Think Forward.

Un tournant historique avec le transfert de 2,5 millions de documents d’archives à Rabat, source d’inquiétude pour l’Algérie 4488

La visite du Président Macron au Maroc a été reportée à moult reprises pour des raisons aussi diverses que variées. Alors que beaucoup y voyaient un enlisement dans une situation grave et insoluble, le temps a, lui, montré le contraire. Au vu des récents développement, plutôt que de parler de crises successives profondes mieux vaut aujourd’hui parler d’une halte bénéfique et productive, puis qu’elle a permis de remettre les pendules à l’heure, de clarifier la situation de part et d’autre, de rendre lisibles les positions de chacun sur les problématiques qui le concernent et de dissiper certaines difficultés latentes qui en fait hantaient les deux parties. L’espoir maintenant est de voir la locomotive et les wagons de la complémentarité sur les rails, dans un esprit de mutuel respect et d’intérêts communs, dans le programmatisme le plus absolu et la perspective la plus rentable pour les deux parties. Dans ce contexte, l’une des questions, depuis des décennies en suspens entre les deux pays, est celle des archives qui concernent le Maroc; notamment ceux de la période du protectorat et légèrement avant. C’est à dire les documents depuis que la France avait commencé à s’intéresser au Maroc. Pendant longtemps et jusqu’aux circonstances ‘post’ récente crise, la France avait toujours feint ne pas entendre les revendications du Maroc sur la paternité de ses archives quoique le concernant directement. En fait la France dans son jeu d’équilibriste, cherchant à rester à mi-distance entre l’Algérie et le Maroc, ne pensait pas productif que de livrer un tel trésor d’informations au Royaume, sans que cela n'éclabousse ses relations avec ses anciens départements; une équidistance plutôt relative puisque l'ancienne puissance coloniale a plus eu des agissements à l’avantage de l’Algérie pour des raisons historiquement évidentes et compréhensibles. Seulement la France n'a jamais eu en retour une quelconque considération pour ce positionnement, perçu injuste du côté de Rabat. A l’évidence ces archives sont d’une importance capitale pour le Maroc car concernent son histoire et surtout sa géographie d’avant colonisation de son Sud par l’Espagne, avant spoliation de son Est par la France, avant rattachement de certaines de ses provinces à l’Algérie et avant partage en strates du reste de son territoire, toujours entre la France et l’Espagne. En fait l’Empire Chérifien avait été dépiécé, sans doute dans la perspective de l’affaiblir à jamais. Voilà donc que la période froide entre les deux pays, aujourd’hui révolue, va permettre la mise sur la table de cet épineux dossier des archives, jusqu’à l’aboutissement à un accord qui va permettre au Royaume chérifien de récupérer plus de deux millions et demi de documents. Les cartons qui seront remis au Maroc seront sans doute d’une véritable utilité et vont surement être d’un impact important quant à l’avenir de sa politique étrangère et pas que. Ils pèseront lourdement sans doute aucun, dans ses relations avec le voisinage. Mon ami MH vient de consacrer une réflexion des plus pertinentes à la question, texte qu’il a publié, comme à son habitude sur LinkedIn. Avec sa permission je me permets de le publier ici dans son intégralité. Il est capital de lire ce texte pour comprendre le véritable enjeu de cette insistance marocaine pour recouvrir les dites archives. « Le Maroc et la France viennent de franchir une étape cruciale dans leurs relations avec la signature d’un accord officiel prévoyant le transfert d’environ 2,5 millions de documents d’archives françaises à Rabat. Ce développement, qui fait suite à des décennies de demandes marocaines, revêt une importance stratégique majeure. Ces documents, qui contiennent des informations précieuses sur les revendications historiques du Maroc et ses frontières territoriales, notamment dans les zones contestées depuis la fin de l’ère coloniale, viennent renforcer la légitimité des positions marocaines. Ce transfert d’archives concerne en particulier des territoires occupés illégalement, tels que le Sahara oriental, une région dont la souveraineté est au cœur des différends entre le Maroc et l’Algérie. Ces documents apportent des preuves historiques susceptibles de consolider les revendications marocaines sur ces territoires. Lors de la rencontre qui a officialisé cet accord, les responsables marocains et français ont souligné l’importance de cette documentation dans la résolution des litiges territoriaux et la reconnaissance des droits historiques du Maroc. Cet accord a provoqué une onde de choc du côté du régime algérien, particulièrement inquiet face à la remise de ces archives. L’Algérie, consciente du bien-fondé des revendications marocaines, craint que ces nouveaux éléments historiques ne viennent renforcer la position du Maroc dans les instances internationales. Pendant des décennies, les dirigeants algériens ont cherché à nier la légitimité des revendications marocaines. Pour occulter ces revendications et retarder toute négociation, l’Algérie n’a pas trouvé mieux que de créer le conflit autour du Sahara occidental. Peine perdue. Cet accord marque un tournant décisif non seulement dans la gestion des litiges historiques entre le Maroc et la France, mais aussi dans l’équilibre géopolitique régional. Il est perçu par beaucoup comme une reconnaissance implicite, de la part de la France, de l’importance du contexte historique dans les revendications territoriales contemporaines. La remise de ces documents à Rabat, après des décennies de réclamations, représente un coup dur pour le régime algérien, qui voit ses positions de plus en plus fragilisées face à une vérité historique désormais accessible et incontestable. Le Maroc, grâce à cet accord, renforce ses moyens de défense sur la scène internationale, tandis que l’Algérie, confrontée à une situation délicate, pourrait voir ses arguments s’effriter face à des preuves archivistiques irréfutables. Ce transfert d’archives n’est pas seulement une victoire diplomatique pour le Maroc, mais aussi un acte qui éclaire les injustices historiques commises durant la période coloniale et les revendications légitimes qui en découlent. » Voilà qui est dit mais surtout, voilà un geste éminemment politique que de restituer de telles archives, sachant l’impact puissant que cela va fatalement avoir , à savoir influer fortement sur la géostratégie de la région. La France le sait, le Maroc le sait. Quant à l’Algérie, il lui reste les yeux pour pleurer et surtout à se ressaisir et pourquoi pas se départir de la fuite en avant qui caractérise ses agissements au quotidien depuis longtemps déjà. (En lien ici bas vous avez l'article en anglais te que publié par Morocco World News)
Aziz Daouda Aziz Daouda

