Africa's 40 Richest

Aliko Dangote, Founder and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group Aliko Dangote. His tops Forbes list of Africa's 40 Richest with a $10.1 billion fortune built on cement and commodities. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

SMN- Forbes’ inaugural list of the 40 Richest People in Africa is a testament to the growing global importance of the continent. Fortunes are being created everywhere from South Africa clear north to Morocco and Egypt in a diverse array of industries, by companies that cater to local tastes or worldwide needs. The combined wealth of the 40 richest is $64.9 billion – more than Thailand’s 40 richest (at $45 billion) but less than Taiwan’s (at $92.7 billion).

Edited by Kerry A. Dolan, Reported by Zina Moukheiber, Mfonobong Nsehe, Edwin Durgy and Susan Adams

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2011/11/16/patrice-motsepe-on-the-threat-of-nationalization/

Moroccan women advance deliberately in defense of their rights

SMN- According to a recent study by Morocco’s High Commission for Planning, the kingdom’s institute for statistical analysis, 68 percent of Moroccan women have experienced domestic violence, while 48 percent have been subjected to psychological abuse.

This is a shocking statistic and reveals how much more there is still left to be done in terms of women’s rights. But the encouraging news is that women’s organizations in Morocco over the past 20 years have managed to transform the issue of domestic violence from a private concern to a public and political issue.

Women’s rights associations began emerging during the 1990s to raise awareness about the alarming violence and discrimination to which women were subjected. Their aim was to change this situation.

The Family Law, which was first drafted in 1957, allowed marriage at a young age and stipulated that the onus was on women to prove they were victims of domestic violence if they wanted to use this as a reason for divorce.

The legislation also meant that women wishing for divorce could be forced by a judge to return to their husbands if they had tried to leave and been asked to return. In this way, violence against Moroccan women became “legitimized.”

Changing this reality became the priority of the women’s movement in Morocco. To achieve reform, women’s rights groups organized roundtable discussions, petitions and workshops to analyze and modify legislation. One such campaign, led by The Union of Women’s Action in 1992, called for reform of the conservative personal status code for women and raised public awareness about the increase in incidents of violence against women – something that had not been explicitly acknowledged by the government or by the general public.

In 1993, the UAF petition led to legislative amendments to the personal status code. One of the main changes was that women gained the right to designate their own guardian, a male relative who signs a marriage contract in the name of the woman. Previously, women had no say in the matter. With the revision, however, a marriage could no longer be performed without at least the indirect consent of the woman.

Although these actions introduced only minor changes to women’s rights in the country, at the very least, women’s issues had clearly made their way into the public sphere.

In 2002 the women’s affairs minister – a position created in 1998 – developed a national strategy to combat violence against women in partnership with women’s organizations. Since then, they and the Social Affairs, Solidarity and Family Ministry have organized a yearly national campaign calling for measures and mechanisms that protect women from sexual harassment and domestic violence.

As a result, the issue of violence against women has received attention from Moroccan political leaders and the general public. Many government departments have since created units on gender issues. And to address gender inequality, Morocco has adopted gender responsive budgeting in 2006, a process in which women’s issues are taken into consideration in national plans and actions.

By ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in 1993 the Moroccan government undertook measures to harmonize its national laws with the convention’s provisions. Between 2002 and 2007, the government reformed the personal status law even further, along with the labor code, the penal code and the nationality law. When revised, the latter allowed women to pass their nationality on to their children.

In addition, the Constitution was amended in June 2011 to address the supremacy of international gender laws over national ones. Under significant pressure from civil society, the Moroccan authorities committed the kingdom to implementing national legislation to end violence against women and to work actively to implement international agreements with the same objective.

A coalition called Spring of Dignity, comprised of 22 women’s organizations, submitted a memorandum to the justice minister last year with recommended amendments to the penal code. The coalition’s concern was that the code does not punish perpetrators in cases of rape. In fact, according to the penal code, both the victim and the rapist can be considered guilty of engaging in prostitution, especially if the victim is at least 18 years old. This is the case regardless of other circumstances, such as the victim having been trafficked, which would then require special consideration and treatment.

