2020_in_Morocco
2020 in Morocco
List of events
Events in the year 2020 in Morocco.
See also: COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
January
- January 24 – Several organizations in Ecuador express their support for the rights of the Sahrawi people.[1]
- January 28 – February 7 – 2020 Africa Futsal Cup of Nations: Morocco was the defending champion and successfully managed to defend their title after beating Egypt 5–0 in the final.[citation needed]
February
- February 9 – The African Union reaffirms its support for self-determination for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.[2]
- February 17 – Morocco tightens its control over the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla.[3]
- February 22 to February 23: 2020 African Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament, Rabat.[citation needed]
- February 29 – 2020 Marrakesh ePrix, Marrakesh.[citation needed]
March
- March 2 – First confirmed case of coronavirus in the country.[citation needed]
- March 10 – First death from coronavirus, a French tourist[4]
- March 12 – At least 18 African countries, including Morocco, report cases of the novel coronavirus. Most are in single figures, but five deaths have been reported in North Africa.[5]
- March 13 – The government shuts down all schools, effective March 16 until further notice.[6]
- March 17 – Journalist and rights activist Omar Radi, 33, is given a four-month suspended sentence and a U $50 fine on charges of insulting a judge on Twitter, in a case that outrages advocates of free speech.[7]
- March 19 – The country declares a state of medical emergency beginning on March 20, 2020 and remaining in effect until April 20, 2020 with the possibility of extending.[8]
May
June
- June 26 – The government of Morocco "categorically denies" an Amnesty International report that they used surveillance software to spy on the phone of a prominent journalist and human rights activist Omar Radi.[10]
September
- September 4 – Dutch right-wing extremist and leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders is acquitted of a hate crime despite his "unnecessarily offensive" call in 2014 for "fewer Moroccans."[11]
November
- November 15 – A 30-year cease-fire between Morocco and Polisario Front forces is broken as the government tries to open a road in the Guerguerat buffer zone near the border with Mauritania.[12]
December
- December 11 – Morocco normalizes relations with Israel and in return U.S. President Trump acknowledges Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara.[13] The deal also includes US$1 billion in military aid.[14]
- December 16 – Couscous is added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[15]
- December 17 – Moroccan Ayoub El Khazzani is sentenced to life in prison for planning the 2015 Thalys train attack in France.[16]
- December 31 – Historian and human rights activist Maati Monjib is arrested for money laundering.[17]
January
- January 30 – Larbi Chebbak, footballer (b. 1946).[18]
February
August
- August 8 – Naima El Bezaz, Moroccan-Dutch writer (b. 1974).[20]
- August 24 – Touriya Jabrane, theatre director, actress and politician, former Minister of Culture (b. 1952).[21]
September
- September 2 – Abdeljebbar Louzir, actor (b. 1928).[22]
October
- October 19 – Ahmed Adghirni, 73, lawyer, politician, and human rights activist.[23]
- October 25 – Abderrazak Afilal Alami Idrissi, 96–97, Moroccan economist and politician, MP (1977–1983).[24]
- October 28 – Mohamed Melehi, 83, painter; COVID-19.[25]
November
- November 9 – Bruno Barbey, 79, Moroccan-born French photographer.[26]
- November 15 – Mahjoubi Aherdane, 99, politician, Minister of Defense (1961–1964).[27]
December
- December 2 – Mohamed Abarhoun, 31, footballer (Moghreb Tétouan, Moreirense, national team); stomach cancer.[28]
- December 15 – Noureddine Saïl, 73, film critic and writer; COVID-19.[29]
- December 27 – Mohamed El Ouafa, 72, diplomat and politician; COVID-19.[30]
- Western Sahara: Several Ecuadorian Organizations Reiterate Support for Right of Sahrawi People to Self-Determination allAfrica, 24 Jan 2020, retrieved 11 Feb 2020
- Morocco strangles Ceuta and Melilla, cutting borders to take advantage of Sánchez (in Spanish) El Español, 17 Feb 2020
- MATIN, M. Se, LE. "Le Matin - Le Maroc annonce le premier cas de décès du nouveau coronavirus" [Morning - Morocco announces first case of death from new coronavirus]. Le Matin (in French). Retrieved 30 March 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Coronavirus spreads to more African countries Al Jazeera, 12 March 2020
- "Courses Suspended in Morocco from March 16 Until Further Notice". Maghreb Arabe Press. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- "Morocco sentences activist for criticising 'judiciary'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- "COVID-19: Morocco Declares State of Emergency". Morocco World News. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
- "Algeria summons Moroccan ambassador over 'enemy country' remark". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- "Moroccan authorities deny using spyware to monitor critics". ABC News. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- "Wilders, absuelto de incitar al odio al pedir "menos marroquíes" en Países Bajos". www.msn.com. EFE. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- Brennan, David (November 15, 2020). "Fighting in Morocco May Present Biden with Fresh Africa Crisis Amid COVID Surge". msn.com. Newsweek. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- LAVALLÉE, Guillaume (December 11, 2020). "Trump hace un regalo a Marruecos al reconocer su soberanía sobre el Sáhara Occidental". es-us.noticias.yahoo.com (in Spanish). Yahoo News. AFP. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- Zengerle, Patricia; Stone, Mike (December 11, 2020). "Exclusive-Trump administration moves forward with $1 billion Moroccan arms deal". news.yahoo.com. Yahoo News. Reuters. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- "UNESCO adds couscous to list of intangible world heritage". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera English. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "French court jails Moroccan for life over foiled 2015 train attack". msn.com. AFP. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "Morocco detains rights activist for alleged money laundering". AP NEWS. 31 December 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- Mohamed Abarhoun, 31 yaşında hayatını kaybetti (in Turkish)
- محمد الوفا في ذمة الله (in Arabic)