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

Netherlands : A Moroccan national faces deportation because of his criminal record

A 22-year-old Moroccan national, living in the Netherlands, is facing deportation because of his criminal record. The young man has been sentenced in 2012 for being involved in a mob murder of a football linesman after a youth game in Almere in December of the same year, says Dutch online newspaper DutchNews. According to the same source, the Netherlands National Press Agency (ANP) reported that the Immigration & Naturalization Service (IND) had told the man two years ago that his

Expelled from Morocco a year ago, a Spanish journalist sends a letter to Mustapha Ramid

In a letter relayed by El Pueblo de Ceuta, Spanish journalist José Luis Navazo who is also the publishing director of online newspaper Correo Diplomático, addresses Moroccan Minister of State in charge of Human Rights, Mustapha Ramid. In his open letter, the journalist writes to «his dear friend Ramid» denouncing his «unexplained and surprising» expulsion from Morocco on the evening of July 25th of 2017. Navazo says he still does not know why he

Fisheries agreement : CJEU rejects a complaint filed by the Polisario Front

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rejected on Thursday, 19th of July, a complaint lodged by the Polisario Front to put an end to the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, concluded in December 2013. The CJEU’s decision, published on its website, dismisses the Front’s action as inadmissible. It also recalls that the Front does not have standing to act against these agreements. Moreover, the EU Court ordered Brahim Ghali to cover the court costs. For the record, the Front

Nearly 400 migrants forced their way into Ceuta

On Thursday, July 26th, nearly 400 migrants forced their way into the Spanish enclave Ceuta from the Moroccan territory, reports El Faro de Ceuta. This night has been one of the most violent ones since the beginning of 2018, says the Guardia Civil in Ceuta. The Spanish and Moroccan authorities couldn’t stop migrants attempting to enter the city, says the same source. These migrants have allegedly thrown quicklime and homemade flamethrowers on the Guardia civil. Many of them got injured

A UN body refuses to accredit a pro-Polisario NGO

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) refused unanimously on Tuesday, 24th of July, to accredit a non-governmental organization supporting the Polisario, responding to a request submitted by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, says MAP press agency. In 2010, the NGO known as the International Bureau for the Respect of Human Rights in Western Sahara submitted a request to the UN

ISIS claims responsibility for the Toronto mass shooting

ISIS claimed responsibility, Wednesday, for the deadly Toronto shooting, through its propaganda agency Amaq. According to the latter, the attack was carried by «one of the ISIS fighter» who responded to the «calls to target nationals of the international anti-jihadist coalition». The mass shooting occurred on Sunday July 22nd at night in a bustling artery of the Greek district of Danforth Avenue and left two people dead including a 10-year-old girl and 13

The new fisheries agreement sparks tension in the Polisario

The new Morocco-EU fisheries agreement, initialed Monday and pending ratification, is believed to have sparked tension in the Polisario Front. Sunday, after the Kingdom and the European Union announced the end of negotiations, Sahrawi newspaper Futuro Sahara criticized the Front’s leadership for the decision taken by the two parties. In an article, the platform close to Mohamed Lamine Ould Bouhali, stated that Brahim Ghali «considers the crisis a victory that everyone should

After retiring, footballer Mounir El Hamdaoui joins an Al Hoceima club as a technical director

Moroccan international Mounir El hamdaoui has just retired. The 34-year-old joined on Tuesday Chabab Rif Al Hoceima club and will be operating as a technical director, says Dutch online newspaper Nu Sports. El Hamdaoui was playing for FC Twente before deciding to end his career as a footballer. He was playing for six different clubs, including Ajax, Willem II and Excelsior. He was also part of other clubs in Spain and the Middle East, namely Malaga, Salal and Al-Taawon clubs. Mounir El

Moroccan player Sofiane Boufal sees his dream come true after joining Spanish Liga

Moroccan French midfielder Sofiane Boufal said that joining La Liga, men's top professional football division of the Spanish football league system, is a «dream» coming true for him, says IANS press agency. The 24-year-old international has been loaned to Spanish professional club Celta de Vigo, after he played for two seasons with Southampton, making 59 appearances and scoring four goals. «While this past year has not been good for me in England, I also see myself as