Women’s groups are fully aware that reforms to the family code, the penal code, the labor code and the nationality law could not have occurred without the close collaboration of all stakeholders and without major mobilization by diverse women’s organizations.

Though some forces are trying to hinder the progress of democracy and the rights of women, Morocco has embarked upon a process of change. A recent amendment to the penal code that legalizes abortion – subjected to certain conditions – is another symbol of hope for Moroccan women.

We know that the journey toward true social justice is long and that there is still much to do. However, if women’s organizations continue their work with the same strength and commitment as they have demonstrated in the past 20 years, they will achieve their goals and ensure that future generations enjoy their rights – regardless of their gender.

Fatima Outaleb is a member of the Union of Women’s Action board of directors in Morocco. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2011/Nov-15/154083-moroccan-women-advance-deliberately-in-defense-of-their-rights.ashx#axzz1e6eRqSyy 

                               

By Fatima Outaleb, November 15, 2011 01:15 AM, The Daily Star

Raytheon Given Export Approvals for Advanced Maritime RadarRaytheon Given Export Approvals for Advanced Maritime Radar

SMN- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 15, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has received approval from the U.S. Department of State to export the SeaVue eXpanded Mission Capability (SeaVue XMC) maritime and overland surveillance radar to Morocco. Morocco is the first country cleared for export of this radar with expanded technology.

"Raytheon's proven experience as a global leader in maritime surveillance is further solidified by this approval to export our unique capability," said Tim Carey, vice president for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business. "No other company offers this exclusive technology to the Middle East-North Africa region."

Raytheon's SeaVue XMC is deployed on U.S. Navy and U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft for surveillance along the U.S. coastline, as well as in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Its flexible radar architecture allows custom configuration to various platforms.

The XMC software significantly lessens operator workload by reducing the number of hours required to monitor and identify potential threats in the maritime domain. This translates to a significant increase in the area covered, which saves global customers time and money while increasing mission success.

More than 150 Raytheon SeaVue radars, without the expanded capability, are operational worldwide in Australia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @raytheon. 

By Raytheon Company

Published: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 - 1:10 am

SOURCE Raytheon Company

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/15/4055154/raytheon-given-export-approvals.html 

Jordan’s King Abdullah suggests Assad step down as pressure on Syria mounts

(Mario Tama/Getty Images) - Jordan’s King Abdullah offered the most explicit condemnation yet of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by an Arab leader in an interview with the BBC.

 SMN- BEIRUT — Pressure mounted on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday after the Jordanian king suggested he step down ahead of a crucial Arab meeting in Morocco on Wednesday aimed at exploring specific measures to sanction Syria for its ongoing crackdown against protesters.

Jordan’s King Abdullah offered the most explicit condemnation yet of Assad by an Arab leader in an interview with the BBC. “If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down. But he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life,” he said.

Protesters opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad face violent responses from security forces. The Arab League passed a series of measures censuring Syria for its actions.The king said he would resign if he were in Assad’s position, adding that he “would make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we’re seeing.”

The Arab League is due to meet on Wednesday to implement its decision to suspend Syria’s membership.

Among the measures that will be discussed are possible ways of providing protection for civilians in Syria, the Arab League’s secretary general Nabil Elaraby told reporters in Tripoli.

He said the league may turn to the U.N. Security Council for help, a step that would echo the push toward military intervention against Libya this year. It also suggested that Arab leaders are serious about implementing the decision to suspend Syria’s membership and seek ways to halt the violent crackdown against the country’s protest movement.

In a further setback for Damascus, Turkey said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would meet with the Arab foreign ministers attending the gathering in Morocco, a sign that the region is closing ranks against Assad after he failed to implement an Arab League peace plan.

The surprise vote Saturday by 18 of the Arab League’s 22 member states to suspend Syria’s membership and open talks with the Syrian opposition about a post-Assad transition triggered a furious reaction in Damascus.

Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators turned out in the cities of Aleppo and Damascus on Sunday to stage angry demonstrations denouncing the Arab move, which opens the door to a broader escalation of international pressure on Assad.

