Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz ready to write history with Morocco  (Read more...)

The Netherlands : Dutch-Moroccans protest to support the Rif region

On Sunday 4th of July, Dutch-Moroccans gathered in Schouwburgplein, a plaza situated in the heart of the city of Rotterdam, to support the protests taking place in Al Hoceima city and to denounce the «rights violations and injustices in the Moroccan Rif region and for the release of political prisoners», the Netherlands Times reports. Bouchra Banhammou from the organizing committee of Mohcine Fikri Nederland, told NU.nl that around 2 thousand people from the Netherlands and abroad

A Women’s protest restrained in Al Hoceima

Authorities have restrained a women’s demonstration in the city of Al Hoceima on Saturday night, Reuters news agency reports. Protesting against corruption, the ladies were forced to leave a park while others were banned from joining them. «Police encircled hundreds of female protesters (…) as the women chanted «freedom, dignity and social justice». Female police officers and riot police pushed the leader of the protest, Nawal Ben Aissa, a prominent member of

London : 7 people killed in two terrorist attacks

7 people were killed and at least 48 injured in two terrorist attacks in London, the BBC reports. Around 10 pm on Saturday the 3rd of June, a man in van ran over pedestrians on London's Bridge, meanwhile, three men stabbed civilians next to Borough Market, London's most renowned food and drink market located next to London's Bridge. The same source indicates that the attackers were shot dead by the police. The later said that they were wearing «fake bomb vests. One of those hurt is a

Bahrain shuts down a local newspaper over Al Hociema's Hirak

The Bahraini Ministry of Information Affairs shut down «AlWassat», an Arabic-language daily newspaper in Manama, after it published an article about Hirak in Al Hociema, the Bahraini news agency reports. AlWassat was suspended on the 4th of June until «further notice». le gouvernement du Bahrein suspend le journal Alwasat suite a la publication d'une chronique sur le #Hirak. #Marochttps://t.co/cVZxA387Ze — imad stitou (@StitouImad) June 4, 2017 The same source

Hirak Rif : 20 individuals presented before the investigating judge in Casablanca

In a communiqué issued by the king's prosecutor in Casablanca and reported by Yabiladi this morning, 20 individuals were presented before the investigating judge. The statement sets out the charges against these persons and announces the temporary release under judicial supervision and control of one of them the 19 persons left, were placed under temporary detention because of «the events that produced in Al Hociema city on the 26th of May». The group of people was heard by

Turkey grants citizenship to a Moroccan killed during the defeated coup attempt

The Turkish government is granting citizenship to a Moroccan national who was shot by putschists in Turkey during the defeated coup attempt that took place in July 2016, Anadolu news agency reports. This citizenship will allow the family of Jaouad Merroune, a 32-year-old tourist guide who took to streets last July in Istanbul, protesting against the coup attempt, to benefit from «tuition-free education and interest-free housing loan». «government officials in Ankara, who

Syrian refugees : For Morocco, Algeria «has assumed its responsibilities»

While Algeria announced on Thursday that it will host a group of Syrian refugees stuck since April 17th in the Moroccan-Algerian borders, an official source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation told Yabiladi on Friday that the neighboring country had only assumed its responsibilities. «By making the decision of allowing the entry of the Syrian refugees stranded on the Algerian-Moroccan border, since the 17th of April 2017, Algeria has finally accepted to

Antonio Guterres is concerned about the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres is highly concerned about the Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf camp as food rations will be reduced in mid June. According to a statement released on Friday 2nd of June by the humanitarian organization, «Sahrawi refugees in Algeria (...) will have their food rations cut due to lack of funding». #Tindouf camps : "Food rations will be further reduced to half in June" (UN) https://t.co/pvlWsX3hK0 #WesternSahara — Christophe

Al Hoceima : Reporters without Borders denounce the arrest of journalist-citizens

Reporters without Borders (RWB) have denounced the conditions that surround media coverage in Al Hoceima. In a communiqué, the NGO that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of speech «denounces the abuses directed at journalists who have reported the demonstrations that have shaken the Rif since the death of the fish seller Mohcine Fikri in a dumpster in October 2016». «Since the 26th of May, journalists and journalist-citizens, who have

