Western Sahara

The "pearl of the south" is still not free

Morocco celebrates Sahrawi heritage through state TV, tourism campaigns and festivals. But self-determination for Western Sahara remains a distant prospect, while the central government deepens its hold on the territory through major development projects.

A Sufi tradition on the world stage

A festival in Morocco is bringing Gnawa music to the mainstream. Shaped by migration, slavery and a long struggle for recognition, the once marginalised Sufi tradition is now internationally renowned.

The voice of Western Sahara

Aziza Brahim's childhood as a Sahrawi refugee in Algeria naturally shaped her music, but as her latest album, "Mawja" shows, while she has not forgotten where she comes from, she has long since tuned her ears to a world beyond the camp perimeters

EU gatekeeper Morocco leverages its own interests

Morocco is intensifying its gatekeeper role in EU migration, stopping 87,000 migrants in 2023. Key to the deal is European acceptance of Morocco's claim to disputed Western Sahara

Algiers is banking on Europe's gas rush

Following the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Algeria, both countries are seeking to expand their energy cooperation. This will, however, only further cement Algiers' dependence on the gas rush. By Sofian Philip Naceur

No more lethargy – Algiers’ passive foreign policy is over

For the first time since 1989, Algeria‘s authoritarian regime has sent a military parade marching through Algiers. A formidable show of strength designed to impress rival regional powers, the event also sought to highlight the country’s own stance on Israel and Palestine. By Sofian Philip Naceur

Is a gas crisis with Algeria on the horizon for Spain?

Madrid's about-face on the Western Sahara conflict has enraged Algeria. Trade relations have been frozen unilaterally and a cut in gas supplies to Europe could be in the pipeline. By Ralph Schulze

"One day we will be free"

Sultana Khaya, 41, has been peacefully resisting the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for many years. Because of her campaign to assert the self-determination of the Sahrawi people, she was assaulted and raped. She has been under house arrest for over a year. Interview by Elisa Rheinheimer

Moroccan kids get a taste of surfing freedom

Morocco's fast-track development programme bypasses many

Morocco is receiving much international recognition for its policy of modernisation, but the weaknesses of the model are obvious. By Claudia Mende

New African consulates cause trouble for Western Sahara

Several African countries have opened diplomatic missions to Morocco in Western Sahara, a disputed area occupied by Rabat. This has been exacerbating the conflict in an already volatile region seeking independence. By Martina Schwikowski und Hugo Flotat-Talon

The Sahrawis are fed up with waiting

The dispute over Western Sahara has been smouldering for over 40 years. In the refugee camps in Algeria, resignation is spreading among many people who have been hoping for a solution by the United Nations for decades. By Hugo Flotat-Talon