Leader of Western Sahara independence movement dies

Leader of Western Sahara independence movement dies

by WorldTribune Staff, June 1, 2016 The leader of the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara from Morocco, has died, Algeria’s APS news agency reported. Mohamed Abdelaziz, 69, died on May 31 “after a long illness,” the report said. Abdelaziz had been leader of the Algeria-backed Polisario Front since 1976. “This is a […]

U.S. backs UN measure to restore Western Sahara mission

U.S. backs UN measure to restore Western Sahara mission

Special to WorldTribune.com The United States is supporting a resolution to restore the UN mission in Western Sahara. The UN said the resolution addresses an “urgent need” to restore the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) after Morocco recently expelled 75 UN staffers. Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral […]

Gulf states back Morocco over UN on Western Sahara issue

Gulf states back Morocco over UN on Western Sahara issue

Special to WorldTribune.com Leaders of Gulf Arab states have pledged solidarity with Morocco in its dispute with the UN over the fate of Western Sahara. Morocco expelled dozens of UN staff from the mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, last month after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to Morocco’s 1975 annexation of the region […]

Belgians living in Morocco feel safer there than in Belgium

Belgians living in Morocco feel safer there than in Belgium

Special to WorldTribune.com Belgians who have relocated to Morocco say they feel safer than in Belgium where they lived in constant fear of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) terror cells. Morocco “is a safe haven (for Belgians) amid a rough sea of turbulence, threats and insecurity, perhaps even safer than Europe these days,” […]

Morocco is in ‘complete solidarity’ with Saudi over Gulf region threats

Morocco is in ‘complete solidarity’ with Saudi over Gulf region threats

Special to WorldTribune.com Morocco on Feb. 10 signaled it stands with Saudi Arabia against threats in the Gulf region and backs the Saudi-led effort to “defend the legitmacy” of Yemen. “We are in complete solidarity with Saudi confronting any interference in its internal affairs,” Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar said during a joint press conference […]

Belgian of Moroccan descent, arrested in Paris attacks probe, fought in Syria

Belgian of Moroccan descent, arrested in Paris attacks probe, fought in Syria

Special to WorldTribune.com Police in Morocco have arrested a Belgian national of Moroccan descent in connection with the November terror attacks in Paris. Gelel Attar was arrested on Jan. 15 in the city of Mohammedia, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said. The ministry said Attar had received training from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) […]

China’s Navy makes its first port call in Casablanca, Morocco

China’s Navy makes its first port call in Casablanca, Morocco

Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — The Chinese Navy has conducted its first visit to Moroco. This is the most recent demonstration of China’s expanding global reach. The visit telegraphs its presence in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and contrasts with the reduction of the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf. A Chinese Navy task […]