Basma El Atti
Basma El Atti is a Morocco-based journalist covering North Africa.
Latest from Basma El Atti
Vietnam’s Village of Moroccan Defectors
Hundreds of conscripted Moroccan soldiers defected to join the Viet Minh during the French Indochina War, then stayed in Vietnam to build their lives — until the Americans came, and they were forced to flee to a home they hadn’t seen in decades.
In Morocco, Amazigh Jews Confront Their Long-Held Ties to Israel
For decades, