Latest news with #Franco-Moroccan
Morocco World
3 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
King Mohammed VI May Visit France in Late 2025 or Early 2026
Doha – King Mohammed VI may make a long-awaited state visit to France in late 2025 or early 2026, according to a Moroccan diplomatic source. The visit, which has been postponed several times, would mark a new chapter in the strengthening of relations between the two countries. A series of preparatory meetings have been scheduled ahead of the official state visit, which the King will make at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, a source told AFP. One of the meetings will reportedly gather the Franco-Moroccan High Joint Commission, co-chaired by the heads of government, and is scheduled for the fall of 2025. Other visits and meetings will also be held to assess the progress of bilateral issues. Key among these is a meeting of the 'joint migration group' on June 25 in Paris and a visit by Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit on July 7. In April, during a visit to Rabat, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced an agreement to 'improve cooperation on readmissions', including the establishment of a 'joint group' tasked with 'investigating whether the nationality is Moroccan or not' for a number of irregular migrants. The upcoming royal visit comes after Macron, during his three-day trip to Rabat in October 2024, strongly supported the 2007 Autonomy Plan over the Western Sahara, endorsing Moroccan sovereignty over its southern provinces. In a July letter to the King, the French president stated that the Moroccan plan 'now constitutes the only basis for reaching a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions' – a position that the European country has reaffirmed since. During Macron's visit, he officially invited King Mohammed VI to make a state visit to France – an invitation the sovereign accepted with the exact date to be agreed through diplomatic channels. Now, according to reports, those dates are materializing. The two also leaders discussed giving a decisive boost to the excellent multidimensional relations between Morocco and France, to take into account the ambitions of both countries and face international developments and challenges together. They addressed regional and international issues, agreeing to work together to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean, African and Atlantic cooperation for prosperity and sustainable human development. The leaders additionally stressed the importance of deeply renewing the partnership between the two shores of the Mediterranean to build a more stable, sustainable, and prosperous future for the entire region. Tags: Emmanuel MacronKing Mohammed VIMorocco France Relations
LeMonde
04-06-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
Suspected mastermind of French crypto kidnappings arrested in Morocco
A 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man suspected of masterminding a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France has been arrested in Morocco, French authorities said. The country has been shaken by a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting cryptocurrency bosses and their families in recent months, prompting one prominent crypto entrepreneur to call on authorities to " stop the Mexicanization" of France. Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou was wanted by the French authorities and was the subject of an Interpol red notice for "arrest, kidnapping, false imprisonment or arbitrary detention of a hostage." The suspect was arrested in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, according to a statement from the country's General Directorate for National Security carried by Moroccan state news agency MAP. "I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organised crime," French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on X. Darmanin did not release further details but reposted a report in French daily Le Parisien which said authorities believe that Bajjou might have organized a series of kidnappings and abduction attempts from abroad. A native of Le Chesnay, west of Paris, Bajjou is suspected of being one of the masterminds behind the high-profile kidnapping in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner, according to Le Parisien. Balland co-founded the cryptocurrency firm Ledger, which was valued at the time at more than $1 billion. Balland's finger was cut off by his kidnappers, who demanded a hefty ransom. At least nine suspects are under investigation in that case. Another ringleader? The French authorities are also probing Bajjou's possible involvement in the series of kidnappings or attempted kidnappings in May, Le Parisien said. In footage that went viral on social media, several masked men attacked a pregnant daughter of cryptocurrency entrepreneur Pierre Noizat, her husband and their child in broad daylight in the French capital's hip 11 th arrondissement in mid-May. The attackers fled after the family put up resistance and a local attacked the men with a fire extinguisher. In early May, attackers also abducted a crypto-millionaire's father, who was later rescued by police. According to Le Parisien, another Franco-Moroccan man in his forties is believed to be behind the kidnapping plots. He remains at large. The Morocco-based men are thought to have been recruiting youngsters online to carry out criminal offenses in France. French authorities have made a series of arrests, but the suspects detained until now are thought to have been those involved in carrying out the abductions or in logistics. Last week, French authorities charged 25 people aged between 16 and 23 in connection with the kidnappings and attempted abductions. Most of the suspects were born in France and others in Senegal, Angola and Russia. The crimes have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business. In May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.
