Basma El Atti

Morocco has also capitalised on the legacy its national football team, who made history as the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in 2022.

In December, Macron declared that cyclone-hit Mayotte islanders be "grateful" because if it wasn't for France, "you'd be 10,000 times even more in the shit."

A Moroccan court has sentenced BDS activist Ismail Lghazaoui to one year in jail for calling for a blockade of the US embassy over its support for Israel.

Officially, Morocco claims sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla—the only euro-African land borders—as well as several smaller Mediterranean territories.

Sansal was arrested in Algeria in mid-November on charges of "undermining state security" and has since been detained in a medical unit.

At the heart of Algeria's concerns lies the presence of Russian paramilitary Wagner Group in Libya and Mali—which orchestrated attacks near its border.

The activists' prosecution has sparked general fears the act of questioning the state's approach to earthquake recovery will be met with punitive measures.

As the world celebrates, activists in Tunisia and Morocco gathered to declare solidarity with Gaza and pray for a Free Palestine.

The communities in the Maghreb are cautiously pinning hopes on 2025. From unity to end of normalisation, here's a glimpse at what might shape the year ahead.

"This is not the radical reform we were expecting, even if there are some positive advances," said Fouzia Yassine of the Democratic Association of Women.