Moroccan Rapper Mouad L7a9ed released from prison Friday

After several months in prison, Moroccan rapper Mouad Belghouat "L7a9ed", just found this Friday, March 29 his freedom.

The Singer of February 20 Movement, According to his supporters, will give a press conference for this purpose this afternoon 15 o'clock, at the cultural slaughterhouses of Casablanca.

Read More

Veolia sells Morocco water, waste services to Actis

Veolia Environnement has agreed to sell its Moroccan water, wastewater and electricity services operated by concession companies Redal and Amendis to investment fund Actis in a deal worth around 370 million euros ($484 million).

The transaction will reduce the company's debt by around 88 million euros in 2013, Veolia said in a statement on Friday.

Veolia added that it has signed a three-year technical support contract with Actis for the businesses.

///Reuters

Read More

Maroc Telecoms Posts Poor Year-End Accounts

Maroc Telecom’s (Maroc) revenues sagged 3.2 percent in 2012 to MAD 29.85 billion ($3.5 billion), battered by mobile price cuts at its home market, Morocco’s biggest telecoms company said on Thursday.

But group customer base rose by 13.5 percent over 2012 to 33 million customers, led by the international customer base, up 30 percent to 13.1 million customers.

The telecoms operator – which is 53 percent owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA and 30 percent owned by the Moroccan government – said reduced termination rates in its home market were only partially compensated by a 17 percent rise in international revenue.

Group revenues in the fourth quarter declined by 3.9 percent from the previous year to MAD 7.33 billion ($868 million), it said in a statement.

Net earnings in 2012 fell by 17 percent to MAD 6.71 billion ($795 million), impacted by restructuring charges and a one-time contribution of MAD 204 million ($24 million) to the Moroccan solidarity fund.

For 2013, Maroc said it aims to maintain its EBITDA margin at around 56 percent and show slight growth in operating cash flow (EBITDA – capex). In 2012, cash flow rose 8.5 percent last year to MAD 12.6 billion ($1.5 billion), while capex fell 7.0 percent to MAD 5.4 billion ($639 million).

Maroc recently said it would invest 10 billion Moroccan dirhams ($1.1 billion) to upgrade the country’s broadband network, Morocco’s biggest telecoms company said on Wednesday.

Maroc said it would invest this money between 2013 and 2015 financial years. The company will also invest 4 billion dirhams in other African countries where it has operations. These countries include Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali over the same period.

Maroc had already invested 25 billion dirhams ($3 billion) in Morocco, it said in a statement to the French securities exchange.

The company made this announcement at the time when Etisalat ETEL.AD, the United Arab Emirates’ largest telecommunications operator, said it is interested in buying Vivendi’s 53 percent stake in Morocco’s Maroc Telecom.

|ventures-africa.com

Read More

Soultana: ‘The Voice of Women’ Raps in Morocco

Soultana and her band won Morocco’s biggest amateur music competition a few years back and promptly became the most recognized female rap group in Africa.

Soultana’s hit single “The Voice of Women” is her anthem.

“She gave him money, love and life,” Soultana raps. “He gave her lies and violence. This is the Moroccan woman. This is one of a million.”

Soultana raps about the challenges facing women in this North African country: illiteracy, poverty, domestic violence, and daily harassment on the street.

Soultana’s real name is Youssra Oukaf and she’s 27. She walks a fine line, calling for change in Morocco without criticizing the King.
Other Moroccan rappers have ended up in jail for crossing the line but Soultana says she loves the King.

She implores him to improve life for his people—especially young people like her.

“We need jobs, we need education, we need health, we need a lot of things. We sing that we need change. I want to see all of my brothers and my sisters in Morocco working, have jobs,” she says.

Shalea Harris and Ouiame Mitali contributed reporting to this story. It was produced in association with Round Earth Media and SIT Study Abroad’s Morocco journalism program.

|Theworld.org

Read More