the operator. Chariot retains a 30% and 37.5% interest in these licenses respectively, while ONHYM maintains its 25% stake in each. Chariot has received the initial payment of US$10 million from Energean. Additionally, a drilling contract has been signed with Stena Drilling for the use of its Stena

86 Moroccans evacuated from Gaza Strip

Eighty-six Moroccan citizens and their families living in the Gaza Strip were evacuated to Egypt on Tuesday via the Rafah border crossing. The Moroccan embassy in Cairo, led by Ambassador Mohamed Ait Ouali, coordinated the operation with Egyptian authorities. This evacuation follows ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. Those who were evacuated expressed their appreciation to King Mohammed VI and the teams involved in facilitating their safe passage. In total, Moroccan embassies in Egypt and

Eid al-Fitr to be celebrated Wednesday in Morocco

Eid al-Fitr is Wednesday, April 10, in Morocco, according to the Islamic affairs ministry. In a press release, the Ministry of Islamic affairs and Endowment confirmed the sighting of the new crescent moon, making Tuesday, April 9, the last day of Ramadan 1445 H/2024.