Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Africa North

Morocco anti-Israel activists set sights on ports, alleging arms en route to Israel

2025-05-05

[IsraelTimes] Protesters, seeking reversal of 2020 normalization agreement, call on port officials to block ships carrying military cargo to Israel, but fail to stop F-35 parts passing through

More than a year of protests over Morocco’s decision to normalize ties with Israel has emboldened activists and widened a gap between the decisions of the government and the sentiments of the governed. The fury has spilled into the country’s strategic ports.

Amid shipping cranes and stacked containers, 34-year-old agricultural engineer Ismail Lghazaoui marched recently through a sea of Paleostinian flags and joined protesters carrying signs that read "Reject the ship," in reference to a vessel transporting fighter jet components from Houston
...a city in Texas, named after Sam Houston, who would drop deader than he is now if he could see how it turned out...
, Texas.

Activists are urging Moroccan port officials to try to block ships carrying military cargo to Israel, much like Spain did last year.

Protests often target Danish shipping company Maersk, which helps transport components used to make Lockheed Martin’s F-35 as part of the US Defense Department’s Security Cooperative Participant Program that facilitates weapons sales to allies including Israel.

A similar boycott campaign landed Lghazaoui in prison last year, but that didn’t deter him from turning out again for resurgent protests last month, after his release. Lghazaoui is one of more than a dozen activists pursued by Moroccan authorities for criticizing the government’s ties with Israel.

During a rally in November in Casablanca where Lghazaoui spoke, plainclothes officers beat him and others to prevent them from advancing toward the US Consulate, he said.

He later posted about Maersk on social media and was arrested and charged with incitement. Originally sentenced to a year, he served two months in prison and two on parole after the term was reduced.

"They try to silence people," Lghazaoui told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named. "They were using me to dissuade people or to push people away from what they were doing."

A PUSH TO TOPPLE ’NORMALIZATION’
Morocco is one of four Arab states that normalized ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords brokered in 2020 during US President Donald Trump
...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party...
’s first term.

The deal delivered something Moroccan diplomats had chased for years: US support for Morocco’s claims over the disputed Western Sahara. But its cost — growing public resentment toward normalization — has ballooned since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas
Hamas

..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
terror group’s assault on southern Israel, in which invaders killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, sparked the ongoing war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
"I’ve rarely seen such a chasm between public opinion and the monarchy. What the power elites are doing goes completely against what the Moroccan people want," said Aboubakr Jamai, dean of the Madrid Center at the American College of the Mediterranean.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Morocco since the war began. While largely made up of families, students, Islamists, leftists and union members, the protests have also drawn more radical voices. Some have burned Israeli flags or chanted against royal adviser André Azoulay, a Jewish Moroccan.

Clad in riot gear, security forces have stood by and watched as protesters denounce "normalization" and Morocco’s expanding trade and military ties with Israel.

But authorities have shown that their tolerance for dissent only goes so far.

Morocco’s constitution generally allows for freedom of expression, although it is illegal to criticize the monarchy or King Mohammed VI and those who do can face prosecution. Throughout the war, activists who have implicated the monarchy on social media or protested businesses targeted by boycotts due to their operations in Israel have received prison sentences.

The constraints mirror Egypt and Jordan, which like Morocco have publicly sympathized with the Paleostinians, maintained ties with Israel and imprisoned activists who direct their ire toward the government.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
unlike in those countries, the arrests in Morocco have done little to quell public anger or activists’ demands.

A HARBOR DRAWS HEAT
In recent weeks, protesters have set their sights on a new target: the country’s strategic ports and the companies using them to move military cargo. Activists and port workers recently demanded that two vessels crossing the Atlantic carrying fighter jet parts that they suspected would end up in Israel be blocked from docking in Morocco.

Port protests gained momentum last month when Morocco’s largest labor union backed the call to block the two ships, and dozens of religious scholars and preachers, many affiliated with the anti-monarchy Islamist movement Al Adl wal Ihsan, issued an edict with a similar message.

While not officially allowed to participate in politics, Al Adl wal Ihsan has mobilized large crowds and helped lead anti-Israel activism throughout the Israel-Hamas war, drawing in young people who feel official parties don’t speak to them. On a recent Friday, the group said Moroccans took part in 110 demonstrations across 66 cities in support of Paleostinians in Gaza.

Both Al Adl wal Ihsan and union members marched portside in Tangier and Casablanca, where the vessels eventually docked April 20.

In a statement, Maersk acknowledged that ships that passed through the two Moroccan ports carried parts used in the fighter jet. But it denied activists’ claims of directly shipping weapons to conflict zones, stating that they require end-use certificates to verify the final destination of military cargo.

