Western Sahara Autonomy Discussed, Violence Condemned
King Mohammed VI of Morocco announced his country's commitment to talks on Western Sahara, offering to grant an autonomous status within its sovereignty. However, the Polisario Front, which is fighting for independence and supported by Algeria, rejected the proposal. ...
October 2, 2012
Category: Algeria, Civil Liberties, Featured, Freedom, Human Rights, Morocco, Protests, United Nations, Western Sahara
Marzouki Denounces Dictators, Supports International Cooperation
On September 27, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki addressed the U.N. General Assembly calling on the international community to address "violence and extremism," while also acknowledging the economic and social problems his government inherited as a result of the ...
September 28, 2012
Category: Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Featured, Freedom, Human Rights, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Policymakers, Political transition, Reform, Tunisia, United Nations
Morocco Receives Loans, Police Abuse Acknowledged
Morocco has been granted $190 million in financial assistance from the Arab Monetary Fund, an Abu Dhabi-based organization, to support trade with other Arab nations and help balance payments. “The Arab Monetary Fund supports the government’s strategy that ...
Weekly Wire – September 17
POMED's Weekly Wire for September 17th is now available. This week, we include coverage of these and other top stories: Iran Politicians Call for Reformists' Election Participation Morocco Sentences Activists for Illegal Protest Protests Continue in Bahrain, Regime Responds Yemen Sees Massive Protests To continue reading the fully Weekly Wire, click here.
U.S.- Morocco Strategic Dialogue Begins
Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for Morocco Saad-Eddine Al-Otmani launched the U.S.-Morocco Strategic Dialogue on September 13 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. In opening remarks, Secretary Clinton said the U.S. is "not satisfied with simply ...
Moroccans Handed Prison Terms for Unauthorized Demonstrations
Five members of the February 20 Movement have been sentenced to jail for eight to ten months by a Moroccan court. The decision came after the group hosted an unauthorized demonstration. Human rights activists in the country estimate that nearly ...
September 12, 2012
Category: Diplomacy, Featured, Morocco, Protests, US foreign policy, Western Sahara
Authorities Shutter Moroccan Party Conference
Moroccan authorities shut down the closing day of a youth conference held in Tangiers by the ruling PJD due to "security concerns." The last minute decision came just after the announcement of the addition of remarks from Prime Minister ...
New York Times: Staying Power of Arab Monarchies
In the New York Times latest "Room for Debate," experts discussed what accounts for the ability of Arab monarchies to weather the turmoil that overturned authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the region. Christopher Davidson argued that the survival of the Gulf monarchies, at least, is a function of the social contract between the regime and the population. In these states, the regime as the mechanism to distribute wealth to citizens " has provided their ...
Carnegie Report: Morocco, Can the Third Way Succeed?
The Carnegie Endowment published a report by Marina Ottaway entitled "Morocco: Can the Third Way Succeed?" discussing the current state of reform in the kingdom after last year's political changes. Ottaway finds that the "third way" between stagnant authoritarianism and the "messy path toward popular sovereignty" has not yet been realized in Morocco, but cautions that it is still early and will likely take years to determine the success of incremental reforms. The ...
Moroccan Police Beat Protesters, Journalist
Moroccan riot police violently dispersed a demonstration by dozens of activists outside the parliament building in Rabat, injuring several. The protest, led by the Rabat branch of the February 20 movement, called for the abolishment of the annual royal allegiance ...
Moroccan Groups Unite for Weekend Protest
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets Saturday in cities across Morocco to protest the rising cost of living, unemployment, and corruption. The protests mixed February 20 youth activists, trade unions, and human rights organizations in demonstrations of ...
Rights Group Defends Harassed Moroccan Journalist
Reporters Without Borders expressed serious concern for the safety of Moroccan journalist Hamid Naïmi due to what the group alleges is "almost constant harassment and... death threats." Naïmi lives and reports in the Spanish enclave of Melilla where he participates in ...
No Political Prisoners in Morocco Says Minister
During a recent interview, Morocco's Minister of Justice and Liberties Mustapha Ramid denied a report saying at least 40 political prisoners remain in detention, not including those arrested since April, 2012. The report also details 645 cases of human ...
POMED Notes: Finding a Way Forward: The U.S., Morocco and a Changing North Africa
On Tuesday, Kosmos Energy hosted an event at the Capitol Visitor Center entitled “Finding a Way Forward: The U.S., Morocco and a Changing North Africa.” The panel discussion included an introduction by the Moroccan Ambassador to the U.S. Rachad Bouhlal, followed by commentary from Alexis Arieff of Congressional Research Services, Audra Grant of RAND Corporation, and J. Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council. Haim Malka of the Center for Strategic ...
Weekly Wire – July 30
POMED's Weekly Wire for July 30th is now available. This week, we highlight the following top stories: Egyptian Prime Minister Named Moroccan Protests Heat Up Again Saudi Arabia Fires on Protesters New Kuwaiti Cabinet Sworn In More High Level Defections in Syria To view the full Weekly Wire, click here.
February 20th Movement Illegal says Moroccan Judge
In the latest development in the case of six Moroccan protesters arrested Sunday, a judge has reportedly charged the activists with involvement in the "banned February 20 Movement” among other charges including violence against police. February ...
Moroccan Feb20 Activists on Hunger Strike
Five Moroccan February 20th activists arrested in Casablanca during Sunday's demonstrations began the five and one additional activist on Wednesday with insulting and assaulting public officials as well as demonstrating without permission. Lawyers for the activists allege that their clients were tortured during ...
Oldest Moroccan Party Divided Over Next Leader
For the first time in its history, the Istiqlal Party, Morocco's oldest and second largest party, failed a faction of the party unhappy with the El Fassi family and the direction of the party. Without a unanimous candidate, the ...