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

Morocco to acquire new Turkish Akıncı drones

Morocco is set to receive new Turkish drones, this time of the Akıncı type, manufactured by the Baykar company, according to the FAR Morocco Forum on X. Delivery of the first unmanned aircraft is scheduled for early 2025. The Royal Armed Forces had considered purchasing Akıncı drones as early as 2023. Talks were initiated between the two parties in August of that year. Unlike the 19 Bayraktar TB2s, which the Moroccan army acquired in 2021, the Akıncı features cutting-edge technology. It

Head of Government chairs Moroccan delegation at COP29 in Baku

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, who is leading the Moroccan delegation at the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan, was welcomed on Tuesday at the Olympic Stadium in Baku by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The Head of Government was accompanied by Minister of Energy and Sustainable Development Leila Benali and Moroccan Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohamed Adil Embarch. Akhannouch

Regragui : Fierce competition for places in Morocco national team

National coach Walid Regragui said on Tuesday that competition for places on the national football team is fierce. «There’s competition between the players we have available, and the tougher the competition, the more choices I have, as coach, to have the most exemplary squad possible», Regragui enthused at a press conference held at the Mohammed V Football Complex in Salé, ahead of the Moroccan national team’s matches against Gabon on November 15 in

Morocco sends support to Spain, deploys relief teams for Valencia flood recovery

The Spanish government has accepted aid from several countries, including Morocco, to support efforts in rehabilitating areas affected by Storm Dana, which recently struck the Valencia region. According to a statement by the Spanish Interior Ministry, Spain is preparing to mobilize dozens of workers and essential equipment over the next 24 to 48 hours from Morocco, France, and Portugal. This includes resources for extracting and transporting mud and debris. Following Valencia’s approval

Morocco and Spain team up to revitalize red meat sector

Moroccan and Spanish businessmen and officials met in Rabat on Tuesday to discuss ways to rehabilitate and modernize Morocco's red meat sector. The meeting was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of the Rabat-Salé-Quneitra region. Participants reviewed the strengths of both Morocco and Spain in the red meat industry, emphasizing the need to develop and strengthen the sector through investment in all its chains. This would help diversify supply, control prices,

Morocco and Spain seize 4.7 tons of hashish in joint operation

The Spanish Civil Guard, in cooperation with Morocco's General Directorate of National Territorial Surveillance, successfully thwarted the smuggling of 4.7 tons of hashish aboard two rubber boats between the islands of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Thanks to «close security cooperation» with Morocco, the operation enabled the deployment of a maritime surveillance system that located the two boats loaded with 131 bundles of drugs approximately 80 kilometers off the coast, as

PSG opens football academy in Morocco with Achraf Hakimi's presence

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) officially inaugurated its new academy in Morocco on Monday, marking a significant expansion of the French club's presence in Africa. Located in the Tamaris suburb of Casablanca, the academy has been operational since September and aims to provide high-quality training to Moroccan youth. According to the club's official statement, Morocco national team star and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi participated in the opening ceremony. During the event, Hakimi engaged with

Morocco calls up Zakaria Aboukhlal to replace injured Ilias Akhomach

Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national team, invited Zakaria Aboukhlal, a professional player with Toulouse FC in France, to replace the injured Ilias Akhomach, who sustained an injury during Villarreal's match against Alaves in the 13th round of La Liga. The Moroccan national team is preparing for two crucial matches in the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They will face Gabon next Friday in Franceville and Lesotho on Monday, November 18, 2024,

French Chamber hosts economic days in Laayoune and Dakhla

The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco (CFCIM) is organizing the Moroccan-French Economic Days in the regions of Laayoune-Saguia el-Hamra and Dakhla-Wadi el-Dahab. Nearly 50 French decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders will participate in this event, offering a unique opportunity to explore the vast potential and investment opportunities in these regions, according to a statement from the chamber. This event marks a new phase in the Chamber’s

Morocco unveils new national team jerseys inspired by heritage ahead of Afcon 2025

The new design for the national team jerseys has been unveiled ahead of the upcoming African Cup of Nations (CAN 2025) to be hosted in Morocco. Presented by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Royal Air Maroc (RAM), Planet Sport, and Puma, the design is strongly inspired by Moroccan heritage and culture and bears the signature of Abderrahmane Trabsini. «Embodying the essence of Moroccan art, the home kit features motifs inspired by geometric designs and traditional Moroccan

Did the Russia-Africa Forum support the Polisario ?