eNCA
04-06-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Suspected mastermind of French crypto kidnappings held in Morocco
A 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man suspected of masterminding a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France has been arrested in Morocco, France said. Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou was wanted by the French authorities and was the subject of an Interpol red notice for "arrest, kidnapping, false imprisonment or arbitrary detention of a hostage." The suspect was arrested in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, according to a statement from the country's General Directorate for National Security carried by Moroccan state news agency MAP. France has been shaken by a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting cryptocurrency bosses and their families in recent months, prompting one prominent crypto entrepreneur to call on authorities to "stop the Mexicanisation" of the country. "I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organised crime," French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X. A native of Le Chesnay west of Paris, Bajjou is suspected of being one of the masterminds behind the high-profile kidnapping in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner, according to French daily Le Parisien. Balland co-founded the crypto firm Ledger, valued at the time at more than $1 billion. Balland's finger was cut off by his kidnappers, who demanded a hefty ransom. Last week French authorities charged 25 people, including six minors, over the series of kidnappings and attempted abductions. The crimes have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business. In May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Suspected mastermind of French crypto kidnappings held in Morocco
A 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man suspected of masterminding a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France has been arrested in Morocco, France said. Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou was wanted by the French authorities and was the subject of an Interpol red notice for "arrest, kidnapping, false imprisonment or arbitrary detention of a hostage." The suspect was arrested in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, according to a statement from the country's General Directorate for National Security carried by Moroccan state news agency MAP. France has been shaken by a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting cryptocurrency bosses and their families in recent months, prompting one prominent crypto entrepreneur to call on authorities to "stop the Mexicanisation" of the country. "I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organised crime," French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X. A native of Le Chesnay west of Paris, Bajjou is suspected of being one of the masterminds behind the high-profile kidnapping in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner, according to French daily Le Parisien. Balland co-founded the crypto firm Ledger, valued at the time at more than $1 billion. Balland's finger was cut off by his kidnappers, who demanded a hefty ransom. Last week French authorities charged 25 people, including six minors, over the series of kidnappings and attempted abductions. The crimes have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business. In May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security. edy-abo-anr-as/sjw/fg
Morocco World
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Moroccan Trio Shortlisted for Golden Boy 2025
The race for the 2025 Golden Boy award is well underway, and three young Moroccan players have made the first cut in the 100-man shortlist. Eliesse Ben Seghir and Chemsdine Talbi, both full Morocco internationals, are joined by Franco-Moroccan prospect Ayyoub Bouaddi as nominees for the prestigious award, which recognizes the best under-21 player in Europe each year. Ben Seghir, 20, enjoyed a solid season with AS Monaco, scoring nine goals and providing four assists. Talbi, also 20, has been a standout performer for Club Brugge in Belgium. With seven goals and four assists to his name, including key contributions in the Champions League, he's now attracting interest from bigger clubs across the continent, notably German side RB Leipzig. Bouaddi is the youngest of the Moroccan trio. The 17-year-old midfielder has already broken into the first team at Lille and drew widespread attention after running the show in a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage. He hasn't committed to Morocco or France at the international level just yet. While the Moroccan players are turning heads, it's Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí who currently leads the pack. The 18-year-old has had a breakout season, making 56 appearances across all competitions and helping Barça to a domestic treble under Hansi Flick. His calmness on the ball and defensive maturity have earned him a rating of 95.4 in the Football Benchmark index, putting him at the top of the official rankings. Lamine Yamal, last year's winner, sits at number one on the list with a score of 97.7, but since no player can win the award twice, his name is only there for reference. Paris Saint-Germain's Désiré Doué ranks third and is another strong candidate after a superb season, after winning the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the UEFA Champions League. The shortlist was published this week by Tuttosport , the Italian outlet that created the Golden Boy award back in 2003. The final winner will be announced in December. Tags: Ayyoub BouaddiChemsdine Talbieliesse ben seghirGolden Boy award
