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Marrakech African Book Festival 2026 to focus on imagination amid crisis of values
via Le Matin3 min read
The Marrakech African Book Festival FLAM 2026 aims to re-evaluate perceptions and constructions of reality, positioning itself as an intellectual and poetic space. The fourth edition of FLAM emphasizes the importance of imagination in a time when the capacity to envision alternative social structures is diminishing. The festival seeks to reopen possibilities and reaffirm the role of imagination as a driver of transformation, using art, literature, and poetry to foster new approaches and narratives that challenge exploitative systems. Founded by Mahi Binebine, Fatimata Wane, Hanane Essaydi, and Younès Ajarraï, FLAM has become a key platform for African literature, bringing together writers, thinkers, and artists from the continent and its diasporas. The program includes literary meetings, debates, author dialogues, book presentations, writing workshops, master classes, and school interventions, with a focus on youth engagement. The festival also incorporates transdisciplinary elements, such as "Nocturnes" that blend literature with music, dance, and performance. Zoulikha Bouabdellah designed the festival's poster, exploring cultural exchanges and identity. Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, honorary president of FLAM, highlights literature's role in connecting human experiences across geographies. For three days, Marrakech will serve as a hub for ideas, celebrating the power of books for dialogue and freedom. FLAM is committed to promoting diverse African expressions, circulating w
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Must ReadFollowing an attack near Es-Smara prison, the United States Mission to the United Nations released a statement on May 6, denouncing the violence and asserting that the status quo cannot continue. France, through its UN representation, reiterated on May 7 that the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty is the only basis for a just and lasting peace, urging the Polisario to respect the ceasefire and UN resolutions. On May 8, during the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Japan explicitly endorsed the concept of "autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty" in a joint communiqué signed by Nasser Bourita and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi. Japan also committed to diplomatic and economic action based on Security Council Resolution 2797 and called for all parties to participate in discussions without preconditions, aligning with the Moroccan plan. This follows Japan's previous stance at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, where it clarified that the presence of an unrecognized entity would not affect its position. This shift is part of a broader trend, including Mali's withdrawal of recognition for the SADR on April 10, with its Minister Abdoulaye Diop calling the Moroccan plan the only serious and credible basis for resolution. Bolivia had also suspended its recognition of the SADR weeks prior. Switzerland, the European Union, Canada, and Zambia have also adopted positions supporting the autonomy plan, citing the same UN resolution. Th
Morocco and Japan recently commemorated 70 years of diplomatic relations, reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Imperial Highness Emperor Naruhito. This milestone underscores a shared ambition to establish Rabat-Tokyo as a pillar of stability and growth, addressing global challenges with agility and solidarity. The two nations' ministers signed a joint communiqué, serving as an operational roadmap for the "Cooperation Memorandum for a Strengthened Partnership" signed in Tokyo in 2024. This communiqué institutionalizes strategic dialogue through regular political consultations to enhance coordination between their ministries. Both ministers expressed a firm determination to intensify high-level exchanges and promote cooperation across various sectors via the Morocco-Japan Joint Committee. This qualitative leap in relations structures bilateral priorities around robust, diversified, and multidimensional cooperation. Special attention will be given to cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In development cooperation, opportunities for triangular collaboration between Morocco, Japan, and partner African countries were explored, with a commitment to sustained high-level visits for follow-up. To celebrate this jubilee and in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, in which both countries will participate, the ministers symbolically exchanged national football team jerseys, each bearing the number 70. Japan's minister congratula
Must ReadThe European Union's Ambassador to Morocco, Dimiter Tzantchev, stated on Friday that "it is not time to escalate, but to negotiate," referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2797. He emphasized that Morocco's autonomy plan should form the basis for achieving "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution" to the Western Sahara dispute. This statement follows several international condemnations of attacks targeting Smara and calls to preserve diplomatic efforts under the United Nations.
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