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Four Mauritanian gold miners were killed last weekend near Gleibat El Foula ($)
Morocco-Mauritania relations: Tensions after killing by drone of Mauritanian civilians
The Moroccan media said the Mauritanian authorities have abruptly increase by 171% the customs duties applied to Moroccan goods entering Mauritania through the border site of El Guerguerat, at the southern tip of the Western Sahara. In its X account (formerly known as...
Drought is pushing North African economies to the brink and to social unrest
Drought is wreaking havoc on North Africa’s water supply and on its agriculture. All countries in the region are facing a dangerous water outlook. For example, cash-strapped Tunisia is expected to import almost all its cereal needs. During his visit to Tunis at the...
Franco-Moroccan relations likely to remain strained as ties between Paris and Algiers strengthen
There has been noticeable strain in relations between France and Morocco, with the ties between the two being once again tested this early 2024. The French resistance to Morocco’s pressure to recognize its Western Sahara plan and France’s cozy relationship with...
Morocco: Belgian investigators in Morocco in probe over alleged bribery case
Several Moroccan officials have been questioned as part of a high-profile investigation into alleged bribery by the north African state and Qatar at the European Parliament, Belgian prosecutors said Saturday. The interviews in Morocco -- conducted by local authorities...
North Africa’s use of drones in the agricultural sector
By Aymen Jamli: A drone buzzed back and forth above rows of verdant orange trees planted near Nabeul, eastern Tunisia. The black unmanned aircraft, equipped with a multi-lens camera and sensors, has been enlisted by Tunisian farmers to help adapt to years of drought...
Morocco: Managem denies hazardous levels of arsenic at Bou Azzer cobalt mine
Moroccan mining company Managem, controlled by Morocco's royal family, has refuted allegations linking its mining activities to arsenic contamination in the local water supply. Associated Press says Managem Group, a subsidiary of Al Mada Group, released a statement...
In the Media: Morocco: After the quake, water!
France24 says a rare geological phenomenon has occurred in Morocco's Atlas Mountains following a large earthquake on September 8. While the earthquake's scars are still visible, new water sources have emerged in the region, providing much-needed relief in an area...
In the Media: Pressure grows on Moroccan leaders over conflict in the Middle East
US World & News Report discusses the public pressure and protests in Morocco and other Arab nations in response to Israel's war with Hamas. Tens of thousands of people in Morocco have demonstrated in support of the Palestinians, and there are demands to reverse...
Anger in the Arab world over strike on a Gaza hospital
In Libya: Several hundred people protested in Tripoli and other Libyan cities late Tuesday over the deadly strike on a Gaza hospital, according to AFP journalists. In Tripoli, hundreds of demonstrators of all ages, brandishing Palestinian flags and some covering...
Morocco: Appeals court reduced prison sentence to rights activist Saida El Alami, but conviction remains
A Moroccan appeals court on Wednesday reduced to eight months the sentence for a human rights activist convicted of comments considered offensive to the king and the judiciary after. Saida El Alami is still serving a separate three-year sentence for "disrespecting" a...
Spain: Migrants arrested in Spain for alleged mutiny on rescue ship
Nine migrants were arrested in the Canary Islands on "piracy" charges for forcing the ship that rescued them to change course for Spain instead of Morocco, police and rescuers said Tuesday. They were among a group of 78 migrants who tried to cross from the African...
Algeria and Morocco on opposite sides of the Western Sahara conflict, face off at UN
Moroccan and Algerian representatives to the United Nations sparred over the fate of Western Sahara on Tuesday, with Algiers calling for the revival of a long-stalled referendum on the fate of the former Spanish colony. "We Algerians have chosen the camp of justice,...
Podcast: And Now the Environment is Major Factor of Instability in North Africa
As we reach the end of the third quarter 2023, about to enter the tail-end of the year, it is difficult to see a bright horizon for the northern half of #Africa. Two major natural disasters, magnified by poor governance and bad infrastructure, caused the death of at...
Morocco’s five-year plan to rebuild quake-hit areas will cost the state US$12 billion
Quake-hit Morocco's government announced on Wednesday a budget of more than $11 billion for reconstruction, rehousing and socio-economic development of areas hit by the deadly disaster. The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Al-Haouz province south of Marrakesh on September...
Week after quake hit Morocco, survivors worry about dire hygiene conditions
By Anne-Sophie Labadie: In her earthquake-hit Moroccan town, Zina Mechghazzi has improvised a sink by placing a pink bucket and a bar of soap on the dusty ground amid the ruins. "I haven't taken a shower in seven days," said the woman from Amizmiz at the foot of the...
Morocco: How is King Mohammed VI Managing the Earthquake Crisis?
Could the earthquake be a defining moment for King Mohammed VI? So far, there have been mix signals about his engagement in the aftermath of the earthquake. He did indeed visit some victims in Marrakesh hospitals but remained silent in light of the disaster...
Podcast: Libya’s Floods and Maghreb’s Leadership Deficit
Opinion by Arezki Daoud: The earthquake in #Morocco and the floods in #Libya should be an opportunity for "leaders" in the region to fix long-standing problems that turned the #Maghreb into a virtual war zone. You'd think so? But I am not holding my breath. The...
Podcast: Understanding North Africa’s earthquakes, history and outlook
Understanding North Africa's Quakes, History and What to Expect
Morocco: Race against time to find survivors 4 days after quake
Hopes dimmed on Tuesday in Morocco's search for survivors, four days after a powerful earthquake killed more than 2,800 people, most of them in remote villages of the High Atlas Mountains. Search-and-rescue teams from the kingdom and from abroad kept digging through...
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