The demonstrations followed overnight attacks by enraged, stone-throwing hordes of Assad supporters against the embassies of Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Damascus and against Turkish consulates in Aleppo and Latakia, in which windows were broken and flags burned.

But the reaction seemed only to heighten Syria’s growing isolation, drawing condemnations from Saudi Arabia and prompting Turkey to evacuate a planeload of diplomats’ families to Ankara.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said it supported the Arab League’s decision and appealed for broader international support for efforts to quell the violence.

“The attitude of the Syrian government . . . demonstrates the need for the international community to respond with a united voice to the serious developments in Syria,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Syria later sought an emergency summit of Arab leaders to avert what it called “the negative repercussions” for the region if the suspension, due to be implemented Wednesday, goes forward. It also said Arab monitors were welcome to visit Syria to observe the situation, in an apparent concession to one of the terms of the peace plan. Syrian state television warned that the Arab League’s move was tantamount to “preparations for a war on Syria.”

But the appeal, coupled with the attacks on diplomatic missions, suggested the regime had been seriously shaken by the realization that its neighbors were turning against it, said Wissam Tarif, an activist with the human rights advocacy group Avaaz.

“It is fast, it is unexpected, and Damascus has been taken by surprise,” he said. “It’s a huge pressure on Assad, and they are panicking.”

There was no indication, however, that the Syrian government was preparing to comply with the peace plan. The Local Coordination Committees reported that 23 people were killed by Syrian security forces Sunday, most of them in anti-government demonstrations. Among them were 10 people shot dead in Hama when government supporters sought to stage a pro-Assad rally in the city center. Instead, anti-government demonstrators attempted to stage their own protest, prompt­ing the security forces to open fire, said Saleh al-Hamawi, a Hama-based activist.

Also Sunday, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported the funerals of 12 members of the security forces who had been killed by what it called “armed terrorist groups.”

The Syrian government has labeled its opponents terrorists since the uprising began, but the growing number of military funerals being reported daily by state media offers one indication that the protest movement is starting to acquire arms.

By Liz Sly, Published: November 14
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/jordans-king-abdullah-condemns-assad-as-pressure-on-syria-mounts/2011/11/14/gIQAT7trKN_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/jordans-king-abdullah-condemns-assad-as-pressure-on-syria-mounts/2011/11/14/gIQAT7trKN_story.html 

Inside Morocco’s hotel building boom

 

    

SMN- REPORT FROM MOROCCO—The major hotel chains are staking their claims in Morocco, lured by the country’s cultural assets and government-backed tourism industry.

Accor, for example, expects to open 20 hotels within the next five years in the key cities of Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, Marrakech and Agadir. The majority of those will be in the economy segment, though the company also is developing two Sofitels and one Pullman in Marrakech, said Christian Rousseau, COO of Accor Morocco.

A further two Ibis, two Novotel and one Sofitel already are committed and will undergo construction during 2012 for openings in 2013 or 2014, he added.

The company intends to develop a network of 50 hotels under the Ibis and Ibis Budget brands by 2020.

Accor’s development plan includes new builds for standardized brands in the economy and midscale segments, though upper-tier brands such as Mercure, MGallery and Pullman lend themselves more to conversions, Rousseau said.

“Accor has a long-term strategy in Morocco and is investing through a listed company in Casablanca called RISMA. Accor is a shareholder of this hotel owning company, up to a 33.5% stake,” he said. “In the meantime, Accor is also operating the hotels through a long-term management contract with RISMA.”

Meanwhile, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, which operates a Hyatt Regency in Casablanca, is also developing a Park Hyatt in Marrakesh and is looking for opportunities to develop the company’s Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place brands, Peter Norman, senior VP of acquisitions and development, EMEA, wrote in an email.

The company is in a position to take advantage of opportunities for both new builds and conversions, he said.

“The deals we have concluded to date in Morocco are management agreements,” Norman said.

Several other major chains, including Hilton Worldwide, have expressed interest to develop in the African coastal country. 