Netherlands : A sit-in in Rotterdam to support the Rif

Since October, a wave of manifestations has shaken the Rif region. Inhabitants of Al Hoceima went on protesting following the death of Mohcine Fikri, the Fish trader who was crushed by a truck. After, Nasser Zefzafi leader of the «Hirak» movement, got arrested on Monday 29th of May by the authorities, residents of Al Hoceima carried on their demonstrations. Consequently the Mohcine Fikri Committee of the Netherlands is calling for a demonstration next Sunday at 5.30 pm at the

Algeria allows Syrian Refugees to enter its territory

Algerian Interior Ministry has announced yesterday that it is allowing the 41 Syrian refugees stranded in the borders between Morocco to enter its territory, Reuters reports. Abdel Aziz Benali Cherif, the spokesperson of the Algerian Forreign Affairs ministry told APS on Thursday 1st of June that his country will host refugees after being bloced in Figuig since 17th o April. «The representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Hamid  Boukhari was

US withdrawal from the Paris climate accord : President of the COP22 is disappointed

President of the COP22, Salaheddine Mezouar, could not hide his «profound disappointment» following the decision taken by Donald Trump and which announces the US withdrawal from the Paris climate accord signed on April 2016. In a communiqué issued by the COP22 presidency and reported by MAP, Mezouar insists that «despite this step, the dynamics of climate action will remain undeniable and irreversible», adding that «collective efforts to combat climate

Royal Air Maroc launches a weekly flight to Dakhla

Starting from September, Royal Air Maroc will launch two new flights every week linking Casablanca to Dakhla, reports the airline company in a communiqué. Thus, the group will reach 10 monthly flights that fly from Casablanca to southern city. 3.200 seats will be available every week of which 240 are dedicated to the business class. The trip costs MAD1.000 for economy class and MAD 2.000 for the business one. A flight will be scheduled daily at 21:30 from Casablanca to land at 23:50 in

«The government is determined to communicate about the arrests in Al Hoceima», indicates El Khalfi

During the government council organized yesterday and presided by the Prime Minister and the press conference held afterwards, Mustapha El Khalfi spoke about the manifestations in Al Hoceima. Responding to a question asked about the arrest of the «Hirak» members, the Minister announced that the executive is «anxious to communicate permanently so as to avoid an inaccurate and erroneous image being conceived about the cases of arrests». He added that «the door

ECOWAS : King Mohammed VI cancels his visit to Monrovia due to the participation of the Israeli Prime Minister

King Mohammed VI had previously planned to visit Monrovia on the 3rd and 4th of June for the 51st Summit of the ECOWAS which should examine Morocco's bid to join the regional integration organization as a full-fledged member, as indicated Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. During the royal visit, the program had scheduled a meeting with the Liberian president, discussions with Heads of States of the other member-countries of the organization, as well as

Morocco travel advice : The UK government warns British citizens about the situation in Al Hoceima

The Safety and Security section of the UK government official website issued a statement yesterday 31st of May warning British citizens about the situation in Morocco and the demonstrations taking place in Al Hoceima city and the Northern region of the kingdom.«A series of demonstrations has taken place since October 2016 in northern Morocco, mainly around the town of Al Hoceima, but with other areas, including the cities of Tangier and Nador, also affected», the same source

Morocco vs. the Netherlands : Dirar and Belhenda insult the audience

During the friendly game held yesterday 31st of May in Agadir between the Moroccan national team and the Netherlands, two Moroccan players replied in insults when the audience shouted the name of Hakim Ziyech. In a video that went viral on the internet and social media platforms, Youness Belhenda, who currently plays for Nice and Nabil Dirar, who plays as a winger for AS Milan insulted the audience when they were shouting the name of Ziryech. The latter did not participate to the game and was

Morocco accepts German Horst Kohler as a new envoy for Sahara

The Moroccan government has accepted the German politician Horst Kohler, former president of Germany (2004-2010), as the new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for western Sahara, Moroccan official sources told the Spanish news agency Efe. Kohler (74), had already received the green light from the Polisario Front, while Morocco has taken several weeks before giving its approval. The former Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Christopher Ross, finally resigned from his post on the 30th of