Latest news with #Makhzen
El Chorouk
11-05-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
UN Mandela Prize 2025: Makhzen's Nomination, A Moral and Political Farce
Moroccan human rights activists and journalists considered their country's nomination for the 2025 United Nations Nelson Mandela Human Rights Prize a 'moral and political scandal and an official whitewash of its dark criminal record.' They called for the nomination to be withdrawn to preserve the credibility of the UN international institution. In an article titled 'Morocco's Nomination for the Mandela Prize… When the Executioner Demands the Victim's Medal,' Moroccan blogger and human rights activist Mohamed Kandil said, 'Morocco's nomination for this prize is yet another farce added to the archive of official impudence of the Makhzen regime.' He added, 'When Morocco nominates itself for the Nelson Mandela Prize, it's as if the Makhzen is asking the world to believe that mass graves, secret prisons, and torture chambers are merely transient human rights violations.' He emphasised in this context that 'the National Council for Human Rights in Morocco, whose president, Amina Bouayach, was nominated for this prize, has become nothing more than a human rights polishing arm for the repressive apparatus. How can it now be presented to the world as the face of human rights in Morocco after all that it has done to the Rif movement, journalists, and political prisoners?' He emphasized that 'the Makhzen regime does not represent the people or the victims, but rather is merely a security institution adept at public relations at international forums.' He explained in this context that 'Amina Bouayach is neither an activist nor an independent woman, but rather a mere intelligence agent, recruited within the official propaganda network, called upon when necessary to endorse the crimes of the Makhzen state, distort the reports of international organizations, and cover up the various forms of torture in the country.' He asked sarcastically, 'Who's the Mandela that Morocco wants to emulate? Is he Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for defending dignity and freedom? Or the Mandela of the Makhzen, who imprisons activists on 27 fabricated charges in a 27-minute sham trial?' The Moroccan human rights activist believes that Morocco's nomination for this prize is a 'moral and political scandal,' adding, 'Awarding Morocco this prize is an official whitewash of a dark record and a slap in the face of every prisoner of conscience, every mother who lost her son under torture, and every Moroccan who was displaced or persecuted for daring to say no to injustice, tyranny, and corruption.' For his part, Moroccan writer and journalist Ali Lahrouchi wrote in an article that 'Morocco's nomination for this prize is an insult to United Nations institutions, as the Nelson Mandela Prize is a global recognition of human commitment to principles, values, and ethics, the prioritization of the public interest over personal interest, transcending vengeful thinking, and remaining patient and steadfast in adhering to principles…' Ali Lahrouchi asserted that Morocco 'is still living in the Middle Ages,' asking, 'What has changed in Morocco for Amina Bouayach to be nominated for the prize of Nelson Mandela, the courageous fighter?' In this regard, he emphasized that 'everyone who criticized, opposed, or commented on the backward practices in Morocco was subjected to assassination, kidnapping, torture, arrest, marginalization, and retaliation through the use and subjugation of all relevant institutions, starting with the intelligence, security, gendarmerie, judiciary, and prisons, to silence all voices opposing or criticizing the dictatorial policies pursued in Morocco.' Hence, he confirmed, 'Morocco's history is replete with all forms of human rights violations and abuses, and its mere nominating it for this prize is an insult to the freedom fighter Nelson Mandela.' He warns that Morocco's victory 'will be the last nail in the coffin of the United Nations and its institutions, which will never receive any respect.' In turn, human rights activist and former prisoner Saida el-Alami wondered, 'Morocco is submitting its nomination for the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Prize? What rights exactly, when Moroccan citizens enjoy no political, civil, or economic rights?' In her remarks, el-Alami addressed the suffering of the Moroccan people due to the Makhzen's policies in various sectors and their lack of the most basic rights that guarantee a decent life. She highlighted the worsening deterioration of human rights in the Kingdom, in light of the judiciary's use of retaliation against opponents, fabricating charges against human rights activists, and violating the rights of detainees in police stations and prison cells. The Moroccan human rights activist concluded her remarks by saying, 'I don't understand the basis on which Morocco was nominated for this prize. If Nelson Mandela were alive, he would have cancelled this award as long as the enemies of humanity continue to nominate it.'
