Mauritania has a central role to play in Morocco’s Atlantic initiative aiming to offer access to the ocean to landlocked Sahel countries and promote regional economic integration and shared development. Morocco’s foreign minister Nasser Bourita made the remarks at a joint press conference in Rabat with his guest Mauritania’s foreign minister Salem Ould Merzoug. King Mohammed VI had called, in a speech in November, for an international initiative to ease Sahel countries access to the Atlantic and global trade. Sahel countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad subscribed to the initiative at the highest level in view of its potential in unlocking the economies of the region. Bourita said Morocco backs Mauritania as a bacon of stability in the region and that the Kingdom looks forward to stronger ties.

Hilal Khashan is a Professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. He is a respected author and analyst of Middle Eastern affairs. He is the author of six books, including Hizbullah: A Mission to Nowhere. He is currently writing a book titled Saudi Arabia: The Dilemma of Political Reform and the Illusion of Economic Development. He is also the author of more than 110 articles that appeared in journals such as Orbis, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Middle East Quarterly, Third World Quarterly, Israel Affairs, Journal of Religion and Society, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, and The British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.

ECS Group has acquired Morocco's leading GSA Efis Maroc, building on a long standing commercial partnership spanning over two decades. "The acquisition agreement, signed on December 13, 2023, marks the beginning of a seamless transition and the implementation of digital enhancements for the benefit of Efis Maroc and its clientele," says a release from ECS. Founded by Pierre Fougerouse, Efis Maroc is based in Casablanca and specialises in air, road and logistics, the release added. "Their expertise includes supervising the handling of special products such as outsize cargo, dangerous goods, perishables, and live animals. Efis Maroc, strategically positioned at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, provides extensive commercial coverage for the country's major cargo gateways including Marrakech Menara Airport, Agadir Al Massira Airport and Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport."

Winners in the fifth annual Middle East&North Africa Stevie® Awards (https://StevieAwards.com/MENA), the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced. The 2024 Middle East&North Africa Stevie Awards have recognized winning organizations in 13 nations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. “We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2024 edition of the Middle East&North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 2 March in Ras Al Khaimah. The program has grown every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region.”Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Middle East&North Africa Stevie Awards.

While the Rapid Support Forces (RFS) has continued getting diplomatic and materiel support amid the war in Sudan, the consequences of isolating the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) could inadvertently push them toward rogue regimes, a self-fulfilling prophecy that complicates the region’s stability. There's more to this story Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Subscribe Now cancel anytime Already a a subscriber Sign In

The bus station in Agadez, a remote city of low mud-brick buildings in the West African nation of Niger, is buzzing again. For years, this portal was closed, at least officially. The country’s government, friendly to Europe, outlawed migration out of Agadez, and in exchange the European Union poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Niger’s coffers and the local economy. But last summer, after generals in Niger seized power in a military coup, the European Union suspended financial support to the government — and in response, the generals severed the migration arrangement with the European Union in November. The gate is once again open, and a fresh flock of hopeful migrants is once again passing through, to the relief of many locals.

The discovery of the Larache footprints represents further evidence of the importance of North Africa, and the Moroccan region in particular, during hominin evolution. The western Atlantic coast between Rabat and Tangier, where the Larache footprints are located, was occupied in several places. From an ichnological point of view, the Larache footprints represent an important discovery. While Pleistocene Homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers, individuals likely left the Larache footprints while probably searching for resources. In this context, the preferential orientation of the Larache footprints towards the offshore could maybe indicate the search for marine resources.

Fairfax / Virginia: Winners in the fifth annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced. The 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards have recognized winning organizations in 13 nations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Winners of multiple Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Awards include Abu Dhabi Sports Council, UAE; Acceligize, UAE; AXS - TECOM Group, UAE; Beyaz Kağıt San. “We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2024 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 2 March in Ras Al Khaimah.

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That’s despite huge pressure on the country’s public finance, Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri said on Monday, dispelling doubts about the possibility of a default. Tunisia will pay $4 billion of foreign debts in 2024, an increase of 40% compared with 2023, an official document showed amid a scarcity of external financing for the North African country that is struggling to fix its ailing public finances. Economists say Tunisia relied heavily on new internal loans to pay off its external debts, which significantly reduced liquidity and contributed to reducing banks’ financing of the economy. They believe that the situation will very difficult this year amid the rise in foreign debt and the difficulty of repeatedly resorting to the internal loans. SOURCE: REUTERS

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Storm Isha has caused severe disruption across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with trees down and power cuts. Northern Ireland Electricity said the storm had caused widespread damage to the network. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a number of roads across Northern Ireland remain impassable on Monday. Pictures show fallen trees at the iconic Dark Hedges in County Antrim, as well as damage caused to cars.

Africa Tech Summit Nairobi has announced the 10 African tech ventures that will showcase their solutions to an audience of industry experts, investors and fellow innovators on February 14-15. Africa Tech Summit Nairobi is a leading African tech event providing insight and networking with the African tech ecosystem, bringing together tech leaders, MNOs, banks, international investors, entrepreneurs, governments, trade bodies, media and leading ventures to drive investment and business in African tech. The annual Investment Showcase is a cornerstone of Africa Tech Summit, allowing selected ventures to showcase their products and services to a diverse audience of local and international investors and tech leadersMore than 250 entries were received from various countries across Africa, with 10 startups eventually selected, spanning fintech, agri-tech, e-commerce, Web3, and climate-tech. We look forward to welcoming over 1,000 delegates to the summit to catalyse collaborative efforts and propel investments to further fuel innovation and growth throughout the continent,” said Henry Umunnakwe, ecosystems and sales manager of Africa Tech Summit. Register for passes to Africa Tech Summit Nairobi, February 14-15, here.

The divisions between EU member states over Israel’s war on Gaza contrast with near unity on the Russia-Ukraine war. European Union foreign ministers have met to discuss the Red Sea crisis, the Gaza war and Ukraine. There’s unity on some issues – but sharp division on others. Is it possible for the bloc of 27 states to have a shared or meaningful foreign policy? Presenter:Nastasya TayGuests:Suzanne Lynch – chief Brussels correspondent, PoliticoJulien Barnes-Dacey – director of the Middle East and North Africa programme of the European Council on Foreign RelationsBen Aris – founder and editor-in-chief of bne IntelliNews, a business media company focusing on emerging markets

The Demoiselle crane (Grus virgo) holds the distinction of being the smallest among crane species, boasting a graceful demeanor that has inspired comparisons to the elegance of beautiful women. Distinguished by its slightly smaller size in comparison to the Common crane, the Demoiselle crane shares a similar plumage, featuring a lengthy white neck stripe and a black foreneck extending down over the chest in a distinctive plume. The head of the Demoiselle crane is adorned with feathers, lacking the bare red patches of skin commonly observed in other Gruidae species. Breeding in Central Eurasia, spanning from the Black Sea to North East China and Mongolia, the Demoiselle crane migrates to wintering grounds in the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa. During the winter, the Demoiselle crane utilizes cultivated areas in India and roosts in nearby wetlands.