Aziz Daouda

Directeur Technique et du Développement de la Confédération Africaine d'Athlétisme. Passionné du Maroc, passionné d'Afrique. Concerné par ce qui se passe, formulant mon point de vue quand j'en ai un. Humaniste, j'essaye de l'être, humain je veux l'être. Mon histoire est intimement liée à l'athlétisme marocain et mondial. J'ai eu le privilège de participer à la gloire de mon pays .


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Will AI coding replace me as a Software Engineer in Germany? 148

Will AI coding replace me as a Software Engineer in Germany? Today, my coworker showed me a Golf-Assistant app his friend built using claude code. It is fully functional, includes GPS tracking and a payment system, and it took him a couple of weekends to finish. It would take a Senior Software Engineer a couple of months to finish this, not using AI. Then he said "one day, we won't need us anymore" Will this really be the case though? Most companies use openai and anthropic as their LLM providers, and seeing the goofy mistake of anthropic not hiding sourcemap files while releasing a new version doesn't help with trust. For german companies, this is a gigantic no. Here someone has to be responsible. Someone has to pay the price in case of a problem, and the price is often high and heavy. Take H&M Hennes & Mauritz Online Shop as an example: managers illegally collected data on the private lives of their employees, this resulted in a 35.3 Million Euro fine, or Vodafone being fined a total of 45 Million Euros for two major breaches: 1-failing to oversee third party sales agencies, leading to fraud and 2- fro security flaw in their MeinVodafone Portal which allowed unauthorized access to customer eSim Profile. And these are man made errors ! What about potential AI-made errors? Most companies use chatgpt or claude as their LLM provider. So what if the AI Model made an error? Who would be responsible in the eyes of the law? Certainly not OpenAI or Anthropic Would the company itself be responsible for not having a good enough prompt to cover every single area of mistake the AI could make? What would be the extent of such a mistake? Would the company haft for not having another AI to double check what the initial AI did? If so, this would have to be an agentic system that react intelligently. How would such an agentic system look like and how much would it cost? And if the system becomes that big, how would you have it certified? tested? Could it scale easily? Does that have limits? In order for companies (still talking about Germany) to replace us with AI and 1- be completely covered in the eyes of the law and 2- follow the german standard of quality, this would roughly mean that: 1- The life cycle of the Data is 100% trackable and securely managed 2- AI doesn't make a single fatal mistake 3- There is a clear process that companies can follow to build a By-AI-Managed company and scale it afterwards 4- All of the previous questions (and many many more) are not only answered, but have specific and very detailed law texts. How long would this last? For a law to be passed nowadays it must go through a process that takes in average 1 to 2 years. Furtheremore, discussing before even proposing ONE new law text takes at least a couple of months. So would AI replace me as a software engineer in Germany? Curious to hear about how it is in your country?
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Morocco and the Trust Economy: The Invisible Capital of Development... 732

