Dutch-Moroccan ex-anti-terrorism official denies «spying for Morocco», seeks PM's testimony  (Read more...)

Holmarcom to sell 11.3% stake in Crédit du Maroc as part of pan-African vision

Holmarcom is set to sell 11.3% of the capital and voting rights of Crédit du Maroc (CDM) as part of its vision to «develop a diversified and integrated financial hub with a pan-African focus». This initiative was announced at a press conference on Tuesday and follows the green light from the Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC). The sale will offer «1,229,577 shares of Crédit du Maroc to the public and to CDM employees at a price of 850 dirhams per share,

Morocco and Spain strengthen migration cooperation at 22nd Joint Meeting in Marrakech

The Moroccan-Spanish Permanent Joint Migration Group held its 22nd meeting in Marrakech on Monday, co-chaired by Khalid Zerouali, Wali Director of Migration and Border Surveillance, and Pilar Cancela Rodriguez, Secretary of State for Migration, with the presence of Rafael Pérez Ruiz, Spanish Secretary of State for Security. Discussions covered the full scope of the migration partnership. The Spanish side expressed gratitude for Morocco's significant efforts in combating irregular

Algeria's refusal to engage blamed for stalemate in Sahara political process, UN report says

In his latest report to the Security Council on the Sahara, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in the Sahara political process, facilitated by his personal envoy. The report emphasized that while the personal envoy had held informal bilateral consultations with various parties, he had not succeeded in relaunching the political process needed to advance toward a peaceful and lasting resolution of the regional dispute. This deadlock is

UN deflects comment on Moroccan autonomy red lines

The UN avoided commenting on the «red lines» of the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, emphasized on Monday by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. Instead, the UN Secretary-General's deputy spokesman focused on the «origins» of the Sahara partition and referred the matter back to the Security Council. «What I can tell you is that the issue of a possible partition of Western Sahara came up in the course of the regular consultations of the Personal Envoy, Staffan

Belgium : All Charleroi flights canceled on Tuesday

All flights departing from Belgium's Charleroi Airport (Brussels South Charleroi Airport, BSCA) will be canceled on Tuesday due to industrial action by the security guard sector, an airport spokeswoman said. «The safety of passengers and staff cannot be guaranteed due to staff shortages. Passengers affected will be contacted by their airline for a refund or rebooking», the airport explained. BSCA is Belgium's main hub for low-cost airlines. All arrivals at BSCA will continue as

Moroccan internists and residents announce nationwide strike

The National Committee of Internists and Residents (CNIR) has announced a nationwide strike from October 22 to 24, 2024, excluding emergency, on-call, and resuscitation services. The strike is in protest of the government's «continued disregard for the legitimate demands» of healthcare professionals and students. The CNIR criticized the «non-participatory approach» of the Ministries of Health and Higher Education in addressing the sector's crisis. The committee deplored

Estonia affirms support for Morocco's autonomy plan in Sahara

The Republic of Estonia has affirmed that the Moroccan autonomy initiative is «a serious, credible, and good basis» for a definitive solution to the Sahara dispute. «Estonia considers the autonomy plan presented in April 2007 by Morocco to the UN Secretary-General as a serious, credible, and good basis» for a definitive solution to the Sahara issue, according to the joint declaration issued following a meeting on Monday in Rabat between the Minister of Foreign Affairs,

President Emmanuel Macron to visit Morocco from October 28th to 30th

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, will pay a state visit to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, as announced by the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol, and Chancellery on Monday. The visit will take place from Monday, October 28 to Wednesday, October 30, 2024. The Moroccan government emphasized the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, rooted in a deep partnership, and expressed the shared commitment of both leaders to further

Morocco hosts international conference on AI and chemical weapons

Morocco, in partnership with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is hosting the first-ever international conference dedicated to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The conference will take place in Rabat from October 22 to 24, 2024. The event, co-chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias, will bring together over 140 participants from

Spain reaffirms commitment to Morocco despite EU court ruling

Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, reiterated the Spanish government's commitment to deepening strategic relations with Morocco, despite the recent European Court of Justice ruling that annulled agricultural and fisheries agreements between the two countries. Speaking to reporters in Luxembourg ahead of a meeting of EU agriculture and fisheries ministers, Planas emphasized Spain's interest in maintaining strong ties with Morocco. He acknowledged the court's

Algeria's Tebboune to bring together Maghreb presidents and Polisario leader

Algeria is preparing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its armed struggle against France on November 1. On this occasion, the Algerian government hopes to bring together the presidents of Mauritania and Tunisia, the president of the Presidential Council of Libya, and the leader of the Polisario. Brahim Ghali has also been invited to attend the commemoration. On Thursday, October 17, the Algerian Minister of Moudjahidines, Laïd Rebigua, visited the Tindouf camps to deliver President

Morocco's defense budget trails Algeria's $25 billion

Morocco continues to increase its defense budget, and next year is expected to be no exception, following the trend set in the 2023 and 2024 Finance Acts. «The authorized expenditure for the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defense is set at 133.453 billion dirhams (approximately $13.5 billion) for the 2025 fiscal year», states Article 39 of the 2025 Finance Bill, presented to both Houses of Parliament on Saturday by Finance and Economy Minister

US official visits Morocco to discuss AI and security

The Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability, Mallory Stewart, is on a working visit to Morocco from October 21 to 24. According to a State Department statement, she will participate in the Global Conference on the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Advancing the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), sponsored by Morocco and the OPCW.   Stewart will also engage in high-level discussions with Moroccan officials to address emerging security

UN clarifies Sahara partition plan : Not a formal proposal

In response to a question about a Reuters report claiming that UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, had proposed dividing Western Sahara, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq clarified on Friday that it could not be described as a formal proposal. «I wouldn’t characterize anything as a submission of a proposal. What I would say is that the personal envoy, Mr. de Mistura, was essentially briefing the Security Council on his work on the Western Sahara file,

UN chief briefs Security Council on Moroccan initiative to boost Sahel

For the first time, the UN Secretary-General highlighted, in his annual report on the Sahara, the Royal vision «for the Atlantic coastline becoming a gateway for trade and economic integration with Africa and the Americas by facilitating access for the countries in the Sahel region to the Atlantic». Referring to the speech of King Mohammed VI, delivered on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March in November 2023, Guterres informed the members of the Security Council

Spain’s police arrest two alleged ISIS supporters in joint operation with Morocco

The Spanish National Police announced on Friday the arrest in northern Spain of two individuals presumed to be members of the terrorist organization Daesh, in an operation carried out in collaboration with Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST). The suspects were arrested in the cities of Itsasondo (Guipúzcoa) and Avilés (Asturias) for their alleged involvement in the crimes of indoctrination, dissemination of terrorist propaganda, and incitement

US State Department dodges clarifying stance on Sahara partition proposal

On Thursday, October 17, the US Department of State spokesperson declined to comment on the Biden administration's stance on the proposed partition of Western Sahara between Morocco and the Polisario, a proposal made by Staffan de Mistura to the Security Council the previous day. «I Haven’t reviewed the action at all or discussed it with any of my colleagues, so let me take it back and get you an answer», said Matthew Miller. Despite the response, journalists continued

Ahmed Reda Chami named Moroccan ambassador to EU

Ahmed Reda Chami was appointed by King Mohammed VI on Friday as Morocco's Ambassador to the European Union (EU) in Brussels. He holds an engineering degree from the École Centrale de Paris (1985) and an MBA from the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles - UCLA (1989). In February 2016, he was appointed Morocco's Permanent Representative to the EU in Brussels. Since December 3, 2018, he has been President of the Economic, Social and