News Flash

Sahel : Mali, Morocco agree to bolster water cooperation

Morocco and Mali have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the water sector, according to a meeting between the two countries' ministers held on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia. Nizar Baraka, Morocco's Minister of Equipment and Water, and Mamadou Samake, Mali's Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development, discussed potential projects to bolster the resilience of populations in desert and Sahel zones. Samake, in a statement to MAP,

Moroccan drone strike kills Polisario fighters near Mijek

A Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone strike killed Polisario fighters southeast of Mijek, near the Mauritanian border, on Thursday, May 23. Audio messages from Sahrawi refugees living in the Tindouf camps, obtained by Yabiladi, confirm the attack and express grief over losses. MINURSO, which has a ceasefire observation point in Mijek, sent peacekeepers to photograph the targets of the air operation. On Saturday, the Polisario fired three missiles at Es-Smara, which landed in an uninhabited

Mexico, a country that recognizes «SADR», is the main buyer of phosphates from the Sahara

Mexico remains the top importer of phosphates extracted from the Sahara in 2023, according to a report published Wednesday, May 22nd by Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW), an NGO close to the Polisario Front. This North American country, which recognizes the so-called «SADR», imported 700,300 tons of phosphate last year, worth $178.5 million, according to WSRW. The entire amount was destined for the Mexican company Innophos, owned by the American private equity firm One

Fire ravages Souk El Khemis in Marrakech, carpenters' area most affected

Late Wednesday night, Civil Protection mobilized five tanker trucks to control a violent fire in the heart of Souk El Khemis (northeast of Marrakech). The cause of the fire remains unknown. Firefighters, called urgently by residents, did everything they could to spare the shops of artisans, carpenters, and blacksmiths. While no deaths or injuries were reported, the material damage is significant. The carpenters' area was hit the hardest, with many artisans and merchants suffering substantial

Moroccan company accused of stealing industrial designs, evading taxes in Italy

A Moroccan company based in Faenza, Italy, with a registered office reportedly in Morocco, is accused of stealing technical drawings from a company in Lugo, Italy. According to local media, the stolen designs were allegedly used to create copies of the original industrial machinery, which were then sold through a network of shell companies. This scheme is believed to have enabled the Moroccan company to evade taxes in Italy. The company is estimated to have evaded over €130,000 in

Caught on camera, 4-story building crumbles in Casablanca

A four-story building collapsed on Thursday afternoon in the Bourgogne neighborhood of Casablanca. Videos shared online show the building crumbling to rubble in seconds, while firefighters and local authorities were present. The building, located at the intersection of Moulay Youssef and Hank streets, collapsed at around 2:30 PM. كارثة بالدار البيضاء انهيار عمارة بحي العنق سبب انهيار العمارة يرجح إلى الاشتباه في قيام

Moroccan caftan takes center stage at UNESCO's Africa Week Fashion Show

The Moroccan caftan was the star attraction at an African fashion show held in Paris on Wednesday evening as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Africa Week. The caftan, a traditional garment that is a living expression of Moroccan identity and the most eloquent demonstration of the dexterity and ancestral know-how of Moroccan maâllems, dazzled a large audience with its beauty, finesse, and glamour. The crowd included diplomats, such as

An elephant parade in Marrakech, city launches circus festival

The city of Marrakech is having its own circus with «Marrakech fait son cirque», which returns from May 22 to 25, 2024. Organized by the Éclats de Lune collective, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, this event is part of Marrakech's designation as the «capital of culture in the Islamic world for the year 2024» by ICESCO. On Wednesday afternoon, the «Parade of Elephants» by Théâtre Nomade opened the

Morocco’s ex-PM calls for Mawazine Festival cancellation amid Gaza war

The Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdelilah Benkirane, said that he was pained by the willingness to organize the Mawazine festival despite «the difficult and disastrous conditions in which our brothers in Palestine are living, in light of the martyrdom and injury of more than 120,000 Palestinians, including more than 15,000 children». In a video shared online on Wednesday evening, May 22, Benkirane added that the organization of this festival is a

Moroccan Embassy in Moscow denies false document on student arrests

The Embassy of Morocco in Moscow on Wednesday denied the authenticity of a publication attributed to it concerning the student community in the city of Saratov. «The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Moscow wishes to draw the attention of the Moroccan community residing in the Russian Federation to a false document attributed to the Embassy and currently circulating on social networks», the diplomatic mission said in a statement. «The so-called publication concerning the

Sahara : Senegal reaffirms support for Morocco under President Diomaye Faye

Senegal's new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected on March 24, 2024, does not deviate from the line taken by his predecessors on the Sahara issue. A position reaffirmed at the UN C24 regional seminar held in Caracas, Venezuela, MAP reported on Wednesday, May 22. «Senegal would like to take the opportunity of this seminar to reiterate its constant support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, which it considers serious, credible and in line with international law, the UN Charter and

Morocco signs Rapid Response deal with World Bank for faster crisis relief

The Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah Alaoui held a working meeting in Rabat with Ousmane Dione, the World Bank's new Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), in office since April 16, 2024. The two parties signed the Rapid Response Option (RRO) agreement with the World Bank Group (WBG), the ministry said in a statement. «An important milestone in the Kingdom's ability to respond quickly to emergencies and provide crucial support to its citizens», the

Facing challenges, Polisario replaces military region heads

Brahim Ghali has replaced the heads of all six Polisario military regions, according to a former member of the Front who spoke to Yabiladi on condition of anonymity. The change coincided with the celebration of «Saharawi Army Day» on May 20. It was prompted by a number of considerations, such as the death of the former head of the 6th military region in a Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone strike in November 2023. His predecessor suffered the same fate two months earlier. In addition

USAID Administrator meets Morocco Foreign Minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, held talks in Rabat on Wednesday with Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power. At a press briefing following this meeting, Administrator Power reiterated the United States' support for the reforms carried out in the fields of governance, education and development. Welcoming Morocco's numerous achievements in terms of reforms and development, she underlined

Morocco, France discuss cultural cooperation

Strengthening cultural cooperation between Morocco and France was the focus of a working session held Wednesday in Paris between the Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid and his French counterpart Rachida Dati. These talks, which followed on from last Saturday's bilateral meeting in Cannes, provided an opportunity to review the various areas of Moroccan-French cooperation, notably in the fields of craftsmanship and cultural and creative industries, as

EU issues new alert over Moroccan hake containing parasites

The European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has issued a new health alert, following the discovery of Echinococcus (fish-parasitic worms) in hake from Morocco during border controls in Spain. According to Spanish media, Spanish authorities immediately withdrew the product from the market, though they are unsure if other batches are still on sale. The European organization considered the issue serious and stated that the hake containing these worms came from Morocco.

Algeria, Morocco briefly open closed border to repatriate 15 Moroccan citizens

Algeria and Morocco on Tuesday exceptionally opened their land borders, closed since 1994, to repatriate 15 Moroccan citizens who had emigrated to Algerian territory after serving sentences ranging from six months to two years for irregular migration, said Hassan Amari, president of the Moroccan Association for the Assistance of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations (AMAMS). Amari told Spanish news agency EFE that the Zouj Beghal crossing point was opened for the repatriation of these Moroccans.

Switzerland calls for «just and mutually acceptable» solution to Sahara dispute

Switzerland supports a «just, lasting and mutually acceptable» solution to the Sahara issue, President of the Swiss National Council Eric Nussbaumer said during his visit to Rabat on Tuesday. «Switzerland supports the efforts of the United Nations and the work of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, in line with international law and relevant Security Council