Was Algerian writer Boualem Sansal arrested over Eastern Sahara and Polisario remarks ?  (Read more...)

Morocco’s Royal Navy rescues 38 migrants off Dakhla coast

Morocco’s Royal Navy intercepted a pirogue 170km southwest of Dakhla on Tuesday, carrying 38 sub-Saharan migrants, including a woman and a minor. The boat had departed from the Mauritanian coast on October 14, headed for the Canary Islands, according to a press release from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. The rescued migrants were safely brought to the port of Dakhla, where they were handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the necessary administrative procedures after

Ecuador withdraws SADR recognition

Ecuador has withdrawn recognition of the «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)». This decision was communicated by Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld on Tuesday, October 22, in a telephone call to her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, according to MAP. The suspension was anticipated, especially after the defeat of left-wing candidate Luisa Gonzalez in the October 15, 2023, elections. The victory of right-wing businessman Daniel Noboa, a 35-year-old from a banana-farming

Macron to speak at Moroccan parliament during upcoming visit

Emmanuel Macron will address both Houses of Parliament on October 29, Africa Intelligence reported on Tuesday. The current French president will thus receive the same treatment as his predecessors: Jacques Chirac, on October 11, 2003, Nicolas Sarkozy, on October 22, 2007, and François Hollande, on April 4, 2013. These speeches, delivered to MPs, came at a time when Morocco-France relations were enjoying an upswing. Macron's speech is also in keeping with this trend, particularly

Morocco : IMF forecasts 2.8% growth this year, 3.6% in 2025

Morocco is expected to register growth of 2.8% this year and 3.6% in 2025, according to projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published Tuesday. In an update of its «World Economic Outlook», the financial institution forecasts inflation of 1.7% in 2024 and 2.3% the following year. Unemployment is projected to rise to 13.4% in 2024, before dropping to 12.6% in 2025, according to the forecasts released during the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington. The IMF

Canary Islands President backs Spanish government on Sahara stance

The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, denied any change in the Canarian government's position on the Sahara issue. He emphasized that the Canary Islands government does not have authority over foreign policy and thus adheres to decisions made by the Spanish government in this regard. His statement was made in response to criticism from NC-BC spokesperson Luis Campos, who accused Clavijo of betrayal after he expressed support for the Spanish government's policy on the Sahara

Spain affirms Morocco as a «priority partner» in migration efforts

Morocco is a «priority partner» for Spain regarding migration, said Spain’s Ministry of the Interior, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration with the Kingdom to promote regular, orderly, and safe migration. In a press release issued at the conclusion of the 22nd meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish Permanent Joint Migration Group, chaired by Spain’s Secretary of State for Migration, Pilar Cancela Rodriguez, and the Wali Director of Migration and Border

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