Hollande statement reflects long history of support by US and France on Sahara issue
Washington, DC (April 5, 2013) – Addressing Morocco’s Parliament Thursday on his first official state visit to the North African nation, French President Francois Hollande praised Morocco as a leader and partner for peace and reform in the region, and hailed Morocco’s autonomy initiative to resolve the Western Sahara conflict as “serious and credible.”
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Visit to 3 African Countries Cements Economic, Security Ties
Washington, DC (March 28, 2013) — HM King Mohammed VI, on the last leg of his African tour, expanded Morocco’s relationship with Gabon. He presided over the signing of six cooperation agreements with Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who reaffirmed Gabon’s support for Morocco’s compromise initiative for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty for Western Sahara.
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Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire praise Morocco’s reforms under King Mohammed’s leadership; Back Morocco autonomy plan for W. Sahara, cite Mali, stability threat in Sahel
Washington, DC (March 22, 2013) — On an official visit to Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, and Gabon, King Mohammed VI underscored Morocco’s commitment to African solidarity to meet security and economic challenges facing the region, in particular concerns about al-Qaeda-linked extremists who seized control of northern Mali last year and threaten to spread across Africa’s Sahel. On his first two stops, King Mohammed VI received strong support from Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, as well as reached agreement on a host of economic and development initiatives.
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Washington, DC (March 7, 2013) — In keeping with his commitment to speedy implementation of reforms in Morocco, and dedication to advancing human rights and an independent judiciary, His Majesty King Mohammed VI welcomed recommendations on judicial reform presented by the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Morocco’s human rights watchdog. These were detailed in four reports submitted by the Council to: advance changes to Morocco’s judicial system as set forth in the 2011 Constitutional reforms; respond to the expectations of Moroccan society; and meet pertinent international norms of human rights, justice and the separation of powers.
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Mali Foreign Minister, new study report recruits from Polisario-run camps joining AQIM
Washington, DC (March 5, 2013) — Le Figaro and France24 report that a fighter from the Polisario Front—a separatist group based in desert camps near Tindouf, Algeria—was among seven militants taken prisoner after a fierce battle between French/Chadian forces and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the mountains of northern Mali, which reportedly killed key al-Qaeda leader Abou Zeid and 42 other jihadists.
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Points to links, recruiting with other militants in region, including from Polisario-run camps
Washington, DC (March 1, 2013) — A new report on terrorism in North Africa warns of a new al-Qaeda hub for jihadi recruits and a potential launching pad for terrorist attacks much closer to US and European shores, along an “Arc of Instability” stretching across Africa’s Sahara/Sahel region. The study, “Terrorism in North Africa & the Sahel in 2012: Global Reach and Implications,” authored by Yonah Alexander, Director of the Inter-University Center on Terrorism Studies (IUCTS), was announced Wednesday at the 15th Annual Terrorism Review by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, and made available online today.
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Washington, DC (Monday, Feb. 25, 2013) — Former US president Bill Clinton, who was on a private visit to Morocco, was received on Sunday in the Rabat royal palace by HM King Mohammed VI. The audience underscored the ties of friendship uniting the royal family and the Clinton family, and the good will and deep historical relations between Morocco and the USA.
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Rabat, Morocco (Feb. 18, 2013) — On Saturday night, a Moroccan court handed down verdicts in the highly charged Gdeim Izik case, concluding an open and transparent judicial process. In the presence of more than 60 international observers from 11 countries and in accordance with Moroccan law, 24 defendants were found guilty and sentenced for murder, looting, and violence in a riot in Laayoune, Morocco in 2010 that led to the deaths of 11 policemen peacefully attempting to disperse a protest.
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Washington, DC (Feb. 14, 2013) − In a message at the restoration ceremony of the 17th century Slat al Fassayine Synagogue in Fez, HM King Mohammed VI reiterated his commitment to religious freedom and spiritual diversity, and emphasized the importance of the three-thousand-year-old Jewish legacy in Morocco.
