United States condemns Smara attacks, reaffirms support for Moroccan autonomy plan
via Le Matin1 min read
The United States Mission to the United Nations has condemned attacks by the Polisario Front in Smara, stating that such violence threatens regional stability and peace progress. Washington views these actions as inconsistent with the spirit of recent negotiations concerning the Moroccan Sahara. The US emphasized that the 50-year-old dispute must end, referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2797. The US also affirmed that Morocco's autonomy proposal offers a path to peace in the Sahara, urging those resisting peace to engage sincerely for a better future. The mission concluded that the status quo is unsustainable.
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Book Club Le Matin is hosting Kébir Mustapha Ammi as part of its cultural program alongside SIEL 2026. The event will feature a discussion focused on themes of exile, transmission, and the boundaries of intimacy. The meeting is scheduled for May 7, 2026.
Must ReadZambia has reiterated its support for Morocco's territorial integrity and commended the United Nations Security Council's adoption of Resolution 2797 on October 31, 2025. This resolution endorses Morocco's autonomy plan as the sole serious, credible, and lasting basis for a political solution to the Sahara dispute, within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. This position was articulated in a joint communiqué issued in Rabat following discussions between Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and Zambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe, during his working visit to Morocco. Mr. Haimbe also expressed Zambia's support for UN efforts to resolve the regional dispute and for Morocco's autonomy plan, deeming it the only credible, serious, and realistic solution. He further highlighted this initiative as a pragmatic and constructive foundation for achieving a durable and mutually acceptable political solution. Mr. Bourita, in turn, acknowledged the positive development in relations between the two nations in recent years, particularly noting the opening of the Zambian Embassy in Rabat and its Consulate General in Laâyoune in October 2020.
Achraf Hakimi, captain of the Moroccan national team, is focused on securing a second consecutive European title with Paris Saint-Germain in the upcoming Champions League final. Despite missing the semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich due to a right thigh injury sustained in the first leg, Hakimi was actively involved in the team's celebrations. He now faces a race against time to be fit for the final on May 30 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, where PSG will face Arsenal. Meanwhile, Nayef Aguerd, Olympique de Marseille's central defender, is continuing his rehabilitation in Morocco after undergoing surgery in March for persistent pubalgia. Olympique de Marseille announced that Aguerd has been authorized to join the Moroccan national team's medical staff for his recovery at the Mohammed VI Football Complex. His goal is to regain full fitness before the 2026 World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Champions League final could also feature another Moroccan player, young goalkeeper Bilal Laurendon, who was called up to the PSG squad for the semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich. If Laurendon is part of the squad for the final against Arsenal, Morocco could have two representatives in the historic match.
The MV Hondius cruise ship is traveling from Cape Verde to Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands, where it is expected to arrive this weekend. Passengers are scheduled for evacuation early next week. Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise operator, announced on Thursday that no one on board is currently exhibiting symptoms. The ship is anticipated to reach the Canaries by midday Sunday, according to Marine Traffic. Health authorities are investigating the outbreak's origin and identifying potential contact cases. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus, which can be contracted through contact with rodents. The Andes strain, found in infected passengers, is the only one known for human-to-human transmission. The World Health Organization WHO indicates the initial infection occurred before the expedition began on April 1, as the first deceased passenger, a 70-year-old Dutchman, showed symptoms by April 6. Anaïs Legand, a technical expert on viral hemorrhagic fevers at WHO, explained that the incubation period is typically one to six weeks, often around two to three weeks. She emphasized that the first infected person was likely exposed to the virus, probably from a rodent, before boarding the ship. Three passengers have died since the cruise began, which sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde: a Dutch septuagenarian, his wife, and a German woman. One man is hospitalized in Johannesburg, another in Zurich, Switzerland. Three individuals were evacuated from th