Morocco expels two Norwegians from Laayoune  (Read more...)

Danone’s third quarter sales affected by the Moroccan boycott

French multinational food-products Danone said its sales growth fell in the third quarter because of the boycott campaign that was initiated by consumers in Morocco, reported Reuters on Wednesday. The results of the current quarter were affected by dairy sales that fell by 40 percent in the second quarter of the same year. To limit the loss in the Kingdom, Danone has taken a series of measures to «regain consumers trust», said the British news agency. Indeed, Emmanuel Faber, CEO

Train crash : Foreign countries send condolences to Morocco

Several foreign countries reacted on Tuesday, 16th of October, to the train crash that took place near Bouknadel in Morocco. 7 people died in the tragic incident while 86 were wounded. The Spanish Embassy in Morocco published a letter of condolence sent by the Spanish government on its official Twitter account. La #France présente ses condoléances aux proches des victimes et souhaite un prompt rétablissement aux blessés. Elle assure le #Maroc de sa

2019 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers : Morocco draw against Comoros (2-2)

The Moroccan football team drew 2-2 against their Comorian counterpart, Tuesday at the Saïd Mohamed Cheikh International Stadium in Mitsamiouli (Comoros), in their fourth match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The locals opened the scoring in the 9th minute of the game by Ben Mohamed Fardou. Khalid Boutaib (53rd) equalized for the Atlas Lions before Noureddine Amrabet (62nd) scored the second goal. However, the Moroccans conceded the equalizer at the very end of the game (90th+1)

«Punish a Muslim Day» : The suspect pleads guilty to soliciting murder

A British man suspected of sending the «Punish a Muslim Day» letters, who was arrested last June, pleaded guilty of soliciting murder and 13 other offences, wrote online newspaper Today Online. Originally from Lincoln, David Parnham, 35, appeared before the Central Criminal Court in London on October the 12th. He carried out a terror campaign for two years, since 2016, by sending «malicious» letters and «highly offensive» packages to many people and

Royal Navy helps boat adrift off Tangier carrying would-be illegal immigrants in poor health

A Royal Navy coastguard assisted on Monday morning a boat in trouble in the west of the Northern city of Tangier that was carrying 38 Moroccan would-be illegal immigrants and a dead body, a military source said. The boat, which was put to sea on October 8, 2018, lost its way following an engine failure, the source added. The 38 people rescued that were found in poor health were brought to Tangier's Port to receive the necessary health care.

Migration : EU to develop cooperation with Morocco, says Mogherini

The European Union (EU) should develop its cooperation with Morocco to curb migratory flows on the western Mediterranean route, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said Monday in Brussels. «We have seen a 150% increase in migration flows on the western Mediterranean route this year, and we have decided to strengthen our actions to curb these flows, especially with Morocco and Mauritania», Mogherini pointed out at a

Spain : An Andalusia party wants to include the Rif in its «republic»

Pedro Ignacio Altamirano, the founder of the Andalusian National (NA), an Andalusian nationalist independentist and socialist political party in Andalusia (Spain), revealed in a show broadcasted by Spanish channel TV3 his party’s intention of creating a republic that would include, Andalusia, Portugal’s Algrave and Alentejo and the Moroccan Rif region. Although the Rif is not connected geographically to the Iberian Peninsula, Altamirano bases his project on aspects related to

September 11 attacks : Germany expels Mounir al-Motassadeq to Morocco

Germany announced on Monday, 15th of October, the expulsion of Moroccan terrorist Mounir al-Motassadeq who was involved in the September 11 attacks, reports German channel DW. Mounir al-Motassadeq was sentenced on the 8th of January 2007 to 15 years in prison for helping three of the suicide pilots in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States The inmate was convicted of «membership in a terrorist organization and accessory to murder for aiding the three hijackers who lived in

The number of failed attempts of illegal emigration has more than doubled since 2016

The number of failed attempts to emigrate illegally from Morocco has more than doubled, increasing from an average of 32,000 each year between 2003 and 2015 to about 65,000 since 2016, said Khalid Zerouali, wali, director of Immigration and Border Surveillance. The reorientation of migrant flows to Morocco is mainly explained by the strengthening of the factors of attraction in Europe recorded in the wake of the waves of migrants and refugees that this continent has experienced, Zerouali said

Diplomacy : A South African delegation visits the Tindouf camps

A South Africa delegation visited the Tindouf camps on the 12th of October to attend festivities, commemorating the «43th anniversary of the Declaration of National Unity». Representatives from South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) were later received by the Front’s leader, Brahim Ghali. On Sunday, 14th of October, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Luwellyn Tyrone Landers held a series of meetings at the Front and

Commercial borders : Imbroda encourages the signing of a friendship treaty with Morocco

Last week the Coalition for Melilla (CpM), a political party in the North African exclave of Melilla, suggested that Morocco and Spain should sign a new Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighborliness and Cooperation. Commenting on the initiative, Melilla’s president Juan José Imbroda encouraged the proposal, urging the ruling party in Spain to negotiate the signing of the treaty with Morocco, reports El Faro de Melilla.   For Imbroda the project is a way of pushing Rabat to

Agadir : A football supporter faces a 5-year sentence for raising the Spanish flag

A Hassania Union Sport Agadir supporter will appear Monday, 15th of October, before the first instance court in Inzeggane. He has been held in the Ait Melloul prison for «insulting the national flag», reports a local online newspaper. This football fan is accused of raising the Spanish flag during a match that brought Hassania Agadir and Olympique Khouribga together. The local section of Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) denounced the arrest in a statement. For the

Morocco to host the IMF-World Bank 2021 annual meetings

The 2021 annual meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be held in a country that defends the principles of openness and multilateralism, namely Morocco, IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, said Sunday in Bali. «Morocco is one of the most hospitable, generous and historically entrenched countries in the world, an African, Arab and oriental country remarkably open to modernity, a country that perfectly illustrates the convergence of the

Spain : Imbroda asks King Felipe VI to «not forget about Melilla»

In Spain, the 12th of October is a national holiday. The day is meant to commemorate the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. A military parade is organized in Madrid every year to celebrate the occasion and King Felipe VI chairs a ceremony where he receives presidents of Spain's autonomous regions, including Ceuta and Melilla. Juan José Imbroda seized the opportunity to greet the monarch asking him «to not forget about Melilla», he revealed in a press statement

Migration : Police in Ceuta dismantle a Go Fast boat smuggling network

Spanish police arrested in Ceuta four individuals allegedly linked to a smugglers' network that helps Algerian migrants enter Spain using a Go Fast boat, reports Europa Press. The people who helped migrants cross the Mediterranean for Spain were from a temporary center for migrants in the autonomous city, said the police Saturday in a statement. Detenidos en #Ceuta los máximos responsables de una red que introducía ciudadanos argelinos en la península utilizando

Wine : Moroccan winery Red Farm to enter the Chinese market

Mamoun Sayah, director general of the Moroccan agricultural company Red Farm, is planning to introduce the firm's wine to the Chinese market through the China International Import Expo (CIIE), scheduled for November in Shanghai, says Chinese news agency Xinhua. «Our winery is expanding its production capacity and used to produce 2.5 million bottles of wine each year», said Sayah. The winery owns 300 hectares of grapes, 50 hectares which are harvested for the first time this year.

Royal Armed Forces intercepts four smugglers coming from the east, says a military source

A patrol of the Royal Armed Forces in charge of border surveillance in the region of Bouanane intercepted on Thursday four smugglers coming from the east of the country, a military source said. The patrol was shot by one of the smugglers who used a shotgun, injuring a soldier, the source added. Following a pursuit race, three of the smugglers managed to flee east leaving behind their goods made up of large quantities of mouflon meat. One of the smugglers was arrested and handed over to the

Antonio Guterres defends his proposal on the extension of MINURSO mandate

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres defends his proposal of extending the MINURSO mandate to one year. «I think one year, obviously, gives it greater stability, which I think is important. And the message to the parties as well is, obviously, also to work with his Special Envoy, Mr [Horst] Köhler», said Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday, October the 11th, during a press briefing. Antonio