A port official in Tangier who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on the matter said that while cargo docked and unloaded in Morocco undergoes examination, ships docking en route to other destinations do not.

The Israeli military did not respond to questions about the shipments. F-35s are typically assembled in the United States, using components sourced throughout the world, including outer wings and display systems manufactured in Israel.

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to questions about normalization or its port policies, though diplomats have previously argued that relations with Israel allow them to press for a two-state solution and facilitate aid delivery to Gaza.

DOMESTIC FAULT LINES EXPOSED
Some observers in Morocco have questioned whether the focus on Gaza has diverted attention from pressing domestic struggles. Voices from Moroccan nationalist circles on social media have instead highlighted the marginalization of the Indigenous Amazigh population and the dispute over Western Sahara, which they argue are more central to national identity and illusory sovereignty.

For others, the prolonged war has prompted clear shifts. The Islamist Justice and Development Party, which once backed normalization with Israel while in power, recently invited senior Hamas officials to its congress in Rabat. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
the officials were unable to obtain visas to enter Morocco.

"Paleostine will remain our primary cause," said Abdelilah Benkirane, a former prime minister and general secretary of the Justice and Development Party.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syria to try captured pro-Assad Algerian, Polisario fighters

2025-02-13

[NEWARAB] Syria's new government plans to put on trial hundreds of pro-Assad Algerian soldiers and Polisario Front fighters captured in Aleppo, rebuffing Algeria's calls for their release, French media outlet Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD) reported.

When Algeria's Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf landed in Damascus last week, he carried an urgent request: the release of Algerian military personnel and Algeria-backed Polisario fighters captured in northern Syria during the final days of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
's totalitarian rule.

Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa's response was "no," wrote MCD quoting its Damascus news hound.

Among the detainees are around 500 Algerian soldiers and fighters of the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, seized by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) during its November offensive in Aleppo, a battle that delivered the final blow to Assad's forces.

These claims have long been propagated by Moroccan media outlets, but were confirmed on 11 February by the French media outlet MCD.

For years, Algeria had been one of al-Assad's most steadfast supporters, opposing his expulsion from the Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
in 2011 and resisting Western calls for regime change.

MCD cited intelligence documents uncovered in Damascus suggest that Algerian and Polisario fighters—trained and backed by Algiers—joined Syrian government forces as early as 2011, their deployment allegedly coordinated through Algeria's Ministry of Defence

Unlike Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and Hezbollah, which managed to evacuate many of their fighters before Assad's fall, Algeria was apparently caught off guard. The regime's collapse left its troops stranded, forcing Algiers into damage control.

However,
some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves...
al-Sharaa, Syria's newly installed leader, appears unwilling to accommodate Algeria's plea. Instead, he has signalled that the detainees will stand trial alongside Assad's captured forces, according to MCD.

For Algiers, the crisis is a d j vu of the aftermath of Muammar Qadaffy
...a proud Arab institution for 42 years, now among the dear departed, though not the dearest...>
's downfall in 2011. When Libya's new leadership took power, one of its first acts was distancing itself from the Polisario Front, furious that the group was allegedly fighting alongside Qadaffy's forces.

The Polisario Front is a separatist movement fighting against Morocco over the illusory sovereignty of Western Sahara. It's strongly backed by Algeria, where its self-proclaimed government in exile is based. It also maintained strong ties with Qadaffy and al-Assad regimes.

Since 1980, Syria has officially recognised "the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)," the state proclaimed by the Polisario Front, establishing formal diplomatic ties with the separatist movement. Though the revelation of Polisario fighters in Assad's ranks could put this relationship at risk under al-Sharaa.

If Syria's new rulers tilt toward regional players hostile to Algiers—particularly Morocco, which has long lobbied against Algerian influence in the region—Algeria could find itself losing another key ally.

Algerian and Polisario officials have so far remained silent on the diplomatic rebuke. However,
some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves...
Attaf's press statements following his Damascus visit were noticeably vague, a shift from Algeria's usual confidence in its relations with Syria.

Meanwhile,
...back at the cheese factory, all the pieces finally fell together in Fluffy's mind...
Morocco has wasted no time in courting Damascus.

King Mohammed VI was the first leader in the Maghreb to congratulate Syria's new government, reaffirming his longstanding support for "the aspirations of the Syrian people"—a gesture that could signal the beginning of a new diplomatic chapter between Rabat and Damascus.

Link

Africa North

Morocco presents new women's rights legislation

2024-12-26

[NEWARAB] Morocco proposed on Tuesday reforms to its family law, addressing issues such as limits on underage marriage and women's inheritance rights, which activists have said were not guaranteed under the current code.

Based on landmark 2004 legislation that was hailed as a breakthrough at the time, the proposals include raising the legal marriage age and expanding women's custody rights, said Justice Minister Abdelatif Ouahbi.

