First Independent Mena Newspaper
This June, Morocco is becoming an open air stage attracting musicians and artists from around the globe. This month, it happened that three of Morocco’s renowned festivals are held simultaneously to the delight of music lovers. Already in its third day, Morocco’s most famous Mawazine festival saw 60,000 fans attend French Montana’s rocking concert in […]
Morocco lost the right to host the 2016 World Cup to the United bid of the US, Canada and Mexico by 134 votes against and 65 votes in favor. The vote revealed the geopolitics of football with Moroccan allies surprisingly voting for the North American Joint bid. On Moroccan social media, indignation at Saudi Arabia […]
Head of the government Saad Eddine El Otmani and his cabinet are facing a storm that may cause their ship to wreck if they do not act with decisiveness and diligence. After King Mohammed VI dismissed ministers from the PJD-led cabinet for delays affecting development projects in the country’s north, a new upheaval caused by […]
As it continues its sealed border policy with neighbors, combined with import restrictions, Algeria deepens its isolation in a dynamic African continent, further undermining prospects of economic diversification away from oil and gas. In a two-speed Africa where countries post two-digit growth rate, Algeria lags behind due to the short-sightedness of its leaders who failed […]
Prominent Algerian politicians and intellectuals expressed outcry as the Algerian regime prepares a fifth term for ailing Algerian President Bouteflika who is confined to a wheelchair for years and is unable to speak intelligibly. A letter has been issued calling on Bouteflika to refrain from running for a fifth term in order to enable Algeria […]
The Department of State has designated ISIS in the Greater Sahara (also known as ISIS-GS) led by Polisario member Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. “Today’s designations notify the U.S. public and the international community that this group is a terrorist organization and this individual has committed or poses a significant risk […]
In preparing military activities east in Tifarity buffer area in the Sahara, the Polisario and its mentor Algeria have once again flouted UN agreements putting the region on the verge of implosion. Morocco made it clear in a statement that any attempt to change the status of the area east of the security wall constitutes […]
Algerian-backed Polisario separatists announced the organization on May 20 of military parades and drills in the locality of Tifarity, east of the Sahara buffer zone in a blatant violation of UN agreements. Resolution 2414 has called on Polisario to withdraw immediately from the buffer zone and warned that Polisario’s military incursions are “a violation of […]
Morocco and Spain two neighbouring countries with centuries-old shared history are setting the example of a north-south partnership that managed to put aside thorny territorial disputes. Spain is Morocco’s top trading partner both in terms of imports and exports with total trade standing at €14 billion in 2017. Morocco ranks first in the list of […]
Algeria’s 81-year old ailing president has made a rare public appearance on a wheelchair looking wearier unable to speak or move at a time his advocates start an early campaign to prepare the public opinion for his fifth term. Bouteflika who visited the construction site of Algiers Great Mosque prayed on his wheelchair in a […]