In the economic history of nations, some assets are visible, such as natural resources, geographical position, infrastructure, or market size. Others, however, are invisible but often decisive. Among them, trust holds a central place and constitutes the true cement of sustainable economies. An economy can survive with few natural resources, but it cannot prosper sustainably without trust. Morocco today has many assets: remarkable political stability, a strategic position, world-class infrastructure, and active economic diplomacy. Yet, the decisive step in development now consists of building a true trust economy, capable of sustainably reassuring citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors. This is not a slogan. Trust is an institutional and cultural architecture that is built over time. It is the primary capital of a modern economy and a determining factor. It reduces transaction costs, encourages investment, facilitates innovation, and stimulates individual initiative. When an entrepreneur knows that the rules of the game are stable, that contracts will be respected, and that justice is swift and independent, he invests more easily. When a citizen trusts the tax administration and institutions, he more willingly accepts taxes and participates in the formal economy. Conversely, a lack of trust generates precautionary behaviors: capital flight, informality, low long-term investment. The economy then becomes cautious, fragmented, and inefficient. For Morocco, the central question is therefore not only to attract investments, but to create an environment where trust becomes a collective reflex. It would be unfair not to recognize the considerable progress made over the past decades. The foundations are solid. The country has massively invested in infrastructure: Tanger Med is today one of the world's most important logistics hubs. Nador and Dakhla are coming soon. Industrial zones have enabled the emergence of high-performing sectors, in the automotive industry with Renault Group and Stellantis, and in aeronautics with Boeing, Airbus, and Safran. The country's ambition in energy transition is exemplary. This shows that it is capable of carrying out structuring projects and offering a stable macroeconomic environment. However, the next step in development requires a qualitative leap: moving from an opportunity economy to a trust economy with a determining role for the rule of law. Trust first rests on the solidity of institutions. For investors as for entrepreneurs, the predictability of rules is a decisive element. Laws must be stable, readable, and applied equally, with three particularly crucial dimensions: **The independence and efficiency of justice** A swift, accessible, and credible justice system is the keystone of any trust economy. Commercial disputes must be resolved within reasonable timeframes. Judicial decisions must be enforced without ambiguity. Legal security is often the primary factor of attractiveness. **Fiscal stability** Investors do not necessarily expect very low tax rates; they primarily seek stability and readability. Predictable taxation allows companies to plan investments over the long term. Morocco has already undertaken several major tax reforms, but the challenge now is to go further and consolidate a clear and durable fiscal pact. **The fight against rents and privileges** Trust disappears when the rules of the game seem unequal. A dynamic economy relies on fair competition and equal opportunities. Transparency in public markets, competition regulation, and limiting rent situations are essential levers. A trust economy is also an economy of freedom, capable of unleashing entrepreneurial energy. The freedom to enterprise, innovate, and experiment is one of the fundamental engines of growth. Morocco has a talented youth, competent engineers, and an influential diaspora. However, several obstacles remain: administrative complexity, access to financing for SMEs, slowness of certain procedures. The challenge is to create an environment where individual initiative becomes the norm rather than the exception. Moroccan startups in fintech, artificial intelligence, or agricultural technologies already demonstrate the country's potential. With a more fluid ecosystem, they could become tomorrow's economic champions. In a world marked by geopolitical uncertainty and economic recompositions, trust also becomes a comparative advantage. If Morocco manages to position itself as a country where rules are stable, justice reliable, and administration predictable, it could become one of the main investment platforms between Europe and Africa. This ambition aligns with the Kingdom's African strategies and its growing international openness. Trust could thus become Morocco's true economic hallmark. Several strategic orientations deserve to be prioritized: - Accelerate the modernization of the judicial system, particularly in handling commercial disputes and enforcing judicial decisions. - Radically simplify administrative procedures for businesses through complete digitalization of public services. - Establish multi-year fiscal stability to enhance visibility. - Promote transparency and fair competition in all economic sectors. - Strengthen training and valorization of human capital, particularly in technological and scientific fields. - Develop a culture of trust between the State, businesses, and citizens. This dimension is often overlooked, yet it constitutes the invisible foundation of development. Morocco finds itself today at a pivotal moment in its economic history. The infrastructure is in place, strategic ambitions are affirmed, and the international environment offers new opportunities. The next step therefore consists of building a sustainable trust ecosystem. If Morocco succeeds in this gamble, and it must, it could not only accelerate its development but also become one of the most credible and attractive economies in the emerging world. In the 21st-century global economy, trust is undoubtedly the rarest and most powerful capital.