The new legislation, which still require parliamentary and royal approval, come after two years of consultations with civil society as well as judicial and religious parties.

Women's rights advocates in the North African country had demanded full equality in inheritance and child custody, and a total ban on child marriage -- which the new proposals appear to fall short of.

According to Ouahbi, who laid out the reforms in a news conference in Rabat, the legal marriage age would remain 18, but the minimum age for exemptions -- currently at 15 -- would rise to 17.

Parental guardianship, previously granted automatically to fathers, would now be shared by both parents even if they separate, and divorced mothers would no longer risk losing custody of their children if they choose to remarry, Ouahbi said.

On inheritance, where Moroccan women currently receive half the share awarded by law to their male siblings, the reforms offer an alternative by allowing unrestricted donations to female heirs, including minors.

Polygamy, while limited under the current family law, would still be allowed but subject to stricter rules that would require a wife's consent before her husband can marry another.

The minister set no timeline, with the amended code still awaiting a legislative process. King Mohammed VI is expected to have the final say in any disputes over the new text.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Four years on, Abraham Accords are strained by Gaza war — but prove resilient

2024-09-22

[IsraelTimes]The visibility of ties with Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE has changed since Hamas’s attacks on October 7, but Israel’s newest Arab partners remain committed to strategic choice.

When the Bahraini and Emirati foreign ministers stood proudly on either side of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump
...His ancestors didn't own any slaves...
to sign the Abraham Accords four years ago, all four men — and their governments — imagined an era of steadily expanding ties between Israel and the Arab world.

"We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history," Trump beamed from a balcony overlooking the South Lawn. "After decades of division and conflict, we mark the dawn of a new Middle East."

Netanyahu said the new peace momentum could end the Arab-Israeli conflict "once and for all."

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed predicted that the accord’s "reverberations will be reflected on the entire region."

"For too long, the Middle East has been set back by conflict and mistrust, causing untold destruction" and thwarting hopes of the region’s "youngest and brightest," lamented Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani. "Now I am convinced we can change that."

On the fourth anniversary of the Abraham Accords — which were followed by normalization between Israel and Morocco — it is clear that the nature of Jerusalem’s ties with its newest Arab partners has changed as a result of the war.

At the same time, while 11 months of war between Israel and Hamas
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
have put significant strain on the accords, there are also reasons for optimism about the durability of Israel’s relationships with the Arab world.

A STRATEGIC DECISION
Officials familiar with topic don’t deny the tension the war against Hamas has placed on its relations with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

"Naturally, the war creates a very significant test in relations, and creates some tension with countries that have peace agreements," one official told The Times of Israel last week.

Since the war started, the only overt visits by senior Israeli officials were made by President Isaac Herzog and Finance Minister Nir Barkat. Both were in the UAE to take part in international events, not in a bilateral capacity.

New cooperation agreements, signed in highly publicized ceremonies before the war, have also been suspended. At the same time, officials emphasize that despite the "very low glass ceiling" the war has placed on the relationships, one fact is undeniable — the accords are here to stay.

"Despite the tensions, the understanding is that there is a clear ratification of the path from all of the partners, and that the strategic choice of peace and cooperation is the correct choice," an official involved in the Abraham Accords told The Times of Israel.

Despite regular criticism of Israeli policies in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
and on the Temple Mount in official statements from its Arab partners, Jordan is the only one to officially recall its ambassador from Israel during the war. The Moroccan, Bahraini and Emirati envoys have avoided public events and the media, but regularly fly between the countries to continue their work behind the scenes.

The foreign ministries of all three countries declined to comment on the anniversary of the accords.

Notably, despite the change in the tenor of the ties, Israel’s bilateral trade has grown significantly with all three countries. Compared to the same period in 2023, bilateral trade with Bahrain in the first seven months of 2024 was up over 900%, with the UAE 4% and with Morocco 56%, according to the Abraham Accords Peace Institute.

The regional unrest has also helped cement Israel’s position as a hub for trade between Europa
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
and Gulf countries. Trade that once flowed through Beirut’s port onto trucks bound for the Gulf has been sharply reduced because of the Syrian civil war and instability in Leb
...an Iranian satrapy currently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
. The Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
s have deterred much of the cargo that would sail through the alternative route, the Suez Canal.

"The land route through Israel became the safest trade route between Europe and Asia," said Ben Shabbat. "What was impossible before the Abraham Accords because of the boycott in the Arab world against Israel, became the preferred and most worthwhile route."

" The traffic jams and the congestion at the border crossings with Jordan and Egypt verify the dry numbers, and indicate that despite the war, business continues."

Though reduced, direct flights continue from Morocco and the UAE to Israel.

