News Flash

UN shuts down question on French investment in the Sahara

On Wednesday, April 3, during the press briefing of the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, the topic of French investment in the Sahara arose. A journalist asked whether MINURSO had mentioned the subject. «No», said Stéphane Dujarric. «MINURSO is not there to monitor economic investments, if there are any». The reporter returned to the subject, wanting to know whether the information on French projects in the Sahara was accurate. However, his attempt was

Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi nominated for Ligue 1's top African player award

Radio France Internationale and France 24 unveiled a list on Tuesday of 11 players who will compete for the Marc Vivien Foé (Cameroonian player) award, given annually to the best African player in the French Football League (Ligue 1). The list includes Moroccan Paris Saint-Germain player Achraf Hakimi, who was described as «often irreplaceable on the right side of the Parisian club's defense». The text noted that «the Moroccan international continues to work well with

Five French Ministers scheduled to visit Morocco in April

Five French ministers are expected to visit Morocco in April. Frank Reister, Minister of Foreign Trade, will be in Morocco on April 4 and 5. In Rabat, he will hold separate talks with Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, and Mohcine Jazouli, Minister Delegate in charge of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies. The French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, will be attending the Agriculture International Forum (SIAM) held in Meknes from April 22 to 28. He already

Morocco-EU partnership «more crucial than ever», Josep Borrell says

The partnership between Morocco and the European Union is «more crucial than ever in the current geopolitical context», said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The strengthening of this strategic partnership was the focus of a meeting on Wednesday between Borrell and Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates. «We discussed how to give new impetus to the EU-Morocco partnership, which

Turkish giant Arçelik takes over Whirlpool's Morocco operations

Turkish household appliances manufacturer Arçelik has announced the acquisition of Whirlpool's operations in the Middle East and North Africa. Through this deal, Arçelik now owns Whirlpool's entities in the United Arab Emirates and Morocco and manages Whirlpool's MDA business operations in the MENA region. «With the integration of Whirlpool’s MENA business, Arçelik achieves another significant milestone in its transformative growth journey, reaffirming its

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez to face parliament on Morocco trip

As requested by the People's Party (PP), the Spanish Prime Minister will appear before the Lower House of Parliament on April 10 to answer questions on his visit to Morocco on February 21. This announcement was made by the spokesman for the Socialist deputies, Patxi Lopez. On February 24th, a group of PP MPs requested clarification from the Prime Minister on the reasons behind his short-notice trip to Rabat. They also wanted to know what issues Pedro Sanchez discussed with King Mohammed VI and

Interpol-wanted Dutch national of Egyptian origin arrested in Morocco

On Monday, police officers in the town of Guercif arrested a 63-year-old Dutch national of Egyptian origin. According to a security source, the suspect was wanted internationally on suspicion of heroin trafficking. The warrant was issued by the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden. The suspect was placed in police custody before being referred to the relevant public prosecutor's office. The Moroccan Interpol Office in Rabat will notify their German counterpart of the arrest

Abdelhak Nouri «awake, not in coma», says brother on 27th birthday

Abdelhak «Appie» Nouri, the former Dutch-Moroccan footballer, turned 27 on Tuesday. In July 2017, Nouri suffered a cardiac arrhythmia attack during a pre-season friendly match. The attack left him with severe and permanent brain damage. «Many people still think he is in a coma, but that's not the case: he is conscious. He isn't his old self, but we are very happy that he is among us», Nouri's brother Abderrahim told NOS, reassuring Nouri's fans. Lieve Abdelhak, 27

Heatwave expected in Morocco this week

A heatwave is forecast from Thursday to Saturday in several Moroccan provinces, with temperatures varying between 34 and 39°C, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). The DGM issued an orange vigilance alert bulletin for these regions : Fquih Ben Salah, Beni Mellal, Settat, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Rehamna, Marrakech, Azilal, Al Haouz, Youssoufia, Chichaoua, Taroudant, Tata, Tan-Tan, Guelmim, Sidi Ifni, Assa-Zag, Tarfaya, Laâyoune, Boujdour, Es-Smara, Oued Eddahab and