Ya Biladi
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Power outage in Spain : Algerian media blame Morocco and contradict Pedro Sanchez
The Algerian media never miss an opportunity to exploit situations to accuse Morocco and hold it responsible for regional crises. Recently, these outlets rushed to promote a narrative alleging Morocco's involvement, alongside Israel, in a cyberattack that caused a power outage in Spain, claiming it was a «retaliatory response» to Madrid's support for the Palestinian people. However, these claims quickly lost credibility, especially after official statements from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who expressed gratitude to both Morocco and France for supplying electricity to southern and northern Spain during the crisis earlier last week. Despite this, the newspaper Echorouk, known for its proximity to the authorities, published an article refuting Sanchez's statements, claiming that «the Spanish refuted the lies of the Makhzen», and adding that «the Makhzen committed a scandal that made it a subject of ridicule and mockery in Spain: it officially announced, through its press, that it helped Spain and provided it with electricity during the the blackout». The article claimed that as soon as the news was released, a storm of mockery swept through the media and social networks, disproving the Moroccan claim and exposing its malicious intent. In an attempt to justify its claims, the newspaper published fabricated statistics, alleging that «Morocco has one of the worst electrical networks in the world, that half of its cities experience daily power outages and fluctuations, that a third of its population only uses electricity at night due to high bills, and that a quarter—especially in rural areas—do not have access to electricity, according to the World Energy Organization and the testimony of Moroccans themselves». The Algerian newspaper also cited an article by Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero, known for his hostility towards Morocco. Describing him as «the greatest Spanish journalist», the article further claimed that «the Moroccan grid was saved, not the other way around. The power outage required an immediate adjustment of the Moroccan electrical system, which was successfully implemented». Echorouk continued, claiming that the Spanish Prime Minister thanked the Makhzen for «imaginary assistance» in supplying Spain with electricity. Spanish commentators reportedly said: «Do not pay attention to what the Prime Minister said; he is more Moroccan than the King of the Makhzen». Spanish Media Confirms Morocco's Crucial Role Contrary to the claims of the Algerian media, major Spanish newspapers covered Morocco's support for Spain. El País reported, «Morocco, which usually relies on Spain to meet its growing electricity needs, mobilized up to 38% of its production capacity on Monday afternoon (April 28) to send energy, aiming to restart supplies cut off due to the power outage in southern Iberian Peninsula». El Independiente noted that at the time of the power outage, Morocco was «importing about 778 megawatts of electricity from the Spanish grid». It added: «In record time, Morocco managed to prevent its supply from dropping to zero, a rare incident that lasted for 12 hours and became a lifeline for the Iberian Peninsula». The newspaper explained that Morocco exported 5.45% of the electricity available in the Spanish market, generated from a mix of coal and natural gas. Spain and Morocco are connected by two electrical links with a capacity of 400 kilovolts and 1,400 megawatts, installed in 1998. A third link is scheduled for implementation in 2028. The Kingdom is also considering a connection with France and Mauritania. Morocco's Energy Independence Plans Morocco is actively seeking energy independence. Recently, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development launched a tender to develop national gas infrastructure, including the construction of Morocco's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Nador West Med port. The Kingdom is also pursuing the construction of an African Atlantic gas pipeline from Nigeria—a project that Algeria deems unfeasible—while promoting its own project to transport gas from Nigeria to the Mediterranean through Niger, despite strained relations with Niger, which have escalated to the point of recalling ambassadors. This media campaign is part of a broader pattern of repeated accusations by official or pro-government media in Algeria, targeting Morocco in every crisis or incident. The intensity of these media attacks increases whenever Morocco achieves diplomatic successes on the international stage, particularly regarding the Western Sahara conflict.