The war has also opened up new opportunities for the UAE, which has historically had a strained relationship with the Paleostinians, to say the least.

In May 2020, the Paleostinian Authority refused to accept medical aid from the UAE after it arrived on the first known direct commercial flight between Israel and Abu Dhabi, PA sources told multiple Arab media outlets. Paleostinian media quoted a government source saying the aid had been rejected, explaining Ramallah was refusing to be used as a "tool for normalization" between Israel and the UAE.

In April, a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

...71st United States secretary of state and a leading light of the corrupt and inept Biden administration. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under the corrupt and inept Obama administration. He advocated for the 2003 invasion of Iraq while serving as the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 to 2008. He was a foreign policy advisor for the Biden 2008 presidential campaign. During his tenure in the Obama administration, Blinken helped craft B.O.'s policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the nuclear program of Iran. We all saw how well each of those worked. After leaving government service, Blinken moved into the private sector, co-founding WestExec Advisors, a lobbying firm...
and a group of Arab counterparts in Riyadh deteriorated into a shouting match between the UAE foreign minister and a senior Paleostinian official. Bin Zayed said during the meeting that there was no real reform in the Paleostinian Authority, accused the Paleostinian leadership of being "Ali Baba and the 40 thieves" and said all of the PA leadership is "useless."

Despite the tension with the PA and Abu Dhabi, the UAE has used its trust with Israel and Egypt to become a leader in aid to the Gaza Strip, and has shown an interest in being a decisive player in rebuilding the war-torn territory, though with conditions like a pathway to a Paleostinian state. The Emiratis are deeply involved in all aspects of aid to Gaza, including desalination plants, aid convoys, airdrops and field hospitals. Think tanks in the UAE have also begun discussing the country’s role in post-war Gaza.

There are several reasons for the UAE to display a newfound and intense interest in Gaza and the Paleostinian theater. There is an economic benefit to be had from the assistance that will flow to the Strip when fighting ends. Taking the lead on reconstruction is also a sign of the UAE’s regional leadership. And, perhaps most importantly, it allows the Emirati rulers to show to the public the benefit to the Paleostinians that their ties with Israel bring.

REASONS TO WORRY
Despite the reasons for long-term optimism, there are warning signs.

Even before the war, the Abraham Accords were becoming less popular on the streets of Israel’s new allies.

Washington Institute polling showed 45% of Bahrainis holding very or somewhat positive views of the agreements in November 2020. That support had steadily eroded to a paltry 20% by March 2022.

The trend is the same in the UAE. The 49% of the country that disapproved of the Abraham Accords in 2020 has grown to over two-thirds as of August 2022. And only 31% of Moroccans favored normalization at that time, according to Arab Barometer.

Moreover, much of the trade is not truly bilateral. Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics counts cargo from China and India that is transferred at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port to ships heading for Israel as bilateral trade with the UAE, explained Moran Zaga, an expert on the Gulf region at Mitvim — The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.

And the preexisting diamond trade also makes up a slice of the total.

Emiratis are avoiding Israelis and business opportunities with Israelis, said Joshua Krasna, director of the Center for Emerging Energy Politics in the Middle East. "Why take the risk these days?" he asked.

"Businesses seem to be holding back, for reputational — afraid of criticism and boycotts — and personal reasons," Krasna continued. "Some of the big anticipated deals have been abandoned or not come to fruition. And the people-to-people relationship seems to be frozen."

While Emiratis will not criticize government policy, said Krasna, "they as individuals sympathize with the Paleostinian suffering and are not enthusiastic about deepening ties to Israel at this time."

Moreover, the drastic change in the visibility of ties started well before Hamas’s attacks: "Things changed with the current government," Zaga argued.

Though the UAE signed the Abraham Accords with Netanyahu, it blocked a formal visit by the premier in 2021, as it did not want to be seen as interfering in domestic Israeli politics ahead of an election.

Ambassadors from Israel’s Gulf allies stayed away from an iftar dinner hosted by the Foreign Ministry in April 2023 to send a message to Jerusalem.

"The UAE did want ties to be warm, and worked with all ministries, students, NGOs," said Zaga. "The people-to-people relationship is disappearing. What is left is what truly interests the Emiratis — infrastructure, technology and involvement in Gaza."

WESTERN SAHARA AND DEFENSE
Morocco, whose normalization agreement with Israel isn’t officially part of the Abraham Accords, did not experience a significant downturn under the current government. Though Rabat refused to convene the second Negev Forum over West Bank violence, Netanyahu announced Israel’s recognition of Morocco’s illusory sovereignty over Western Sahara in July, after which King Mohammed VI invited Netanyahu to his country.

Israel also appointed its first-ever military attaché to the kingdom, and the Knesset speaker and interior minister made official visits as a series of agreements were signed.