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Morocco’s King Mohammed VI Calls For Resolute, Coherent International Effort in Mali and Syria
Washington, DC, Feb. 7, 2013 (MACP) — Condemning “extremism, terrorism and separatism” in a speech to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Cairo, King Mohammed VI reminded the audience that Morocco had “warned the international community, years ago, of the perils looming over the Sahel and Sahara region” and called for “consistent and coherent” international efforts to stem the tide of terrorist activities in the region. He lauded the “firm reaction” by French, Malian and African forces that ended the invasion of Southern Mali and liberated the Northern Mali cities of Gao, Kidal, and Timbuktu from terrorists.
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World leaders recognize Syrian opposition in Marrakech; King Mohammed VI urges UN Security Council to support transfer of power
Washington, DC (Dec. 12, 2012) — Leaders from 114 countries and organizations gathered in Marrakech, Morocco Wednesday for a summit of the “Friends of Syria” alliance and officially recognized the newly formed Syrian opposition coalition as the “legitimate representative” of the Syrian people.
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Morocco Deputy Foreign Minister Amrani meets in DC with US officials, Atlantic Council on Mali, Syria
Washington, DC (Dec. 4, 2012) — Morocco Deputy Foreign Minister Youssef Amrani met with US officials today in Washington to prepare for strategic talks in Morocco on December 11 between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. King Mohammed VI and Secretary Clinton will discuss concrete steps Morocco and the US can take in their strategic partnership to address crises in Mali and Syria, advance the Middle East peace process and regional humanitarian concerns, and deepen US-Morocco bilateral ties.
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King Mohammed VI, Sec. Clinton to Meet in Morocco on Mali, Syria Crises, Strategic Partnership
Morocco’s Deputy Foreign Minister Amrani in Washington on week of Dec. 3 for preparations
Washington, DC (Nov. 29, 2012) — Morocco’s Deputy Foreign Minister Youssef Amrani will be in Washington, DC on December 3 to prepare for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s upcoming strategic discussions in Morocco with His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Secretary Clinton and King Mohammed VI will meet on December 11 in Morocco to discuss specific steps Morocco and the US can take within their strategic partnership to overcome security challenges in Mali and Syria, address the Middle East peace process and regional humanitarian concerns, and deepen the US-Morocco bilateral relationship.
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Morocco sets up field hospital, sends humanitarian aid for Gazans
Medical teams arrive, five planeloads of aid land at El Arish airport in Egypt
(Washington, DC, Nov. 24, 2012) – Morocco continued its humanitarian aid operation for Palestinians in Gaza which was launched earlier this week by HM King Mohammed VI. Medical teams set up a field hospital and five planeloads of medical and food aid arrived Thursday and Friday at El Arish airport in Egypt (380 km east of Cairo) for transport to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
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Washington, DC (Nov. 7, 2012) — HM King Mohammed VI sent a message of congratulations today to President Barack Obama on his re-election to a second term as President of the United States. His message underscores a strong commitment to deepen the bilateral ties and strategic partnership between Morocco and the US, most recently enhanced by the launch of a formal Strategic Dialogue in September in Washington, DC.
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Washington, DC (Oct. 23, 2012) — Agence France Press has reported that “hundreds of jihadist fighters poured into Mali over the weekend” to reinforce the al-Qaeda-linked extremists who seized control of northern Mali seven months ago. The news comes as regional leaders prepare a plan requested by the UN Security Council for military action to take back northern Mali and prevent it from becoming a haven for terrorists in the region.
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Washington, DC (Oct. 16, 2012) — Morocco and the US have announced a wide range of areas for bilateral cooperation — including ongoing democratic reforms, economic growth and jobs, women’s empowerment and human rights, interfaith tolerance, countering terrorism, and ending the violence in Syria — in their recently launched Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue.
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Both nations condemn attacks on US embassies
Washington, DC (Sept. 14, 2012) — After all-day meetings of the first Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue yesterday at the State Department, Moroccan Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Youssef Amrani said,“this Strategic Dialogue elevates and strengthens the already excellent and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President Barack Obama.” In his closing statement, Minister Amrani said the meetings were productiveand set a framework for advancing peace and progress in the region.