Ya Biladi
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
History of tensions surrounding the first telegraph cable between Europe and Morocco
In the late 1880s, the Eastern Telegraph Company, a British telecommunications company specializing in laying and operating undersea telegraph cables that connected Britain to its colonies and other parts of the world, undertook the mission of connecting Gibraltar, under British control since 1704, and Tangier. The goal was to facilitate the rapid transfer of information between Europe and Morocco. Although the subsea cable was the first telegraph connection between Europe and Morocco, it was also the third connection between Europe and Africa. Despite its significance, the idea of such an innovative project was met with hesitation and opposition from Morocco. The need for a telegraph connection first emerged in the 1870s, when Makhzen officials in Morocco «discovered how swiftly the telegraph could send information during the negotiations between Morocco and Spain over the return of Tetuan», wrote Moroccan historian Khalid Ben Sghir in his book Britain and Morocco During the Embassy of John Drummond Hay, 1845-1886. Moroccan hesitation This led to the first request to the Sultan of Morocco at the time, Mawlay Hassan bin Mohammed, known as Hassan I. In 1873, the United Kingdom's Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Morocco, John Hay Drummond Hay, was the first to ask the Sultan for permission to construct «an oversea telegraph between Tangier and Gibraltar». However, this request was met with a similar one from Spain, demanding permission to construct an overland line between Tangier and Ceuta. This sparked the Sultan's fears, as he cited «the repercussions of constructing a telegraph line across the territory of the Anjra tribe», which had recently fought a war with the Spanish. The Makhzen's refusal led foreign representatives in Tangier to unanimously agree not to ask the Sultan to construct an overland telegraph line if he agreed to an oversea telegraph between Tangier and Gibraltar, leaving it up to the Sultan to decide the regions through which the wires would pass. This was followed by a very convincing British request. Submitted by Drummond Hay, the proposal was very attractive, informing the Sultan that the telegraph was already being used by the Ottomans, the Egyptians, the Tunisians, the Indians, and the Chinese. Drummond Hay even wondered in his request why «Morocco might want to remain the exception», listing the benefits it could gain from such infrastructure. These included «communicating extremely rapidly with European capitals, with countries of the Arab East, and especially, in difficult moments, with the British Government». However, some of the advantages listed by the British diplomat were concerning for the Sultan, namely the fact that «Moroccan merchants and all foreign merchants will… be able to obtain up-to-date news about increases and decreases in the prices of commodities being imported and exported…». «This was what the Sultan feared», remarked Ben Sghir, «because the telegraph would become an additional weapon in the hands of foreign merchants and the representatives of foreign powers». A telegraph cable but with conditions The Sultan refused Drummond Hay's request, prompting him to adopt a more direct approach. In 1875, on the orders of the British government, the British diplomat was granted an audience with the Sultan, during which he brought a telegraphic device to demonstrate to Mawlay Hassan. «The Sultan was delighted with it and gave his agreement in principle to the construction of a telegraph between Tangier and Gibraltar», reads Ben Sghir's book. However, this agreement came with conditions, which the Sultan set forth in four points: It should be constructed over water, not over land, it should be constructed to Tangier and not extended anywhere else, the Makhzen should determine where it should go, and the diplomatic corps should be unanimous in constructing the telegraph line according to these conditions. The Sultan's conditions were rejected by the British companies involved in the project, delaying negotiations on the Tangier-Gibraltar cable until 1884. By the end of that year, the Eastern Telegraph Company accepted the Moroccan conditions, opening the door for the resumption of negotiations with the Makhzen. However, this time it was the Sultan who refused to give the go-ahead to the project, insisting that the representatives of other foreign powers provide