After October 7, protests have been a regular feature on Morocco’s streets. Officials visits have been suspended, and many bilateral projects are paused.

But the defense relationship continued apace. Morocco reportedly signed a $1 billion deal with Israel’s Ofek spy satellites in July, to go with air defense systems and drones Israel sold to Rabat before the war.

Link

Africa North

Algeria recalls ambassador to France over Paris's stance on Western Sahara

2024-07-31

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Algerian authorities have decided to immediately recall their ambassador to France due to the fact that Paris recognized the Moroccan autonomy plan as the only basis for resolving the conflict in Western Sahara, the Ennahar Online news portal reports.

"The French government has finally expressed its frank and categorical support for the colonial state of affairs imposed on Western Sahara. This step, which no other French government has previously considered necessary, was taken by the current government with great ease and nonchalance," the Algerian Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron sent a message to Mohammed VI on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. In it, Macron noted that "the present and future of Western Sahara are within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty." In his opinion, for Paris, the autonomy of the Saharawi regions under Moroccan sovereignty is the basis for resolving this issue.

Representatives of Algeria noted that the French authorities violate international law and the right of peoples to self-determination. As France Info specifies, in Morocco, they supported "an important and significant event in support of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara."

It is reported that in this regard, the decision to recall the Algerian ambassador to France comes into force immediately. Now the diplomatic mission of the African country will be carried out by a temporary charge d'affaires.

Courtesy of Skidmark, France24 has the French view:

France reverses course to back Moroccan autonomy plan for disputed Western Sahara

In a marked departure from its historical position, France moved on Tuesday to recognise Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara, dealing a blow to the the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which claims it is an independent state.

Link

Africa North

Moroccan protesting Israel ties, war in Gaza given five-year prison sentence

2024-04-10

[IsraelTimes] Moroccan court ruling comes after recent mass pro-Paleostinian demonstrations against Israeli ’massacres’ in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamaswith about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
An ~~activist ~~muppet~~~~ who criticized Morocco’s decision to normalize relations with Israel was sentenced to five years in prison, as some of the Arab world’s largest pro-Paleostinian protests continue to sweep the country.

Abdul Rahman Zankad of Mohammedia, Morocco, was arrested in March after posting on Facebook about the Israel-Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", war and Morocco’s 2020 decision to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, the Moroccan Space for Human Rights said in a statement.

A court on Monday found him guilty of insulting a constitutional institution and incitement. He was also fined 50,000 Moroccan dirhams ($5,000). The civil liberty advocacy group, which organizes the legal defense of protesters, called the charges baseless and said the proceedings violated Zankad’s right to a fair trial.

Tens of thousands of protesters across the political spectrum have taken to the streets in Morocco to denounce Israel and express support for Paleostinian groups, including Hamas. The protesters have criticized Israel’s allies, including the United States, and chanted demands for the government to "overturn normalization."

Morocco was one of four Arab nations to establish ties with Israel in 2020, as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, which led to both the US and Israel recognizing Morocco’s claim over the disputed Western Sahara.

The fledgling rapprochement between the North African country and Israel had made steady progress since 2020, but that has been thrown into reverse by the deadly Israel-Hamas conflict.

Authorities have allowed protests, with few exceptions, including not allowing a recently planned rally at a northern Moroccan university. Some members of parliament have backed their demands. Both the Foreign Ministry and the Royal Palace have issued statements denouncing the war and expressing solidarity for Paleostinians in Gaza, but have not signaled any intent to cut ties with Israel.

Pro-Paleostinian demonstrations had declined in recent years in Morocco, but have surged since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. This past Saturday saw thousands of people demonstrating in Morocco’s commercial capital of Casablanca against what they termed as "massacres" carried out by Israel in Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that more than 32,000 Paleostinians have been killed by Israel in the Israel-Hamas war, but the number cannot be independently verified and is believed to include both Hamas snuffies and civilians. The IDF says it has killed over 13,000 button men in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 snuffies who were killed inside Israel on and immediately following October 7. The IDF has lost some 260 soldiers fighting in Gaza.

Morocco’s constitution generally allows for freedom of expression, although it is illegal to criticize the monarchy or King Mohammed VI, and those who do can face prosecution. Human rights associations have raised concerns about a rise in prosecutions stemming from online posts in recent years.

Zankad is a member of Morocco’s Al Adl Wal Ihsane, a banned but tolerated Islamist association that has been a driving force behind many of the country’s protests since the war began.

On Monday, the group said his sentence "only serves to solidify the certainty that we are in a state riddled by authoritarianism and tyranny."