Despite being excluded by Moscow, the Polisario Front has welcomed the conclusions of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, held on November 9 and 10 in Sochi. «The joint Afro-Russian stance expressed at the close of the ministerial conference of the Africa-Russia Partnership Forum reinforces the international community’s consensus on the need to allow the people of Western Sahara to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination», the Front’s press agency stated

Algerian media claims Moroccan journalists were injured in Polisario attack

Did the firing of four projectiles by the Polisario in Al Mahbes, in the Sahara, result in civilian casualties, specifically among Moroccan journalists? This is the claim made by several Algerian media outlets, accompanied by photos as alleged evidence. However, the regional office of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra section of the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers (FMEJ) has strongly refuted this misinformation. In a press release sent to Yabiladi, the FMEJ denounced the Algerian

Spain solves crime that shocked Madrid and orders Moroccan man's imprisonment 

A Madrid investigative court has remanded an 18-year-old Moroccan man in preventive custody on suspicion of involvement in the murder of Borja Velásquez, a case that shocked Madrid this year, in addition to charges of illegal firearms possession. Spanish security authorities arrested the young man, who holds Moroccan nationality, last Wednesday in Getafe, on the outskirts of Madrid, on charges of being one of the perpetrators who committed the murder of Borja Velásquez. He is

Russia reaffirms commitment to free trade zone with North African countries, including Morocco

Russia remains committed to its plans to create a free trade zone with North African countries, including Morocco. This commitment was confirmed by statements from Anton Kobyakov, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, held on November 9 and 10 in Sochi, as reported by several Moscow-based media outlets. This initiative was first announced in August 2023 by President Putin during a meeting with members of

French ambassador to visit Laayoune and Dakhla after Morocco's Sahara recognition

The French Ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, will visit the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla from November 11 to 13, 2024, accompanied by several embassy aides, particularly those responsible for cultural, educational, and economic matters. According to a statement from the French Embassy, this visit aligns with the positions expressed by France and its President, Emmanuel Macron, during his recent official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. The same source adds that the purpose of the

Spain's Secegsa purchases seismometers for study of continental link with Morocco

The Spanish Ministry of Transportation’s company, Secegsa, responsible for the underwater tunnel project between Spain and Morocco, signed a contract this week to measure seismic risk for the first time in ten years. According to Spanish media, Secegsa has agreed to invest around 500,000 euros to purchase seismometers, which will be deployed in the area of the Strait where the future tunnel between Europe and Africa is planned. On November 6, Secegsa signed a contract to lease four

Moroccan journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui sentenced to prison, fined 1.5 million dirhams

Moroccan journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui was sentenced on Monday, November 11, by the Rabat Court of First Instance to one and a half years in prison and fined 1.5 million dirhams, according to Badil, the newspaper he heads. The fine is intended as civil compensation to the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi. Mahdaoui was prosecuted following a complaint filed by Ouahbi, in his capacity as secretary-general of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), in February. The complaint was in

Italian police seize €1 million in assets from Moroccan in drug trafficking case

Italian authorities have confiscated assets worth approximately one million euros from a Moroccan national based in Busto Arsizio's surrounding area. The seizure, executed on November 7 by Varese State Police, followed orders from the Milan Court targeting proceeds from drug trafficking operations. According to La Provincia Di Varese newspaper, the investigation revealed that the network's leader used family members to register luxury properties and assets while simultaneously collecting state