guarantees confirming that they agreed to the conditions laid out in 1875. In a letter, the Sultan reiterated his insistence on respecting his prior conditions for the British cable. «The representatives should agree that it should be between Tangier and Gibraltar and no further», wrote Mawlay Hassan. «They have not agreed to this, even though, even if they all agree to this, such agreement will not prevent them from making similar requests». The request the Sultan referred to in his letter was a Spanish telegraph cable linking Tangier to Tarifa. The Makhzen refused to allow any telegraph lines to be constructed across its territory until all the members of the diplomatic corps in Tangier, without exception, had accepted the 1875 conditions, wrote Ben Sghir. A malicious move However, this was never respected, at least not by Drummond Hay's successor. The new British representative in Tangier Kirby Green informed the British Foreign Office in November 1886 that the silence of the Moroccan Makhzen only meant that they were okay with the start of the project, which was not the case. The Eastern Telegraph Company was then instructed to begin laying the cable, with Green maliciously sending a memorandum to the Makhzen in which he claimed that all the necessary procedures for licensing the telegraph line had been completed by his predecessor, Drummond Hay. In a short time, the Eastern Telegraph Company completed the project, and the telegraph cable between Tangier and Gibraltar became operational on January 20, 1887, unbeknownst to the Sultan of Morocco. Things escalated when Mawlay al-Hassan learned about the British move, ordering his naib (representative) Muhammad ibn al-'Arabi at-Torres to stop the installation. When this failed, the Sultan sent additional orders to try and persuade Green to abandon the project so that other countries would not try to do the same. But Green confronted the Sultan with the fait accompli, despite the many letters and Moroccan protests that considered the move «illegal». Visiting Sultan Hassan I in April 1887, Green was told to remove the British telegraph cable once again, which «had been installed over Moroccan territory without permission from the Makhzen and in a way which he did not approve». These demands were ignored by Green. The situation took a more serious turn in 1889 when the Sultan sent a letter to the Qiad of Tangier, Mehdi al-Jirari, urging him to be vigilant about the actions of the British diplomat. «Inform His Excellency that we have been apprised that a British steamship has arrived in the port of Tangier carrying telegraph cable with the intention of linking it with the cable in Tangier and then connecting it by sea with the other ports of this serene realm», the Sultan wrote. «Be vigilant in this matter and give it top priority, and check what is happening, so that you may not fall prey to the malice experienced by previous walis of Tangier, by having the telegraph imported and installed in the twinkling of an eye in direct violation of the wishes of the Makhzen». Sultan Hassan I Although the telegraph cable mentioned by the Sultan in his letter was just for maintenance, his fears and anger at the British move hid deeper worries. Indeed, the British, to ensure repairs of their telegraph cables, sent warships to Tangier. «By dint of threats, Green managed to extract agreement from al-Tarris for the repairs that were needed. The repairs were finished at the beginning of April without opposition from the Makhzen, which was forced to allow some Moroccans to take part in the work», Ben Sghir wrote. While Green saw the Sultan's refusal to allow the installation of the telegraph cable and his hesitation as a desire for exclusion, Ben Sghir explains that the reality was completely different. «It was not a matter of rejecting progress and following a course of introversion, as much as a refusal to give foreign states the means to intervene in and put pressure on Morocco, thereby infringing its sovereignty», the historian explains. The Sultan's fears proved to be somewhat justified, even after his passing. In fact, the same telegraph cable he feared would be installed served British interests after his death. «In 1894, the death of the Sultan could be hushed up for a day and a half – time enough for London to guarantee its interests», noted Javier Márquez Quevedo in his Telecommunications and Colonial Rivalry: European Telegraph Cables to the Canary Islands and Northwest Africa 1883-1914, to which France bitterly complained.