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Clinton: “US looks to Morocco to be a leader & a model;” Morocco & US Strongly Condemn Violence in Libya
Washington, DC (September 13, 2012) — This morning, during the launch of the Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue at the US State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Morocco as a “leader and a model” in a region where the US needs a strong, reliable, and influential ally.
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US and Morocco Announce Strategic Dialogue to Pursue Shared Vision, Tackle Challenges
High-Level Partnership Agreement results from more than a decade of King Mohammed VI’s work to strengthen the bilateral relationship.
Washington, DC(September 11, 2012) — The US State Department has announced the launch this Thursday in Washington of the Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue, one of less than two dozen such agreements in existence, and the only one in North Africa. The Strategic Dialogue, years in the making, is the result of focused, comprehensive leadership and cooperation by King Mohammed VI with three US Administrations to strengthen Morocco-US relations and implement the two countries’ shared vision for the Middle East and North Africa.
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Sen. Lieberman―Morocco plan on Western Sahara will boost stability in region
Al-Qaeda concerns grow as dozens in Polisario-run camps in Algeria reportedly join al-Qaeda-linked MUJAO
Washington, DC (August 24, 2012) — Following a meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Dine El Otmani in Rabat Wednesday, Senator Joe Lieberman (CT) praised Morocco’s peaceful model of political reform and urged speedy implementation of its autonomy initiative for Western Sahara, which he said was a “serious, credible, good, and realistic” proposal that would contribute to improving stability in the region.
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Washington, DC (August 1, 2012) — In a surprise move underscoring the growing danger in Africa’s Sahara/Sahel, Spain ordered the evacuation of all its aid-workers from the Polisario-run refugee camps near Tindouf in Algeria. Aid-workers from three other Western nations also left. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo cited increased fears for aid-worker safety and “well-founded indications” of possible attack by al-Qaeda-linked groups in nearby northern Mali for Sunday’s military airlift of 12 Spaniards, two French, and an Italian to Madrid.
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Morocco-US 225-year Partnership Recognized in US Senate, by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Washington, DC (August 1, 2012) – Yesterday, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) recognized the 225th anniversary of the ratification of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco before the US Senate. This followed commemoration by US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, of America’s longest standing treaty with Morocco, which celebrated its National Day this week, honoring His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s thirteen years of leadership.
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Washington, DC (July 24, 2012)—Almost three-quarters of the nations bordering the Arc of Instability across Africa’s Sahara/Sahel show increased vulnerability that could make them targets for al-Qaeda-linked terrorists and militants, according to an analysis of findings in the new 2012 Failed States Index. The annual ranking of nations by the Fund for Peace/Foreign Policy for failing/fragile-state trouble-signs comes as international alarm grows about al-Qaeda-linked extremists setting up a state-based sanctuary in northern Mali for jihadi expansion.
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225 Years and Counting: America’s longest standing Treaty of Peace and Friendship— with Morocco
Washington, DC (July 18, 2012) — Today marks the 225th anniversary of the US Senate’s 1787 vote to ratify what is now the longest standing treaty in America’s history — the US-Morocco “Treaty of Peace and Friendship.” More than two centuries later, the treaty continues to define the special and strategic relationship between two of the oldest and closest allies across the Atlantic.
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Solar plane flies to Sahara sun in Ouarzazate, Morocco—Watch it Live
Highlights World Bank-financed Morocco solar project linking Europe, N Africa to power of Sahara sun
Washington, DC (June 21, 2012) — After completing its historic 2,500-kilometer intercontinental flight to Morocco earlier this month, the Swiss solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, lifted off from Morocco’s capital Rabat this morning on the second attempt at its most challenging flight yet — to the Sahara desert and Ouarzazate, where Morocco is building the world’s largest solar-thermal plant to harness renewable power from the Sahara sun for North Africa and Europe.
