People celebrate Morocco's World Cup victory against Portugal in the Morocco-administered Western Sahara city of Laayoune, Saturday, December 10, 2022
From Beat poets and music festivals to anti-Ice campaigners and new Arsenal ink, LAYTH YOUSIF continues his exploration of a city where community still matters
AFTER the final whistle of every match Morocco win in their historic World Cup run, crowds have poured out of homes and cafes in Laayoune, the biggest city of Western Sahara, celebrating for hours.
The revellers include some Sahrawi people, members of an ethnic group that has sought independence for Western Sahara since Morocco annexed the disputed territory in 1975.
But other Sahrawis root for Morocco to lose, or refuse to celebrate. They accuse Moroccan authorities of increasingly cracking down on independence activists and of touting the team’s success in Qatar to distract the population from economic challenges.
CJ ATKINS commemorates one of the most dramatic moments in working-class history
Forward’s rise as the tournament’s leading scorer reflects a journey shaped by heritage and belief as Morocco reach the final, writes JAMES NALTON
We must remember Morocco’s land grab of the Sahrawi people’s territory continues with French and British support, writes BERT SCHOUWENBURG, looking into the origins of the annexation