Finance Minister Mohammed Benchaaboun and Maghreb director at WB Jesko Hentschel

Mauritania: Army Seizes 475 Kg of Drugs from Armed Traffickers

The Mauritanian army Wednesday snatched 475 kilograms of drugs from a group of traffickers after a chase and gun battle. According to army sources, the incident took place in the area of “Al Hank”, more than 250 km, north-east of the town of Zouerate. The traffickers were tracked by an army unit and a military […]

Côte d’Ivoire: Inauguration of new counter-terrorism academy

Côte d’Ivoire and France inaugurated on Thursday a new counter-terrorism academy in the West African country, intended to boost regional capacity to combat a growing Islamist threat. Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian inaugurated the International Academy for Combating Terrorism (AILCT) in Jacqueville, about 60 kilometers from Abidjan. This […]

Morocco’s free trade agreements deepen trade deficit despite export gains

Morocco’s ambitious free trade strategy has expanded market access and boosted key export sectors, but widening trade deficits with major partners raise questions about the agreements’ overall economic impact, according to new analysis. The kingdom’s imports under free trade agreements reached 207.8 billion dirhams ($20.4 billion) in 2022, climbing 20.9% from the previous year, with […]