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Morocco punishes government critic Saida El Alami with an extra year in her two-year prison term
A Moroccan appeals court on Wednesday extended by another year the prison sentence of an activist tried for criticising government officials on social media, her lawyer said. Saida El Alami, 48, a vocal human rights activist with regular online presence until her...
Energy: Morocco and Nigeria sign MoU for a gas pipeline
A memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday for the development of a project to pump gas from Nigeria to Morocco via West Africa and then to Europe, the parties said. The agreement to go ahead with the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project was inked in Rabat by...
Western Sahara: Diplomatic battle over the Western Sahara continues with rumors of Kenya dropping support to independence movement
There was confusion on Wednesday over whether Nairobi had cut ties with the contested Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara after Kenya's new president announced the break but then deleted his tweet. Earlier in the day, Ruto said on Twitter after...
Morocco: Israel’s ambassador to Morocco defends himself against “smear campaign” in alleged sexual misconduct
Israel's ambassador to Morocco, who was recalled last week amid an investigation that media linked to alleged sexual misconduct, has dismissed the accusations against him as "a smear campaign". A letter from the lawyer representing ambassador David Govrin, obtained by...
Western Sahara: Polisario warns car race against crossing in the disputed territory
Western Sahara independence movement the Polisario Front has warned organisers of the Africa Eco Race not to pass through the territory disputed with Morocco, describing it as a "war zone". The organisers had announced the October 15-30 auto rally would cross through...
Israel and Morocco face public relations problem in Morocco after Israeli envoy recalled over sex abuse allegations
Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested outside Morocco's parliament Friday against the kingdom's normalisation of ties with Israel after the Jewish state recalled its top envoy from Rabat amid a probe, AFP correspondents said. Around 100 people chanted...
Western Sahara conflict worsens regional diplomatic relations, amplifies instability
By Paul Raymond A bitter showdown between Morocco and its arch-rival Algeria over the disputed Western Sahara territory is causing diplomatic rifts with other nations and even risks sparking a full-blown conflict, analysts say. "We're seeing a diplomatic war, where...
Morocco: Israel recalls Morocco envoy amid sexual misconduct allegations
Israel has recalled its top envoy to Morocco amid an internal investigation, a diplomatic source told AFP Thursday, amid media reports that it was tied to allegations of sexual misconduct. Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported Monday that a foreign ministry...
Morocco reacts to deepening social crises with ineffective minimum wage increase ($)
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Western Sahara: UN envoy holds talks with Polisario chief in Algeria
The UN's Western Sahara envoy Staffan de Mistura met Sunday with the leader of the Polisario independence movement leader in Tindouf, Algeria, as part of a regional tour, Algeria's state news agency said. The discussions with Polisario chief Brahim Ghali took place...
Western Sahara: Tit-for-tat diplomatic row erupts between Morocco and Tunisia
Tunisia announced Saturday the recall of its ambassador to Morocco for consultations, a day after the kingdom did the same in response to Tunisia's president hosting the Polisario movement's leader. The Polisario wants an independent state in the Western Sahara, a...
Morocco gets support from heavyweight Germany over Western Sahara territorial claim
Germany gave its backing on Thursday to a Moroccan autonomy plan for resolving the Western Sahara conflict, days after the North African country's king urged allies to "clarify their positions". A joint statement issued at the end of a visit to Rabat by Foreign...
Morocco: Two Moroccan diplomats on assignment in Colombia suspended for questionable behavior
Two Moroccan diplomats have been suspended from their positions in Colombia after they were drugged and robbed by women they met on Tinder, a diplomatic source in Rabat told AFP on Friday. The men, an adviser and an accountant at the kingdom's embassy in Bogota, were...
Morocco: At least 23 killed in bus crash in Khouribia
UPDATE: The death toll has been raised to 23 people, another 36 people were injured in the crash of a bus travelling between Casablanca and the rural region of Ait Attab, near the town of Beni Mellal at the foot of the High Atlas mountains....
Morocco hard hit by drought
By Kaouthar Oudrhiri: Mohamed gave up farming because of successive droughts that have hit his previously fertile but isolated village in Morocco and because he just couldn't bear it any longer. "To see villagers rush to public fountains in the morning or to a...
Morocco: Intense wildfires in north Morocco blamed on arson
Three firefighters died and two others were seriously injured in a forest fire in northern Morocco that was suspected to have been started deliberately, authorities said Tuesday. The firefighters were in a vehicle that plunged into a ravine while they were battling...
Morocco jails blogger for disrespecting religion
A Moroccan blogger has been sentenced to two years in prison for "offending the Muslim religion" after posts on Facebook deemed offensive to Islam, her brother told AFP on Tuesday. Bouzza Karim said his 39-year-old sister Fatema was questioned by police on July 15...
Moroccan court OKs extradition to US of French cybercrime suspect Sebastien Raoult
Morocco's top court has given a preliminary endorsement over the extradition to the US of a French national suspected of cybercrimes, judicial sources said on Monday. A document seen by AFP said the court gave a "favourable opinion" on the extradition of Sebastien...
Morocco: Pressure on Prime Minister to resign over skyrocketing gasoline prices
By Ismail Bellaouali Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, a billionaire petrol baron, is facing a growing online campaign demanding he step down as fuel prices -- and energy firms' profits -- surge. The government of the North African kingdom, which is heavily...
Western Sahara: Morocco and Algeria entrenched in their positions, unwilling to compromise
Morocco called Tuesday for a return to regional roundtable talks on a peace deal over the Western Sahara, a format rejected by neighbouring Algeria which says it masks the nature of the conflict. Morocco's top diplomat Nasser Bourita made the comments in a statement...
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