"We condemn this unjust ruling in the strongest terms. It is a continuation of the unjust rulings targeting opponents from Al Adl Wal Ihsane, journalists, and leaders of the Rif Movement," it added, referencing a 2016 protest movement whose leaders were later sentenced and imprisoned.

The group has also condemned the prosecutions of other opponents of normalization. That includes Said Boukioud, who in November was sentenced to three years in prison for insulting the king in a series of Facebook posts about normalization.

It also includes 13 protesters who were arrested in Sale, Morocco, in November for incitement and organizing an unauthorized demonstration after they blocked the entrance to the French grocery store Carrefour. In Morocco and elsewhere, the chain has faced boycotts since its franchises in Israel announced they were providing food to Israel’s military last year.

Their case has not yet been decided.

Link

Africa North

Morocco begins providing cash to families whose homes were destroyed by earthquake

2023-10-07

[AFRICANEWS] Moroccan authorities on Friday will begin providing money to families whose homes were destroyed in an earthquake last month that took nearly 3,000 lives and will require an estimated $11.7 billion in reconstruction funds over the next five years.

After a commission tasked by King Mohammed VI to oversee recovery efforts met earlier this week, the government said an initial monthly payment of 2,500 Moroccan dirhams ($242) will be disbursed starting Oct. 6.

The Sept. 8 earthquake wreaked havoc on rural regions south of Marrakech, where mountain roads remain unpaved and the economy relies on herding and small-scale agriculture. As autumn nights get cooler, many are sleeping outside in donated tents with the daunting task of rebuilding before them.

The payments are among several forms of relief that Morocco plans to provide residents displaced by the earthquake. It will provide temporary rehousing assistance and up to 140,000 dirhams ($13,600) to rebuild destroyed homes. It also plans to rebuild about 1,000 schools and 42 health centers.

The Royal Cabinet said on Sept. 14 that the payments would go to 50,000 households in the affected region. Roughly 4.2 million people live in Marrakech and the five provinces hardest hit by the quake.

Morocco has also pledged to upgrade and widen roads and offer additional assistance to farmers and herders and subsidize barley and animal feed in hard-hit areas.

The earthquake damaged landmarks throughout the region, which is dominated by Morocco's Amazigh-speaking minority.

Morocco created a special disaster relief fund three days after the earthquake. It is open to state funds and donations from within and outside Morocco, including from governments and aid groups.

Additionally, the International Monetary Fund, which is scheduled to convene for its annual meetings next week in Marrakech, approved a $1.3 billion loan to help Morocco bolster its resilience to natural disasters.

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Africa Subsaharan

Coup in Gabon: a new blow to 'French Africa' or family strife

2023-09-01

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

by Viktor Vasiliev
The "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions" (CTRI) announced the appointment of Bris Oligui Nguema, Commander of the Republican Guard of Gabon, as its head . Only in the morning, his name was chanted by the guards immediately after a successful coup, and just yesterday, an unknown military man, already on Wednesday afternoon, becomes the leader of an OPEC + member country that produces about 15 thousand barrels of oil per day.

Hours before, ousted President Ali Bongo himself appeared on video and urged his "friends" to "make a fuss" to prevent" what's going on in the country". He looked visibly confused.

If successful, the Gabon coup attempt would be the eighth military coup in Africa in the past three years. Along with coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

But there is a fundamental difference in the motives and causes of political revolutions in Gabon in comparison with the states of the Sahel zone.

In recent years, military coups have taken place against the background of the inability of the authorities to cope with the jihadist threat and against the backdrop of anti-French sentiment. Gabon is not threatened by terrorism, and it is one of the most developed and stable states of the Black Continent.

And despite the fact that Gabon was and remains one of the pearls of the Francafrique system and the traditional zone of influence and presence of Paris, neither the French Foreign Ministry, nor any other of the major Western powers or neighboring states made harsh statements and did not apply militant rhetoric against the putschists, as was the case, for example, with Niger.

International reaction
Let's analyze this fact in more detail, because it contains an understanding of what happened on Wednesday in Gabon can lead to.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was the latest high-profile party to "strongly" condemn the Gabon coup d'état on Wednesday. Guterres is following the situation in Gabon "closely" and notes with "deep concern the announcement of election results amid reports of serious violations of fundamental freedoms".

"He strongly condemns the ongoing coup attempt as a means of resolving the post-election crisis," UN resources say.

The rest of the parties, interested in this or that development of the situation in Gabon, spoke in a surprisingly similar way.

"France condemns the military coup that is taking place in Gabon ," government spokesman Olivier Véran said, confirming that Paris was " closely following the development of the situation."

China has urged "stakeholders" in Gabon to "guarantee the security" of ousted President Ali Bongo.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Washington was "watching the situation closely" and assured diplomatic personnel and US soldiers stationed in Gabon were safe. He believes that the string of coups d'état in Africa in recent years is "deeply troubling" but believes it is "too early" to speak of it as a "trend".

