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Morocco Launches Campaigns to Combat Spread of Fake News

Tourists wait to be repatriated to their countries as Morocco suspends flights to European countries over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fears, at Marrakech airport, Morocco, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Tourists wait to be repatriated to their countries as Morocco suspends flights to European countries over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fears, at Marrakech airport, Morocco, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
    Rabat - Rabat
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Morocco Launches Campaigns to Combat Spread of Fake News

Tourists wait to be repatriated to their countries as Morocco suspends flights to European countries over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fears, at Marrakech airport, Morocco, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Tourists wait to be repatriated to their countries as Morocco suspends flights to European countries over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fears, at Marrakech airport, Morocco, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

Morocco's authorities have launched a number of campaigns to stem the spread of fake news on social media regarding the coronavirus outbreak in the Kingdom.

Even before the official announcement of the first infection case in the country, websites published fake news regarding several cases.

This has prompted Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani to warn against publishing false information in this regard. He pointed out that such news spreads panic and harms citizens and public facilities, which is “absolutely unacceptable.”

The government later decided to approve a bill on the use of social media, open broadcast networks, and similar sites.

The bill, proposed by the Justice Minister, comes in line with legal and institutional measures the Kingdom has taken to boost mechanisms of countering cyber-crime.

It is noteworthy that it doesn’t affect the freedom of digital communication, being a form of constitutionally provided freedom of expression.

The draft law aims to “fill the legislative vacuum the national legal system suffers to deter all behaviors committed on social media, such as the spread of false news."

The public prosecution also took action in this regard. It issued arrest warrants against a number of people spreading false news and opened 81 judicial inquiries against 58 people until late last week.

Meanwhile, it threatened that it will not hesitate to implement the law against all those who endanger citizens’ health security and undermine their safety.

Fake news affected various economic, health and social sectors, in which citizens from different ages and cities were involved, through recorded or live videos, audio messages and posts.

This news included false accusations against the medical staff and doctors of neglecting those infected with the new coronavirus and causing their deliberate death.

It wasn’t only limited to information about the number of people infected and their hospitalization conditions but also incited discrimination and hatred, disturbed public order and called for civil disobedience and criminal acts.

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Arab World

Kurdish Fighters Leave Northern City in Syria as Part of Deal with Central Government

A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)
A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)
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Kurdish Fighters Leave Northern City in Syria as Part of Deal with Central Government

A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)
A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)

Scores of US-backed Kurdish fighters left two neighborhoods in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo Friday as part of a deal with the central government in Damascus, which is expanding its authority in the country.

The fighters left the predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh, which had been under the control of Kurdish fighters in Aleppo over the past decade.

The deal is a boost to an agreement reached last month between Syria’s interim government and the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast. The deal could eventually lead to the merger of the main US-backed force in Syria into the Syrian army.

The withdrawal of fighters from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) came a day after dozens of prisoners from both sides were freed in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that government forces were deployed along the road that SDF fighters will use to move between Aleppo and areas east of the Euphrates River, where the Kurdish-led force controls nearly a quarter of Syria.

Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh had been under SDF control since 2015 and remained so even when forces of ousted President Bashar al-Assad captured Aleppo in late 2016. The two neighborhoods remained under SDF control when forces loyal to current interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured the city in November, and days later captured the capital, Damascus, removing Assad from power.

After being marginalized for decades under the rule of the Assad family rule, the deal signed last month promises Syria’s Kurds “constitutional rights,” including using and teaching their language, which were banned for decades.

Hundreds of thousands of Kurds, who were displaced during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, will return to their homes. Thousands of Kurds living in Syria who have been deprived of nationality for decades under Assad will be given the right of citizenship, according to the agreement.

Kurds made up 10% of the country’s prewar population of 23 million. Kurdish leaders say they don’t want full autonomy with their own government and parliament. They want decentralization and room to run their day-to day-affairs.