Most hotel development is concentrated in Morocco’s major urban markets, such as Marrakech, said Sophie Perret of HVS Consulting and Valuation.

Supply in these markets, for the most part, has not yet caught up to demand, though there’s a lot of product to absorb in the pipeline, she said.

There were 347 hotels comprising 43,562 rooms in the country’s existing supply, according to STR Global, sister company of HotelNewsNow.com. An additional 38 hotels comprising 7,108 rooms were in the total active pipeline as of 30 September.

Momentum in Morocco

“For the last three or four years there’s been an incredible amount of projects announced, particularly in Marrakech,” Perret said.

The spat of announcements isn’t surprising, she said. Morocco is a short-haul market from Europe, and it boasts a wealth of cultural attractions and variations in geography, such as mountains and desert.

“There’s quite a bit you can do as a tourist,” Perret said.

And then there’s King Mohammed VI’s Vision 2020 plan. Announced last year, the plan is an attempt to leverage the country’s assets to double visitor numbers to 18 million by 2020.

The mere presence of the vision, of any vision, provides a level of comfort from investors, Perret added.

Hyatt’s Norman echoed those remarks.

“The government in Morocco has been very supportive of the hospitality industry with a clear focus where it wants to build and position the industry and country going forward into the future,” he said.

Investing amid uncertainty

While a slew of developments have kept the Moroccan pipeline churning, the country did not escape the Arab Spring and broader political and economic turmoil unscathed, Perret said.

“Investors are not very enthusiastic at the moment,” she said. “It certainly does bring much more uncertainty. To start with, as an investor you want to know who your bank is. If it’s not a local African bank than probably they’re not interested. If your project is a new development, it’s probably even more risky, so it’s going to be difficult.”

It helps the country has a relatively stable government—for now. But Perret said a political upheaval involved not so much a matter of “if” as it did a matter of “when.”

“It’s expected that the situation is going to implode at some point,” she said, adding citizens will eventually push for democracy.

Accor’s Rousseau was a bit more optimistic.

“There will be challenges coming from inside the country with the evolution of the Moroccan society,” he said. “The country is going through a smooth political evolution with constitutional reforms initiated by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI.”

By Patrick Mayock, 10 November 2011

News Editor-International

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/6922/Inside-Moroccos-hotel-building-boom

Morocco falls in love with plastic surgery

SMN- The number of Moroccan women having plastic surgery to improve their looks is growing every year, despite some religious scholars saying that it is un-Islamic.

Clinique Slaoui is situated on one of Rabat's main roads, in the upmarket suburb of Souissi, making it very visible to passing, well-heeled residents.

The modern and brightly painted building is in stark contrast to many of Morocco's grim hospitals, and Prof Salehdine Slaoui, the owner, says business is booming.

"Moroccan women are increasingly becoming more independent and are working harder," he says.

 As their social and economic status rises, they are more able to afford to change their physical appearance.

 Their reasons for going under the knife vary.

Next time I want to have something done to my face and even liposuction” Khadija, 37, after her breast enlargement  Some women do it more now to prevent their husbands from cheating on them, others are influenced "by the European look", he says.

Religious edicts do not seem to be a concern for many.

 In fact, such is the demand for plastic surgery, the professor says, there are not enough surgeons to cope.

"The number of surgeons has not progressed. Up to now there are still just 50 plastic surgeons in Morocco," he says.

Some 20 clinics attract a significant number of clients from abroad, some of them lured by cheaper prices than they would pay at home. But the majority are Moroccan.

'God would approve'

On the day I visit, the waiting room is full of wealthy-looking clients, mostly women.

 Khadija, 37, has come for her check-up after her breast enlargement operation a week ago.

Wearing jeans and a sleeveless top, she seems very pleased with the results and has no religious qualms about opting for more surgery.

"After my operation I stayed at the clinic for three days... a nurse stayed with me 24/7," she says.

 "Next time I want to have something done to my face and even liposuction."

I'm not scared having this done. It's very important - as you can see I am flat-chested and I want to be more feminine”Fatima, 25 Breast implants cost around $4,000 (£2,500) - way out of reach for the average Moroccan who only earns about $600 a month.