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was "deeply concerned" and was "closely" following the situation in Gabon.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco, who is a childhood friend of Ali Bongo," emphasizes the importance of maintaining the stability of the brotherly country and the tranquility of its population" and "believes in the wisdom of the Gabonese nation".

Quite reasonable statements.

So far, there is not even a hint of sanctions against the new military authorities of Gabon, and even more so the threat of armed intervention.

The Economic Community of Central African Countries (ECCAS), which is an analogue of ECOWAS in Central Africa and which could take certain steps against the putschists, today did not even react in any way to the events in Gabon.

It was not until late Wednesday that the Chadian Foreign Ministry called for a return to constitutional order and initiated a general meeting of the ECCAS countries, which may take place in the coming days.

All this speaks in favor of the fact that the military coup is likely to maintain the current status quo - the interests of foreign players in Gabon will be preserved. This, among other things, was stated in the first statement of high-ranking military officers, which was played from early morning and all day on national television.

But how is this possible?

Bongo clan
And here we return to the personality of Bris Oligui Nguema. But even before that, to the personality of the most legendary Omar Bongo, the founder of the ruling Bongo dynasty and the entire numerous Bongo clan.

From 1967 to 2009, Omar Bongo managed to maintain control over the country, turning Gabon into one of the most stable, but at the same time closed and authoritarian states on the African continent.

Omar Bongo wrote the book “White as a Negro”, famous in Africa, on the basis of which he derived a national idea designed to unite the Gabonese, who represent 42 different ethnic groups. The main thesis of the ideology of Bongo: "Bantu civilization" came out of Ancient Egypt. That is why the Gabonese are the same white, only they became black in skin color due to the changed natural conditions after they left Ancient Egypt.

After the death of Omar Bongo, his son Ali took over the government of the country and continued the family tradition, although with less approval from the opposition, but more importantly, not all members of the clan agreed with his new role as ruler.

According to various sources, Omar Bongo had from 30 to 53 children from different women.

Three times he was officially married. All of his children also have their own relatives on the maternal side, including influential ones. Numerous children also appeared and grew up. That is, the clan became very numerous and began to be segmented into groups competing with each other.

What remains unchanged in this system is that all members of the clan, even in the case of a formal "disgrace", retain access to the distribution of material wealth and official positions in the country.

For example, until 2019, the Gabon intelligence service was headed by Frederic Bongo Ondimba . The National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Radio Frequencies is headed by Alex Bongo Ondimba . Arthur Bongo was Ali Bongo's personal jet pilot, then manager of DGA Air Services, then manager of the state telephone company. His wife, Virginia, runs BGFI, whose shareholders include President Ali Bongo and his sister Pascaline. And so on, ad infinitum.

Among the numerous descendants of Omar Bongo and the various groups of the clan, Sylvia Valentin , a French businessman who worked in Africa, deserves special mention. After her marriage to Omar Bongo's son in 1989, Ali's mother-in-law Evelyn Valentin received the position of President Omar Bongo's secretary. Sylvia also took the position of Deputy Director of Marketing and Economic Development in the largest Gabonese real estate agency Gabon Immobilier. Also a year after the wedding, she opened the management company Alliance.

Having become the first lady of Gabon, Sylvia Valentin Bongo Ondimba created a charitable foundation, the activities of which are constantly reported by the local press.

The first Gabon couple has four children. The eldest son of Ali and Silvia Noureddine Bongo Valentin was appointed in December 2019 to the position of chief coordinator of presidential affairs.

Let us now return to the personality of General Bris Oligui Nguema, who was declared interim president and began his reign with an order to restore the broadcasting of international radio and television channels that turned out to be French. And their broadcast was banned due to a "biased and biased position" in the course of coverage of the electoral process, according to Ali Bongo's administration.

Let's start with the fact that Bris Oligui Nguema comes from the province of Haute-Ogüé, the cradle of the Bongo family. He owes his career to General Andre Oyini, who was actually an adjutant to the late Omar Bongo. Also seen in the ranks of the "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions" (CTRI), which made a statement early Wednesday morning, Aimé-Vivian Oyini, the son of the late General André Oyini , is currently acting as Chief of Staff of the Republican Army.

Further, in the biography of a promising soldier, there comes a moment of cool relations with his son Ali Bongo, who replaced Omar Bongo. During this period, Nguema's diplomatic work abroad falls precisely.

He manages to return in 2019, at the initiative of Bris Lakkrush Alikhanga, whom he knew from childhood and who was Ali Bongo's chief of staff at the time. All of them, Bris Oligui Nguema, Aime-Vivian Oyini and Bris Lakkrush Alihangi, are in turn close to Nureddin Bongo-Valentin and Ali Bongo's first wife, Silvia Bongo.