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[Solar Plane’s Historic Flight to Morocco Connects Continents with Power of Sun
HighlightsWorldBank-financedMoroccosolarprojecttolinkEurope,NAfricatopower fromSaharasun
Washington, DC (June 6, 2012) — The Swiss solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, touched down to a warm welcome in Rabat, Morocco last night, flying from Madrid and successfully completing the second leg of its record-breaking 2,500-kilometer intercontinental flight from Switzerland to Morocco.
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Experts Warn al-Qaeda Consolidating Position in Northern Mali
More than half of Westerners kidnapped in Africa now held hostage there
Washington, DC (June 1) — An experts panel hosted by the Carnegie Endowment and Atlantic Council warned Thursday that al-Qaeda terrorists are consolidating their position in northern Mali — buoyed by drug-trafficking, kidnapping ransoms, Libyan arms, and an influx of extremists. As the international community deliberates next steps on the Mali “meltdown,” analysts worry about the spread of an Arc of Instability across Africa’s Sahel.
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$60 million ransom demanded for aid-workers & Algerian diplomats held in northern Mali
Moroccan American Center for Policy (Washington, DC, May 10, 2012) —Today marks more than 200 days of captivity for Western aid-workers Rossella Urru of Italy and Ainhoa Fernández de Rincón and Enric Gonyacons of Spain, kidnapped October 23 from the Polisario-run refugee camps near Tindouf in Algeria by an al-Qaeda offshoot, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), reportedly with assistance from camp insiders. News accounts indicate the kidnap victims are believed to be held in northern Mali. [Continue Reading...]
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Ambassadors Selwa Roosevelt, Edward Gabriel honored as
“Arab Americans of the Year”
Washington, DC (May 1, 2012) — On Saturday, Ambassadors Selwa “Lucky” Roosevelt, White House Chief of Protocol for President Ronald Reagan, and Edward M. Gabriel, US Ambassador to Morocco during the Administration of President Bill Clinton, were honored in Detroit, Michigan as “Arab Americans of the Year” for their distinguished service to their country and communities. [Continue Reading...]
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ReportdocumentsPolisariocampsasrecruitinggroundforal-QaedainSahara
Washington, DC (April 24, 2012) — As the takeover of Mali’s historic Timbuktu by al-Qaeda and other militants highlights volatility in Africa’s Sahara/Sahel, a new report documents how refugee camps run by the separatist Polisario Front near Tindouf, Algeria have become a recruiting ground for terrorists and traffickers in the region. The report urges UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) to also focus aid to the camps on durable solutions that help resettle refugees, improve humanitarian conditions, and stop perpetuating another source of instability. [Continue Reading...]
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Foreign Policy Panel Urges US Act to End Western Sahara Conflict “Now” - Experts, former US diplomats discuss Western Sahara crisis & the need for US Leadership to end it
Washington, DC(April 4, 2012) — Yesterday, in Washington, DC, foreign policy experts and former US diplomats participated in a roundtable, ”The Western Sahara Crisis: Why US Leadership is Needed Now,” which focused on the urgent need for concrete US action in support of its long-standing policy for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty—a policy backed by the Clinton, Bush and Obama Administrations and reiterated by bipartisan majorities of both the US House and Senate. Now, more than ever, according to the panel, the Western Sahara dispute contributes to instability in the Sahara/Sahel region—home to deteriorating humanitarian conditions for Sahrawi refugees and an increasingly volatile security situation. [Continue Reading...]
