Nigeria: The New African Diplomatic Leader, At Expense Of South Africa

HASSAN MASIKY

11/15/12

Washington / Morocco News Board--- In a sign that Nigeria is in and South Africa is out, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chose the Nigerian capital to announce their decision to send 3,000 troops to flush out terrorists from Northern Mali. With Nigeria contributing the largest Military contingency and leading a new diplomatic offensive, President Goodluck Jonathan signals a Nigerian comeback on the African scene.

Morocco: Adoption Of Orphans Under Attack By Islamist Government

NEWS

11/12/12

Boys in a Moroccan orphanage

Regarding a growing unease over moves by current islamist Justice Minister Mr. Ramid efforts to restrict adoption in Morocco, at a time when the situation of orphaned or abandoned children is critical.  A recent circular from the Ministry of Justice dismissing the right of non-resident foreigners to adopt has led to grave concerns about the future welfare of Moroccan orphans.

Morocco: Remember This Child?

NORA FITZGERALD

11/12/12

Marrakech / Morocco News Board  -  He came into life under difficult circumstances.  He is Saeeda’s son (name changed for privacy).  Such a curious, funny, quick child.  Since his birth, his mother, who is unmarried, drew the veil of secrecy around herself and her child in order to protect them both from scrutiny.  With time however, she introduced him to her family as “the son of a woman who can’t take care of him”.

Designer’s Notebook – Moroccan Style

NEWS

11/12/12

It’s not all the time a client comes to the interior designers and ask to create a Moroccan cigar lounge. Well, that’s exactly what happened and thus begins the enviable task of learning all about Moroccan style. In a search for room examples that would fit the design goal, a few main characteristics had to be included in a Moroccan inspired space.

Morocco: Uninvited Guests Come To Class

NEWS

11/12/12

in a rural school in Morocco, while the elementary students were in class, a couple of intrusive guests came through the door to the surprise and delight of the pupils and teacher ...

Morocco: Tanjazz, An Amply Won Bet

NEWS

11/12/12

Mehdi Harrizi

The Tanjazz festival has nothing left to prove. The artistic performances were of very high quality as usual but this 13th edition pushed the envelope even further by allowing the public to discover Karim Kadiri a talented Moroccan oudist.

Western Sahara: UN Envoy Ross's Algeria Problem

HASSAN MASIKY

11/09/12

Washington / Morocco News Board---   As long as Mr. Ross evades redefining the Western Sahara conflict as a battle of wills between Morocco and Algeria over political dominance in North Africa, his mission to resolve the thirty-seven years old dispute will remain at a standstill. If the U.N. envoy for Western Sahara‘s mission is clear, his plan of action is unknown.
Since finding “an acceptable and mutual agreeable solution” is a major tenet of the U.N. efforts to resolve the Western Sahara, it is hard for Moroccans to envision a successful “Ross mission”.

Starting Women Cooperative Project in Morocco

NORA FITZGERALD

10/28/12

We applied for Cooperative status back in May, and now, five months later, I can confidently say that I’ve been initiated into the high realm of Moroccan bureaucracy.   It’s everything they promised it would be, long, unclear and unexplained, and hopelessly rooted in the ’50s.

Marrakech: Restaurant At End Of The World

DEREK WORKMAN

11/05/12

Washington / Morocco News Board---  Camel’s head, sheep’s testicle, calf’s feet and plenty less exotic treats – all to be had at Marrakech’s famous open-air restaurant.  Paula Wolfert’s book, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, won the Cookbook Hall Of Fame award, twenty-five years after its publication. At the time, Moroccan cuisine would probably have seemed pretty exotic. ...

Why Is Algeria Making Overtures To Terror Groups In Mali?

HASSAN MASIKY

11/05/12

Washington / Morocco News Board---   The Algerian government is turning to the terror group Ansar Eddine for help to save Bouteflika’s failed Sahel policy. Algiers’s overtures toward Ansar Eddine demonstrate the length to which the Algerian government will go to undermine any political settlement to the Malian conflict that may boost the influence of the more respected National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA).

U.S. Presidential Debate: The Mali Surprise

HASSAN MASIKY

10/24/12

Washington / Morocco News Board--It was surprising to hear the Republican candidate Mitt Romney mention Mali during the last Presidential debate. As an advocate for more American involvement in the Sahel long before the crisis in Northern Mali turned into an international hot spot worthy of a United Nations resolution advocating military interventions, one hopes to see Mr. Romney statements lead to more American presence in the region.

Divergences between Algeria and Washington On National Security

HASSAN MASIKY

10/19/12

Washington / Morocco News Board--- Divergence of views between Algiers and Washington on several key topics that affect the national security of the United States make a strategic alliance between Algeria and the United States hard to succeed. Thus, the opening of the first session of the strategic dialogue between Algeria and the United States, which started this Friday in the nation’s capital, should be an occasion to raise the question around the value of such overtures toward countries that oppose American interests overseas.

Morocco: $250 Extra To Marry 15 Year Old Girl

NEWS

10/06/12

Hind Fassi
Her name is Naima, she is fifteen, she lives in a village that is 50 km south of Marrakech with her parents and seven siblings. Like most village girls, Naima went to primary school for only four years. The nearest high school is 20 km away from her house and buying a used bicycle is out of reach for the family budget!

Morocco: Islamists Failing as an Alternative

SAID TEMSAMANI

10/09/12

By the time  massive protests erupted against some Arab dictators, we all know that they were all goners, one way or another. The only way they  could have kept their grip on power would have been to slaughter  their own people in the streets (as the Syrian dictator is doing now). But it is far from clear that their armies would have been willing to fire on their own people. 

Algerian ‘state terrorism’ and atrocities in northern Mali

NEWS

10/07/12

Jeremy H. Keenan

The Islamist ‘terrorist’ groups that have taken over control of northern Mali are not only the creations of Algeria’s secret police, the Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (DRS), but they are being supplied, supported and orchestrated by the DRS. What began ostensibly in January 2012 as just another rebellion by the Sahara desert’s Tuareg tribesmen had evolved within 3-4 months into what media commentators were calling “Africa’s Afghanistan”. 

Algeria Isolated On Mali As West Prepares To Intervene

HASSAN MASIKY

10/04/12

Washington / Morocco News Board---   News of White House “secret meetings to examine the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s franchise in North Africa and consider for the first time whether to prepare for unilateral strikes” as reported by the Washington Post in its Tuesday’s edition dispelled Algeria’s attempts to portray the American position in Mali as compatible with Algiers’s.