Morocco to host Fashion Trust Arabia annual prize ceremony in October

Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA), an Arab world prize that provides financial and business support to fashion designers in the MENA region, will be moving its annual ceremony from Doha, Qatar, to Marrakech, Morocco, according to a report by fashion-industry trade journal Women's Wear Daily on Tuesday. The decision reflects FTA's «commitment to expanding our reach and fostering cultural exchange within the region», Tania Fares, cofounder of Fashion Trust, told the same

Austrian prison escapee arrested in Morocco

A 39-year-old man who had escaped prison in Austria in July, was arrested in Casablanca, on March 17th, according to Austria's largest newspaper Kronen Zeitung. The German inmate was sentenced to 20 months in prison in December 2022. Held at the Tyrol prison, in Innsbruck, the man was arrested for property crimes. After his disappearance, cross-border cooperation with Germany and Turkey ultimately led investigators to Morocco. There he was arrested by the Moroccan police at Casablanca

US to finance economic empowerment projects in Dakhla and Laayoune

The US State Department has pledged to provide financial support for projects aimed at «economic empowerment in the Dakhla and Laayoune regions», the US Embassy in Morocco announced on social media. Proposals are now being accepted for funding of up to $500,000. «Eligible applicants include U.S. or foreign: Non-profit organizations; For-profit organizations; Private institutions of higher education; Public international organizations; and/or Small businesses with function and

Cote d’Ivoire to hold opening of Mohammed VI Mosque in Abidjan Friday

At the direction of King Mohammed VI, the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema will collaborate with Ivorian authorities, including the Supreme Council of Imams, Mosques and Islamic Affairs (COSIM) and the Foundation's Ivorian section, to officially inaugurate the Mohammed VI Mosque in Abidjan. The ceremony will take place during Friday prayers on April 5, 2024, corresponding to the 26th of Ramadan. A representative of the Higher Council of Ulema of Morocco will deliver the Friday sermon,

Israeli rabbi visits Morocco, prays for Israelis «engaged in a terrible war»

Israeli-Moroccan Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto arrived in Morocco earlier this week from the United States and visited the city of Essaouira, where Rabbi Chaim Pinto, who died in 1845, is buried. According to Hebrew media, Rabbi Pinto recited a special prayer «for peace for all Jews around the world and especially for the citizens of Israel who are engaged in a terrible war on the southern and northern borders of the country». He spoke about the historical deliverance of the Jews

Morocco museum hosts Cuba’s first African exhibition

One of the first exhibitions of Cuban art at an African museum is being held in Morocco, at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, American news agency Associated Press (AP) reported on Wednesday. The move is part of the museum's efforts to offer visitors a chance to discover foreign artists outside of Europe. «The Moroccan public might know Giacometti, Picasso or impressionists», museum director Abdelaziz El Idrissi told AP. «We've seen them and are looking

De Mistura in Mauritania for talks on Sahara

The UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, arrived in Mauritania on Tuesday. In Nouakchott, he held talks with the Minister of Defense, Hananna Ould Sidi. «The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral cooperation relations between our country and the UN and ways of strengthening them», the Mauritanian army said in a statement. De Mistura was then received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug. «Our

Spain's «Patriotic Police» spied on Moroccan diplomats in Catalonia

Spain's «Patriotic Police» has reportedly spied on Moroccan diplomats accredited in the European country. The kingdom's former consul in Barcelona, Ghoulam Maichane, currently Morocco's ambassador to Guinea, is among those targeted, reveals a Catalan media outlet. The security forces suspected Moroccan officials of supporting pro-independence forces in Catalonia. The kingdom's consul in the regional capital was spied on between 2014 and 2016. In May 2013, Spain expelled Moroccan

Algeria to participate as UN Security Council schedules meeting on Sahara

The United Nations Security Council, with Malta holding the presidency for April, has decided to discuss the Sahara issue in a meeting on April 16. During said meeting, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, and the Head of MINURSO, the Russian Alexander Ivanko are scheduled to brief members on diplomatic and military developments in the Sahara issue since the adoption of Resolution 2703 on October 29, 2023. Algeria, a non-permanent member of the