Football: When Passion Kills the Game in Impunity and Tolerance.. 1433

Football (Soccer for Americans) is first and foremost a matter of emotions. By its very essence, it is an open-air theater where human passions play out in their rawest, most primal form. It generates joy, anger, pride, humiliation, and a sense of belonging. From the stands of Camp Nou to those of the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, through the fervor of the Mohamed V sport Complex in Casablanca, the vibrant enclosures of Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar, or even the Parc des Princes in Paris, the Vélodrome In Marseille, and the Bernabeu In Madrid, football transcends the mere framework of the game to become a total social phenomenon. But this emotional intensity, which makes football's beauty, also constitutes its danger. For without rigorous regulation, it quickly tips into excess, then into violence. Today, it must be acknowledged that the rules exist, but they are too often circumvented, stripped of their substance, or applied with disconcerting leniency. On the pitches as in the stands, excesses are multiplying: insults toward referees, provocations between players, systematic challenges, physical violence, projectile throwing, pitch invasions, xenophobic remarks, racist offenses. What was once the exception is tending to become a tolerated norm. Astonishingly, we are starting to get used to it. Recent examples are telling. In Spain, in stadiums renowned for their football culture, racist chants continue to be belted out without shame, targeting players like Vinícius Júnior. Most recently, it was the Muslim community that was insulted. And yet, Spain's current football prodigy is Muslim. An overheated crowd that has doubtless forgotten it wasn't so long ago that it was Muslim itself. Among those chanting these remarks, and without a doubt, some still carry the genes of that recent past... In Dakar, just a few days ago, clashes escalated, turning a sports celebration into a scene of chaos. In Italy, incidents involving supporters who invaded the pitch, during a friendly match, no less, endangered players and officials, recalling the dark hours of European hooliganism in the 1980s. These episodes are not isolated; they reflect a worrying normalization of violence in and around stadiums. Even at the highest level of African football, behavioral excesses are becoming problematic. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final left a bitter taste. What should have been a moment of celebration for continental football was marred by behaviors contrary to sporting ethics. Pressures on refereeing, excessive challenges, and game interruptions have become commonplace. When a coach manipulates a match's rhythm to influence a refereeing decision, it is no longer strategy but a challenge to the very foundations of the sport. Despite international outrage, the sanctions imposed on teams, clubs, or players involved remain often symbolic, insufficient to eradicate these behaviors. A very surprising phenomenon: rarely have clubs or federations clearly distanced themselves from such crowds. They accommodate them, and when they condemn them, it is half-heartedly, in a muffled, timid tone with no effect. The problem is twofold. On one hand, disciplinary regulations exist but lack firmness. On the other, their application suffers from a lack of consistency and political courage. Bodies like FIFA, continental confederations, and national federations hesitate to impose truly dissuasive sanctions such as point deductions, prolonged closed-door matches, competition exclusions, or even administrative relegations. Yet without fear of sanction, the rule loses all effectiveness. It suffices to compare with other sports to measure the gap. In rugby, for example, respect for the referee is a cardinal value. The slightest challenge is immediately sanctioned. In athletics, a false start leads to immediate disqualification, no discussion. Football, meanwhile, still tolerates too many behaviors that should be unacceptable. This permissiveness has a cost. It undermines football's image, discourages some families from attending stadiums, and endangers the safety of the game's actors. More gravely, it paves the way for future tragedies. History has already taught us, through catastrophes like the Heysel Stadium disaster, that violence in stadiums can have tragic consequences. It is therefore urgent to react. Regulating football does not mean killing its soul, but rather preserving it. It is not about extinguishing passions, but channeling them. This requires strong measures, exemplary sanctions against offending clubs and players, accountability for national federations, increased use of technology to identify troublemakers, and above all, a clear political will from national and international governing bodies. Football cannot continue to be this "market of emotion" left to its own devices. For by tolerating the intolerable, it risks losing what makes its greatness and its ability to unite rather than divide. If FIFA does not decide to act firmly, the danger is real: that of seeing football sink into a spiral where violence triumphs over the game, and where, one day, tragedies exceed the mere framework of sport. The long-awaited decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the 2025 AFCON final case should confirm rigor and integrity in the application of rules, at least at this level, thereby strengthening the credibility of the pan-African competition and football in general.