In fact, we are talking about a palace revolution of one branch of the family against another.

Ethnic factor
There remains the ethnic factor, which is traditionally of great importance in Africa. In the case of Gabon, it also matters, but is not decisive.

Africa's New Ideology: Against LGBT, Against Covid, Against Colonialism
The Bongo family belongs to the Bateke people. This is about 30% of the country's population. While the majority of the country's population is made up of the Fang ethnic group, about 40%. The Fangs traditionally gravitate towards the opposition. Obviously, the Batek maintain a privileged position in society only if the Bongo clan remains in power. The military elite is a little more than completely made up of the same ethnic group.

Any other scenario can result in an open confrontation of approximately equal forces. In addition, since Gabon is the most modern and developed society, ethnic contradictions at the moment are no longer so pronounced.

In addition, according to rumors, Bris Oligui Nguema is of mixed origin (Bateke and Fang), and for this reason, the political opposition also supported him. But the determining factor is still kinship and membership in one of the groups of the Bongo clan, which entered into an agreement with the military elite through the young general.

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Africa North

Moroccan king invites Netanyahu for official visit after Western Sahara recognition

2023-07-21

[AFRICANEWS] King Mohammed VI invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Morocco after the Jewish state recognized Morocco's illusory sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a "far-sighted" decision, according to a message of thanks published on Wednesday.

"You are welcome to visit Morocco, on dates at our best mutual convenience, to be defined through diplomatic channels," wrote the Cherifian sovereign in his message.

This meeting "will open up new possibilities for bilateral relations between Morocco and Israel," he said.

According to a statement from Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzahi Hanegbi and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita "decided this evening to jointly set a date in the near future" for the visit.

The question of Western Sahara is "the national cause of the kingdom and the priority of its foreign policy", underlines Mohammed VI in his message, welcoming an "important decision (which is) both fair and far-sighted".

"It is part of the irreversible international dynamic which sees many countries (...) favoring a definitive political solution to this anachronistic regional dispute, on the basis of the Moroccan autonomy initiative for the Sahara region and in the framework of the illusory sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom", he continues.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is considered a "non-self-governing territory" by the UN in the absence of a definitive settlement. For nearly 50 years, an armed conflict has opposed Morocco to the separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by neighboring Algeria.

Rabat advocates an autonomy plan under its exclusive illusory sovereignty, while the Polisario calls for a self-determination referendum under the aegis of the UN, planned when a ceasefire was signed in 1991 but never materialized.

Morocco exerts intense pressure on its international partners — particularly La Belle France, through a relentless media campaign — to recognize the "Moroccanness" of the territory.

Morocco and Israel normalized diplomatic relations in December 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a process between Israel and several Arab countries, backed by Washington.

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Africa North

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI appoints a new second-in-command of the armed forces

2023-04-23

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

#Morocco’s King Mohammed VI appoints a new second-in-command of the armed forces, a release from the royal palace says, amid tensions with neighbor #Algeria over the Western Sahara.https://t.co/XcUNe09H8f
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 22, 2023

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Africa North

Morocco opens first university campus synagogue in Arab world

2022-11-07

Truly we live in an age of miracles. Thank you, President Trump

[IsraelTimes] Despite having no Jewish students enrolled, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Marrakesh inaugurates house of worship alongside mosque as symbol of tolerance.

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Africa North

Researchers discover ruins of ancient Jewish community in Morocco

2022-01-03

[JPost] Suddenly the ~~4,569th~~ 5th most holy site in Islam
Researchers from Israel, Morocco and France have discovered remnants of a small Jewish community in the mountains of Morocco, Haaretz reported Monday.

The ruins of the community’s synagogue in the small village of Tamanart — located on the outskirts of the Sahara desert — were found while conducting a preliminary survey of Jewish sites in the area and after talking to locals who remembered their Jewish neighbors who left the area 70 years ago.

The researchers say Jews lived here from the 16th century until the early 19th century. They recovered scriptures, documents, and Kabbalist amulets from the synagogue’s genizah, or hiding place for worn texts that are no longer usable.

Orit Ouaknine-Yekutieli, a researcher of modern Morocco at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, told Haaretz that the site’s synagogue had been damaged by looters as well as by natural events like floods, but the researchers were able to salvage texts and transfer them to a secure location for further analysis.

The discovery comes weeks after King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered the restoration of hundreds of Jewish sites across the kingdom, and a year after Israel and Morocco agreed to formal diplomatic relations. The restoration plan includes the site at Tamanart, as well as cemeteries and hundreds of synagogues.

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