Europe International

Italy: Moroccan citizen arrested for alleged terrorist plans

A Moroccan aged 30 has been nabbed for alleged terrorist plans in Italy after police found he has established contact with the Islamic State group (IS). “He expressed willingness to perpetrate terrorist attacks, but no evidence of eminent action has been discovered,” said Antonio De Jesu, a Police commissioner in Milan. The 30 years old […]

Headlines Morocco

Morocco: Suspect linked to pro-IS cell dismantled in France arrested

Moroccan security forces Saturday announced the arrest of a suspect connected to a terrorist cell arrested in France last month, reports say. The cell, affiliated to the Islamic State group (IS), was dismantled in Strasbourg, north-eastern France, mid-November. The five-man cell made of four French citizens and a Moroccan was planning to stage attacks in […]

Headlines Morocco

COP22: Forty-two Countries Launch NDC Partnership to Deliver on Paris Agreement

In a move that matches climate finance with action, forty-two countries from different continents signed to the NDC Partnership, which was launched, on Tuesday November 15, at COP22 Moroccan Pavilion with the aim of enhancing cooperation among nations so that developing countries have more effective access to the technical knowledge and financial support necessary to […]

Headlines Morocco

Germany’s Bundesrat Refuses to Categorize Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia as ‘Safe Countries’

The Bundesrat, the upper house of the German Parliament, has refused to classify Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia as “safe countries of origin”, which entails that migrants from the three Maghreb countries cannot be deported. The UK paper, the Daily Express, reported that Thomas de Mazière described the Bundesrat decision as “incomprehensible” after the lower parliament […]

Headlines Morocco

COP22: Security Measures Enhanced in Marrakesh

Enhanced security measures were taken by Moroccan security services under the direct supervision of Abdellatif Hammouchi, head of Morocco’s domestic intelligence agency (DGST), in Marrakech in prevision of the Climate Summit COP22, said Morocco’s daily, Al Ahdath. The Moroccan police (DGSN) prepared 10,000 of its members to ensure the security of the climate summit, according […]

Headlines Morocco

Morocco, Germany Discuss Migration & Security

Just a couple of weeks after King Mohammed VI and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed over the phone migration-related issues and the repatriation of Moroccan illegal migrants, Morocco’s Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad flew to Berlin to further talks with his German counterpart Thomas de Maizière. After their talks Wednesday, Hassad announced, at a joint press […]

Energy Finance Headlines Morocco

BMCE Bank of Africa Gets €35 Mln Loan for Energy Efficiency Projects

Moroccan bank BMCE Bank of Africa and its leasing subsidiary Maghrebail received a €35 million loan granted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The three financial institutions are teaming up to strengthen sustainable energy measures in Morocco, with the support of […]

Business Headlines Morocco

Tourism Contribution in Morocco’s GDP Rose to 6.5% in 2015

The contribution of the tourism sector in Morocco’s GDP stood at 63.7 billion dirhams in 2015 compared to 61.9 billion dirhams in 2014, that is a 2.8% rise that brought the share of the sector in the overall GDP to 6.5%, the national statistics office (HCP) said. Prospects for growth in 2016 have been slightly […]

Headlines Morocco

Morocco, Germany to Step up Cooperation in Countering Illegal Immigration

Morocco and Germany have agreed to step up bilateral cooperation in terms of speeding up the process of repatriation and stemming the flow of illegal immigrants. “Morocco and Germany are determined to strengthen their cooperation to find common solutions to deal with illegal migration”, Bundesrat President, Stanislaw Tillich, on Thursday told the Moroccan news agency, […]

Headlines Morocco

Angela Merkel to Visit Morocco in 2017

German iron woman and Chancellor Angela Merkel would visit Morocco next year at the invitation of King Mohammed VI. The announcement came Thursday in a statement by the Royal Office, which stated that “Chancellor Angela Merkel accepted the sovereign’s invitation to pay an official visit to Morocco early 2017.” King Mohammed VI and the German […]