Belgium

Articles

• 11-Year-Old Girl Killed in Antwerp Drug Gang Shooting, Police Investigate
  11 January 2023, by Prince

  A 11-year-old girl was killed on Monday in Antwerp in a shooting that targeted her home in Merksem. A member of a Moroccan family involved in drug trafficking, Ferdaous was a collateral victim of a settling of scores between drug traffickers.
  "The 11-year-old girl was seriously injured. She was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately she died shortly afterwards," said Willem Migom, spokesperson for the Antwerp police, on Tuesday. Initially, the agents thought the young girl had succumbed (…)

• Genk Director Defends Transfer of 13-Year-Old Soccer Prodigy Amid Controversy
  3 May 2024, by Prince

  Under fire for accepting the transfer of Ilyes Bennane to Anderlecht, Dimitri De Condé breaks his silence. The sports director of Genk returns to the reasons and circumstances of the departure of the Liège-born Moroccan, who became the youngest Belgian international at just 13 years old.
  "The problem was in the entourage... The parents criticized the other players, the other parents, the club, the coaches," explained Dimitri De Condé to Nieuwsblad, who says he summoned all the parties to (…)

• Moroccan Man Arrested in Belgium After Knife Altercation with Father Over Cultural Differences
  18 September 2023, by Prince

  A young Moroccan was arrested on Saturday in Seraing, Belgium, after trying to stab his father with a knife.
  The father was urging his son to respect Moroccan traditions, while the latter wanted to lead a Western life. The two men then began to argue when the son took a knife and struck his father, reports Sud Info.
  Fortunately, the father was not injured. Arrested on Saturday, the young man will be brought before the Liège public prosecutor’s office this Sunday.

• Belgium Investigates Suspected Fraud in Moroccan Work Permit Applications
  25 February 2023, by Ginette

  Several hundred applications for combined residence-work permits in Belgium are under investigation for suspected fraud. Nearly a hundred of these files concern Moroccan visas.
  The Belgian embassy in Rabat has blocked 80 "potentially fraudulent" applications, pending the completion of the investigation opened a few months ago. According to the general directorate of the Office of Foreigners, the "single permit" allows Belgian companies to hire and bring in Moroccan, Turkish and other (…)

• Belgium to Deploy Intelligence Officer in Morocco to Boost Security Cooperation
  23 April 2024, by Prince

  After declaring their support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, and recently making a visit to Rabat, the Belgian authorities are preparing to strengthen their police cooperation with Morocco.
  According to Maghreb Intelligence, Belgium plans to appoint an intelligence officer to Morocco this summer to facilitate the exchange of information on irregular immigration, terrorism and extremism. Thus, this officer from the Civil Intelligence Service (VSSE), the domestic intelligence (…)

• Antwerp Mayor Blocks Kickboxing Champ’s Gym Opening, Citing Safety Concerns
  31 December 2022, by Sylvanus

  The mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever, opposes the opening of the new fitness and boxing gym of kickboxer champion Jamal Ben Saddik. The latter is taking the matter to court.
  Jamal Ben Saddik’s new fitness and boxing gym will not open on January 2 as announced due to the mayor’s veto, reports Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN). "The mayor opposed the opening of our Vinci Club fitness and boxing gym. Next week, the court will rule on our opposition to this unjustified measure," said the Belgian (…)

• Mystery Deepens: Dutch Drug Queen Naïma Jillal Missing Since 2019
  17 March 2021, by Ginette

  Since 2019, Naïma Jillal, the drug trafficker nicknamed "Aunt" has been untraceable. The latest elements of the investigation conducted by the Dutch authorities led the police to Belgium, in a warehouse where the baroness’ personal belongings were found, but no trace of her.
  At 52 years old, this Moroccan from Nador living in the Netherlands holds a prominent place within the Dutch mafia. Naïma Jillal is "a key person in the international cocaine trade," according to 7sur7. But she seems (…)

• Morocco Bolsters National Team with Dual-Nationality Talents Ahead of Major Tournaments
  10 April, by Prince

  Morocco continues to uncover and recruit young dual national talents to strengthen its team in the run-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
  Jones El-Abdellaoui, a striker for the Spanish club Celta Vigo, has decided to represent Morocco, to the detriment of the Norwegian under-18 team with which he has already played six international matches. The young right winger is expected to make his debut with the Atlas Lions at the next Africa Cup of (…)

• Belgian Political Power Couple Weds, Maintains Separate Residences for Voter Representation
  10 April, by Sylvanus

  Newly married, Sammy Mahdi, 36, president of the CD&V, and his partner and party colleague Nawal Farih, 36, federal MP and group leader in the Chamber in Belgium for the same party, continue to live at different addresses.
  After their wedding celebrated last weekend, Sammy Mahdi will continue to live in Vilvoorde (Flemish Brabant), Nawal Farih in Genk (Limburg). A choice confirmed by the federal MP. She had actually made an announcement to this effect in an interview with Het Belang (…)

• Morocco Exempts Dual Nationals from Mandatory Military Service
  3 January 2019, by Said

  The military service that is to be implemented at the end of this year is not mandatory for Moroccans of the world, the Moroccan embassy in Belgium has just assured.
  Cited by the Belga agency, the Moroccan diplomatic representation recalls that "dual nationals are not affected by this measure, unless they wish to do so".
  "After checking in Rabat, dual nationals are not affected by the measure, except on a voluntary basis," the embassy details.
  Morocco is preparing to reestablish (…)