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US, France Voice Strong Support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan to Resolve Western Sahara Dispute, Remove Obstacle to Peace in Region—Also praise Morocco’s role in advancing human rights, democratic reforms
Washington, DC (March 12)—Echoing a recent statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe called Morocco’s autonomy initiative for Western Sahara “the only realistic proposal” for resolving the decades-old conflict over the territory. On a trip to the region last month, Clinton said Morocco’s autonomy initiative is “serious, realistic, and credible” and reaffirmed that US policy “has remained constant.” [Continue Reading... ]
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Sec. Clinton Praises Morocco as Leader for Peace, Democracy in Region—Reaffirms Moroccan autonomy solution in Western Sahara as ‘serious, realistic, credible’
Washington, DC (March 1) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking to press in Rabat on Sunday with Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Dine El Otmani, praised Morocco as a leader on Arab Spring reforms and a key partner for peace in the region. She described Morocco’s autonomy initiative to resolve the Western Sahara conflict as “serious, realistic, and credible” and reiterated that US policy “has remained constant.” The US policy supporting a solution based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty to end the decades-old dispute has earned the backing of three US Administrations—Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Barack Obama—as well as that of bipartisan majorities in both Houses of Congress. [Continue Reading... ]
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StudyWarnsofRisingal-QaedaThreatinNorth Africa –
Urges closing Polisario camps which have become recruiting ground for terrorists
Washington, DC (Feb. 3)—A new study by the International Center for Terrorism Studies (ICTS) warns that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) poses a “dangerous threat” to the region and beyond as it seeks to exploit Arab Spring instability and expand terrorist ties to other militants across Africa’s Sahel. The report recommends closing the Polisario Front’s refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria, which the study says “are a recruiting ground for terrorists, traffickers, and other criminal enterprises.” It calls on the US and international community to “prioritize” resettling the refugees. [Continue Reading... ]
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For first time, directs that US aid to Morocco can be used in W. Sahara; Urges State Dept to make resolvingW.Saharadispute a USforeign policypriority;Importantstepsto bolster,extendMorocco’s reformagenda
Washington, DC (Dec. 23, 2011)—Congress has approved and the President today signed a bill taking action to extend US assistance for Morocco’s reforms to the Western Sahara and advance the longstanding US policy calling for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. The action —included in the 2012 Omnibus Spending Report—for the first time directs that US program assistance to Morocco may be used in all “regions and territories administered by Morocco,” including the Western Sahara. [Continue Reading... ]
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Morocco Turns ‘Arab Spring’ Challenges into Opportunity for Reform
Experts, former US diplomats analyze ‘Moroccan’ response to unprecedented unrest in Arab world
Washington, DC(December 8, 2011) — Today, a panel of foreign policy experts and former US diplomats in Washington, DC discussed Morocco’s recent elections and the challenges that lie ahead for the ongoing reform process. The roundtable, ”What’s next for Morocco? Assessing opportunities and challenges after the elections,” came less than two weeks after Morocco held its first parliamentary elections following major constitutional reforms approved in a national referendum in July. [Continue Reading...]
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Experts at Congressional Hearing Warn of Threat to US from
Nigeria-Based Boko Haram, Link to AQIM
Cite danger of expanding terrorist ties across Africa’s Sahel, flooded by Libyan arms
Washington, DC (Nov. 30)—At a hearing today of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, experts warned that the Nigeria-based militant group, Boko Haram, is posing an emerging threat to US interests and the US homeland. The panel also heard compelling evidence that Boko Haram has established links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which is expanding a broad network of terrorist ties to militant groups across Africa’s Sahel, including Somalia-based al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and members of the separatist Polisario Front based inAlgeria. [Continue Reading...]