El Chorouk
28-04-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Normalisation Places Morocco at a Critical Historical Moment
Moroccan human rights activists emphasised that the Moroccan people reject normalisation with the Zionist entity and adhere to the demand for its overthrow, in defence of their 'dignity, independence, sovereignty, and principles.' They have warned of the dangerous trend of the Makhzen regime, which is pursuing normalisation agreements that will inevitably ruin the country. In this regard, human rights activist and leader of the Justice and Ihsan (Charity) group, Hassan Bennajeh, confirmed in press statements that 'the Moroccan people, who are participating in million-man marches against normalization with the criminal Zionist entity, are not only in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, but are also defending their dignity, independence, sovereignty, and values.' Hassan Bennajeh denounced the Makhzen regime's insistence on normalization, saying, 'The official position is extremely disappointing, given the insistence on continuing military and trade cooperation agreements with the entity, the public entry of Zionist figures during the height of the massacres, and the continuation of cargo and trade exchange despite popular boycotts.' In the same context, the speaker warned of the danger of the official approach that relies on normalisation, emphasising that 'no matter how deeply involved the official position is, the Moroccan people have proven and will prove that normalisation is imposed by power, but is absolutely rejected by the people.' The Moroccan human rights activist emphasised that 'the Kingdom of Morocco is experiencing a historic moment today, marked by a stark contrast between a principled, resistant popular position and an official position subservient to a unilateral political deal that contradicts the popular will.' He cited the thousands of protests and marches that continue unabated despite repression and bans, and widespread boycotts of products that support the entity, and online and creative campaigns against normalisation. For his part, Aziz Hanaoui, Secretary-General of the Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization, warned against the Makhzen's refusal to respond to the voice of the street and sever its ties with the occupying entity, saying: 'Stop normalization… otherwise, normalization will destroy and devastate the country, and the servants of normalization and Zionism will not regret it, because they are tools of destruction.' In turn, the coordinator of the Moroccan Committee for Supporting the Nation's Causes, Fathi Abdessamad, highlighted in an article titled 'What is the meaning of receiving weapons used to bombard our brothers in our ports?' the 'state of turmoil' currently gripping the Moroccan street due to the Moroccan regime's reception of ships of genocide, shame, and disgrace. In this regard, he denounced the 'unreasonable and unacceptable' actions taken by the Makhzen authorities, who poured oil on the fire when they stifled the protest march from the rear and front, amidst the alleys of the old city. He noted that the protesters' responsible, peaceful, and understanding behaviour prevented a catastrophe. Fathi Abdessamad stressed that the aim of these practices, carried out by the authorities in the alleys of the old city, is to harm the struggle of the Moroccan Front and the struggle of the free people of this country.
El Chorouk
07-03-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
New French-Moroccan Provocation: Algeria Warns Paris
English Algeria issued a strong warning to France through its ambassador, who was received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Algeria considers the French-Moroccan military manoeuvres project, scheduled to be held near the Algerian border next September, a provocative act. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Secretary-General, sent a message to the Elysee Palace, drawing the attention of decision-makers to the fact that Algeria views this exercise as a provocative act against Algeria and that 'such an act will contribute to fueling the crisis that characterizes Algerian-French relations at the present stage, and raise the tension between the two countries to a new level of danger.' In a statement published on Thursday, the ministry explained that it received the French ambassador to 'draw the attention of the French diplomat to the seriousness of the French-Moroccan military manoeuvres project scheduled to take place next September in Errachidia near the Algerian border, under the name 'Chergui 2025, 'which carries many connotations.' It also asked the ambassador to provide the necessary clarifications on this subject and called on him to convey Algeria's position to his peaceful authority in the form in which he was informed. It seems that the Makhzen is continuing its policy of relying on Algeria's enemies and provoking it by conducting manoeuvres with the colonial armies near the southwestern border. Zionist soldiers from the criminal Golani Brigade had previously participated in the 'African Lion 2023' military manoeuvres in Morocco despite the latter's cover-up, before the Zionist army revealed the matter, announcing its participation with soldiers on the ground, and said in a statement at the time, 'This is the first time that the army has participated effectively in these international manoeuvres on Moroccan soil.' The announcement of these manoeuvres comes in the context of a severe diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Paris, against the backdrop of France's recognition of the so-called 'Moroccan Western Sahara' in a clear leap over all international resolutions and regulations of United Nations bodies, which consider the issue of Western Sahara a decolonization issue, in light of an unprecedented deterioration in Algerian-French relations that reached the point of withdrawing the Algerian ambassador to France, and amid right-wing demands to suspend the 1968 agreement regulating immigration. Share
