Palestine, gold, and weed: What happened in the Maghreb in 2024?

As we look back, 2024 was a decisive year for the Maghreb, a region where history often turns on promises made and broken. Elections and reforms hung on the horizon, while ecological crises and age-old rivalries pressed heavily on the present.

From the Atlas mountains to the Mediterranean’s waters, here’s a look back at the stories that shaped 2024 in the Maghreb–the good, the bad and the in-between:

Recognition of Amazigh year, but displaced in the mountains

The year began with long-overdue recognition: in January, Rabat declared the Amazigh New Year an official holiday, an olive branch to Morocco’s indigenous community after decades of protests. 

The decision was hailed as a step toward acknowledging a culture and history too long sidelined.

Yet, the celebrations were muted. Hundreds of Amazigh families continue to live in makeshift camps in the villages where a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Atlas villages in September 2023 after the government failed to deliver aid and rehousing plans for over a year.

With little communication from Rabat, survivors continue to protest neglect and “anti-Amazigh” discrimination.

Palestine, protests and freedoms

Palestine remained a rallying cry across the Maghreb. In Morocco, activists refused to back down, even as the government repeatedly blocked an anti-normalisation petition that could force a parliamentary vote on repealing the country’s 2020 accord with Israel.

Weekly protests against Tel Aviv marked the year, proof of Moroccans’ opposition to ties with Israel amid its genocide in Gaza.

But dissent came at a cost. While royal pardons brought freedom to some imprisoned journalists, others paid dearly for their opposition to normalisation. At least three activists were jailed, and 13 remain on trial.  

In Algeria, solidarity with Palestine took on a diplomatic edge. The country spearheaded a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Back at home, however, protests, even pro-Palestine ones, remained banned in Algeria, and terrorism charges kept over 250 activists behind bars.

In Tunisia, demonstrations were allowed, but several pro-Palestine activists were summoned for questioning for criticising the country’s tepid support for Gaza.

Meanwhile, President Kais Saied’s rule tightened its grip. Opposition figures either found themselves behind bars or fled into exile, with their families now petitioning The Hague to hold Saied accountable for alleged human rights abuses.  

Khelif’s Gold and AFCON

Sport offered moments of rare joy for the Maghreb. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif became the first North African athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, despite facing a smear campaign rooted in racism and transphobia.  

Other North African Olympians also left their mark: Kayla Neymour brought Algeria – and Africa– its first gymnastics gold, Soufiane El Bakkali defended his 300m steeplechase title for Morocco, and Tunisia’s Firas Katoussi clinched gold in the men’s 80kg taekwondo event.  

On the football pitch – the Maghreb’s favourite– Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia all qualified for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to return to be hosted in Morocco next December.

Maghreb’s youth swim to Spain

In a year dominated by despair, the Maghreb’s youth looked outward towards Europe, to escape poverty and destitution.

This year, TikTok became the unlikely guidebook for harga—irregular immigration—with videos offering tips for the six-kilometre swim from northern Morocco to Spain’s Ceuta enclave. By summer, thousands of migrants, including minors, converged near Tangier, desperate to cross.

Moroccan authorities responded with force, arresting over 4,000 migrants in a single week, including Algerians and Sub-Saharan migrants. The images of bruised, naked young men sparked outrage. Rabat promised an investigation, but results have yet to be shared.

Meanwhile, Tunisia continued to bus out migrants and asylum seekers to desert borderlands with Libya and Algeria, abandoned without food, water, or phones. Despite NGOs’ pleas, the EU further deepened its cooperation with Tunisia, pouring funds into border control.  

Elections and a new Maghreb (dis)union

Elections in Algeria and Tunisia brought predictable results: landslide victories for incumbents and the disqualification of opposition candidates. While Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune spoke of opening dialogue with his critics, Saied showed no such interest, continuing his crackdown on dissent with most opposition figures either jailed or exiled.

Algeria, meanwhile, sought to revive the dream of Maghreb unity with a new regional bloc. Yet its plans excluded Morocco, inviting only Tunisia and Libya to the table. Mauritania, wary of getting caught in the crossfire, reportedly declined the invitation.

Drought and floods

Nature, too, had its say. The Maghreb’s struggled with a massive drought that stretched into their seventh year, exacerbating food insecurity and water shortages.

Algeria and Tunisia imposed water rationing, with riots erupting in Algeria over access. Morocco, meanwhile, faced its worst drought in four decades, with livestock dying and wheat crops failing.

Then came September’s floods, which replenished reservoirs but killed and displaced dozens. Flooding in Morocco killed at least 20 people, while infrastructure damage across the region exposed the Maghreb’s fragility facing climate change.

Moroccan Cannabis goes international, legally

Three years after legalising Cannabis for medical and cosmetic use, the kingdom began exporting cannabis-based products to Europe. Ten Moroccan products were registered in France and Germany, while CBD-infused chocolates, teas, and vapes hit the national market online. 

In 2024, Morocco’s National Agency for Regulation of Cannabis (ANRAC) certified 7.3 million cannabis seeds under 26 import permits issued by the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA).

Nearly 5,000 cannabis farmers prosecuted in the pre-legalisation years were pardoned by King Mohammed VI.

However, the industry’s potential—estimated at $15 billion—remains, so far, out of reach, constrained by a ban on recreational use. Yet calls for full legalisation are growing louder at home, despite religious opposition.