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MoroccoVotesforNewParliamentin First ElectionSinceNewConstitution; Turnout Up More Than 20 percent
PJD takes lead in seats; Sec. of State Clinton, UK, France, and others praise Morocco vote as ‘important milestone’ for peaceful change in region
Washington, DC (Nov. 26) — Moroccans voted yesterday in the country’s first Parliamentary election since recent Constitutional reforms that increased the power of Morocco’s Parliament. Voters chose from among 5,873 candidates and 33 different parties to fill 395 seats. Seventy seats were set aside for younger adult and women members to ensure Parliament includes new faces reflecting the nation’s changing population. With 288 of 305 local constituent seats decided, provisional results show the Justice and Development party (PJD) won 80, Independence party won 45, National Rally for Independents (RNI) won 38, Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 33, Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) won 29, Popular Movement (MP) won 22, Constitutional Union (UC) won 15, and Progress and Socialism Party (PPS) won 11. Under the new Constitution, the head of government is to be appointed from the party with the most seats. Early results indicate a coalition government will emerge with PJD likely in the lead. [Continue Reading... ]
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For FAQs, check out MoroccoOnTheMove.com
Washington, DC(November 18, 2011) — On November 25, Moroccans will go to the polls to cast their vote in historic parliamentary elections following the adoption of broad Constitutional reforms in July. This will be the first Parliamentary election in the region since the Arab Spring began. Nearly 4,000 Moroccan, US, and international observers, including the National Democratic Institute and Morocco’s National Human Rights Council, are currently working with Moroccan civil society leaders to train and assist in carrying out the elections as well as ensure against irregularities on election day. To date, more than 13.6 million Moroccans have registered to vote. [Continue Reading...]
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Washington, DC (Nov.10, 2011) — Foreign policy experts at Brookings and the Atlantic Council noted encouraging signs in changes sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, most notably reforms and elections in Morocco and Tunisia. But they also warned of looming threats from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), now strengthened by a flood of Libyan weapons and ties with other militant groups in the region, including the Polisario Front, whose members last month reportedly helped AQIM kidnap Western aid workers from a Polisario refugee camp in Algeria. [Continue Reading...]
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Polisario Insiders Reportedly Helped al-Qaeda Kidnap Western Aid Workers from Refugee Camps
UN Sec. Gen expresses “deep concern,” calls for their “immediate release”
Washington, DC(November 4, 2011) — Three European aid workers continue to be held by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) after being kidnapped from refugee camps controlled by the Polisario Front near Tindouf, Algeria last week. According to reports, Polisario members in the camps helped the kidnappers by supplying weapons and directions to the victims’ location. The two Spanish and one Italian hostages are being held at an undisclosed location. They remain alive, though no demands or conditions for their release have been made, despite considerable efforts by the international community. [Continue Reading...]
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Washington, DC (Oct. 21)—The United Nations’ 193 member nations voted in New York City today to approve Morocco’s bid to serve as one of five new non-permanent members on the UN Security Council in 2012-2013. Morocco received 151 votes from the UN’s members in the first round of voting, well over the two-thirds required, and will join the 15-member UN Security Council in January. [Continue Reading...]
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Washington, DC(August 26, 2011)— This week, following the largely complete take-over of Tripoli by the opposition forces of the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC), new reports have surfaced that more than 500 of Moammar Qaddafi’s mercenaries who were captured and arrested are members of the Polisario Front. [Continue Reading...]
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Washington, DC (August 5)—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Members of Congress voiced congratulations and strong support for Morocco’s new Constitution, which strengthens and advances the country’s commitment to human rights, freedom and equality, participatory democracy and governance. [Continue Reading...]
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King Mohammed VI Sends Message to President Obama as
US, EU, France, and Spain Praise Historic Morocco Vote,
Support Democratic Reforms Promoting Rights and Rule of Law
Washington, DC (July 4)—As praise from world leaders continues for Morocco’s historic July 1 vote approving its Constitutional reforms, His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a message to President Barack Obama expressing July 4th congratulations and pride in the ‘long-standing friendship’ and ‘strategic partnership’ that has defined the two nations’ relations for more than two centuries. In 1777, Morocco was the first nation to recognize US independence and in 1787 it signed America’s longest “Treaty of Friendship and Peace.” [Continue Reading...]
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“It is the Moroccan people who will have the last word,” His Majesty King Mohammed VI
Washington, DC (March 10)—Yesterday, His Majesty King Mohammed VI announced a comprehensive set of constitutional reforms and far-reaching regionalization initiative to advance and broaden the democratic reforms that have been underway in the country for more than two decades. The new proposals will strengthenMorocco’s elected government, move forward on an independent judiciary, and further empower local communities and regions. Revisions to the Constitution will be made with input from its political parties and civil society and be voted on by the Moroccan people. [Continue Reading...]
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