Sahrawi smugglers kidnap a Mauritanian man and call for ransom

Mauritanian media sources reported that Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps, who work as smugglers, kidnapped, Sunday, the son of a Mauritanian mayor. The mother of the victim had been called by the kidnappers for a 12 million ouguiya ransom (318,289 dirhams). They told her about a place in the Algerian city of Zoueirat where the family should bring the money, says Mauritanian newspaper Al Akhbar. The same source confirmed that the young man’s family searched for him

Moroccan football federation's president says Hervé Renard is to stay with the Atlas Lions

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s (FRMF) President, Fouzi Lekjaa denied rumors, suggesting that Coach Hervé Renard is abondaning the Atlas Lions, on Tuesday during a forum held by MAP press agency in Rabat. The FRMF president then commented on the national football team’s performance during the 2018 world cup. He later criticized the use of the the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) «that should not have been used (...) at the world cup as

The new Jack Ryan series films Morocco as the Middle East

The latest film of American series «Jack Ryan» has been partially shot in Morocco, reports KFTV. The movie’s crew filmed part of the Kingdom as «a range of Middle Eastern story settings». The American film series is based on the character of Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who has been to a couple of espionage adventures in Europe and the Middle East. Although the movie was produced in Montreal, the crew decided to spend two months in the Kingdom to film in some

Morocco’s Minister Delegate for national defense meets US Assistant Secretary of Defense

Abdeltif Loudyi, minister delegate to the head of government in charge of national defense administration, received, Tuesday in Rabat, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Robert Karem, who leads a large delegation on a two-day visit to Morocco. The two officials voiced their wish to further develop these long-standing relationships in the same spirit of friendship, mutual understanding and mutual confidence. During their talks, the two sides exchanged views

Morocco and the EU sign a new fisheries agreement

Morocco and the European Union (EU) initialed, Tuesday in Rabat, a new fisheries agreement after a series of negotiations that started in April, says a communiqué sent by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries this morning to Yabiladi. The two parties have found a common ground, discussing ways to finalize a new fisheries agreement. The signed document refers to the zones where EU fleets are allowed to fish, the species targeted as well as restrictions related to the management of

Spain : Two Moroccans rescued after swimming to Ceuta

Two young Moroccan men have attempted to reach Cadiz (Spain) by swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar from the Moroccan coast. Fortunately they were rescued on la Bolera beach in Ceuta, says online newspaper Infomigrants. The Spanish Civil Guard found the two migrants in the morning of Thursday, July 19th. The two young men behaved violently and threw rocks at the agents, according to Civil Guard sources cited by the Spanish media.  One of the migrants, assisted by the Red Cross,

Sound Energy partners with oil company Schlumberger to develop its Moroccan assets

Sound Energy, a well-funded African and European upstream gas company, announced that it is partnering with French oil company Schlumberger Limited for its eastern Morocco assets, said Proactive Investors on Monday. Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield services company, will receive a 27.5% participating interest in the Tendrara Lakbir permits and the Matraka reconnaissance license, says the same source. «I am delighted to have begun the process of bringing Schlumberger

Egypt to export grape seedlings to Morocco

The Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Ezz Eddin Abostain announced Monday that his country will start exporting grape seedlings to Morocco for the first time, says online newspaper Egypt Independent. The decision was taken by Egyptian quarantine authorities after holding a series of negotiations with their Moroccan counterparts, the minister said in a press release. Negotiations were mainly held to discuss the quality of Egyptian exports and see if they meet the safety requirements of

Morocco to host the 2019 African Games

Morocco will host the 12th edition of the African Games in October, 2019, reports MAP news agency. The decision was taken after Equatorial Guinea said that it cannot host the tournament, indicates the Moroccan Youth and Sports Ministry in a statement issued Monday. The African sports event has been held every four years since 1965. The 2019 African Games is a qualifying event for several sports for the 2020 Olympic Games that will take place in Tokyo. «The African union felt that the