On the top floor of the clinic, where the in-patients stay, the rooms are immaculately well furnished - like a five-star hotel.

A teenage girl can be seen recovering from a nose job. Her eyes are bruised and with a huge bandage on her face, she is barely able to keep her balance.

Another patient, 25-year-old Fatima, is about to have her breasts enlarged.

She has short bright bleached blonde hair and is waiting nervously with her veiled mother, who is holding her hand.

"I'm not scared having this done. It's very important - as you can see I am flat-chested and I want to be more feminine."

She said the operation would help her psychologically.

"God would approve of that," she said.

'Moral conflict'

But plastic surgery is a controversial matter in what is still largely a conservative, Muslim country, especially in rural areas and urban districts which are less well-heeled than Souissi.

Morocco is still a conservative, Muslim country. The debate reflects how this North African kingdom is torn between modernity and traditional Islam, and its links to Europe and the Middle East.

"The role of the body is more spiritual than these superficial inconveniences," says Islamic scholar Ahmed Boukilil.

"It is forbidden in the Koran to change a part of the body [for cosmetic purposes]," he says.

"People forget that their role on earth is not to be too obsessed by the body but more the spiritual side."

Sampling views at cafes in Rabat, women in their twenties and thirties were also divided in their opinions.

"It's very sad how people want to change themselves and do not accept how they usually are," one said.

"But those who have accidents, I can understand that they want to change themselves to how they looked before."

Another said she understood the "moral conflict". "But if it helps you reach your ends and helps you get through society, why not?"

By Nora Fakim, BBC News, Morocco

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15576738

Morocco ups prices for local sugar beet, cane

SMN- RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco has agreed to raise prices paid to local farmers of sugar beet and cane to cut reliance on raw sugar imports and encourage planting after heavy rain marred the previous two campaigns, industry sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Sugar beet farmers will obtain 80 dirhams per tonne -- or close to a 20 percent increase -- spread over two years starting in 2012, said three farmers, including Ahmed Ouayach who chairs the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture.

"Sugar cane farmers will obtain 45 dirhams per tonne also spread over two years," said Ouayach who noted that the increase was the first since 2006.

"This is a significant increase that should restore some order. Prices have not changed since 2006, while rising input costs have eroded farmers' margins in recent years," he said.

An agriculture ministry spokesperson could not immediately comment.

Prices of sugar -- like wheat flour and fuels -- are regulated by the state. Cosumar, in which a holding controlled by the ruling royal family is the biggest shareholder, holds a monopoly in the processing of the local sugar beet and cane harvest and refining of raw sugar imported mostly from Brazil.

Thousands of sugar beet farmers threatened earlier this year to boycott the delivery of next year's crop to Cosumar to press for better terms.

Reinforcing their words with actions would have meant increased imports of raw sugar by Cosumar which has an annual refined sugar output of 1.2 million tonnes.

"The harvest this year was average after the floods we have had for two years ... We were penalized a bit," said Ouayach.

Local sugar cultivations contribute between 40-50 percent of the country's sugar needs depending on the sugar content in the local harvest. This year, Morocco produced 3 million tonnes of sugar beet and 720,000 tonnes of sugar cane.

Morocco's public finances have faced an unprecedented surge in food and energy subsidies which have almost trebled from what was initially budgeted for 2011 as rulers sought to head off the discontent that sparked revolts rocking regional neighbours.

Some farmers felt the increase was not good enough.

"The majority of farmers haven't sowed this year because the two previous campaigns 2010 and 2011 were disastrous," said Driss Ghezlaoui, an industrial-scale sugar beet farmer from the Doukkala region, which accounted for 39 percent of Morocco's beet harvest in 2010.

"We are boycotting the planting, 100 percent," added Ghezlaoui.

"If things carry on the way they are the beet harvest will be lower than 2011 ... We are thinking of alternative crops to end this situation of unfair trade," he said.

By Souhail Karam, Tue Nov 1, 2011 2:36pm GMT.

http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE7A00D420111101?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true