Latest news with #Moroccan-controlled
The Sun
11-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
France pledges $168m investment in Morocco-claimed W.Sahara
RABAT: The state-run French Development Agency (AFD) will invest $168-million in the largely Moroccan-controlled but disputed territory of Western Sahara, the agency's chief said Saturday. 'The AFD group will now invest in the southern regions and provide investments and financing,' AFD chief executive Remy Rioux said in a statement carried by official Moroccan news agency MAP during a visit to the territory. Western Sahara, a mineral-rich former Spanish colony, is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is backed by Algeria. The United Nations considers Western Sahara a 'non-self-governing territory'. A UN peacekeeping mission based there since 1991 has the stated aim of organising a referendum on the territory's future. But Rabat has repeatedly ruled out any vote where independence is an option, instead proposing an autonomy plan. France's stance on Western Sahara has been ambiguous in recent years, often straining ties with Morocco. But last year, French President Emmanuel Macron said Morocco's autonomy plan was the 'only basis' to resolve the conflict. France's diplomatic turnabout had been awaited by Rabat, after the United States recognised Moroccan claims over Western Sahara in return for the kingdom normalising ties with Israel in 2020. The shift drew criticism from Algiers, which cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021.
Washington Post
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Migrants who survived capsize off African coast begin returning to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD — A group of migrants who survived the capsizing of a boat off the coast of West Africa earlier this month began returning to Pakistan on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Some 50 people died when a boat carrying them to the Canary Islands capsized near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in the disputed Western Sahara, including 44 Pakistanis, according to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Walking Borders, a Spain-based migrant rights group.
Arab News
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Migrants who survived capsize off African coast begin returning to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A group of migrants who survived the capsizing of a boat off the coast of West Africa earlier this month began returning to Pakistan on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Some 50 people died when a boat carrying them to the Canary Islands capsized near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in the disputed Western Sahara, including 44 Pakistanis, according to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Walking Borders, a Spain-based migrant rights group. Foreign ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that some of the 22 Pakistani survivors had already returned home on two flights. He did not give any further details, and it was unclear how many survivors returned home. Almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern province of Punjab, and relatives of those who are feared dead have been urging the government to make efforts to bring back their bodies. Hundreds of Pakistanis die every year while trying to reach Europe by land and sea with the help of human smugglers. Pakistan says it has launched a crackdown on human traffickers and sacked several immigration officials for negligence.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Migrants who survived capsize off African coast begin returning to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A group of migrants who survived the capsizing of a boat off the coast of West Africa earlier this month began returning to Pakistan on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Some 50 people died when a boat carrying them to the Canary Islands capsized near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in the disputed Western Sahara, including 44 Pakistanis, according to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Walking Borders, a Spain-based migrant rights group. Foreign ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that some of the 22 Pakistani survivors had already returned home on two flights. He did not give any further details, and it was unclear how many survivors returned home. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern province of Punjab, and relatives of those who are feared dead have been urging the government to make efforts to bring back their bodies. Hundreds of Pakistanis die every year while trying to reach Europe by land and sea with the help of human smugglers. Pakistan says it has launched a crackdown on human traffickers and sacked several immigration officials for negligence.
Associated Press
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Migrants who survived capsize off African coast begin returning to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A group of migrants who survived the capsizing of a boat off the coast of West Africa earlier this month began returning to Pakistan on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Some 50 people died when a boat carrying them to the Canary Islands capsized near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in the disputed Western Sahara, including 44 Pakistanis, according to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Walking Borders, a Spain-based migrant rights group. Foreign ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that some of the 22 Pakistani survivors had already returned home on two flights. He did not give any further details, and it was unclear how many survivors returned home. Almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern province of Punjab, and relatives of those who are feared dead have been urging the government to make efforts to bring back their bodies. Hundreds of Pakistanis die every year while trying to reach Europe by land and sea with the help of human smugglers. Pakistan says it has launched a crackdown on human traffickers and sacked several immigration officials for negligence.
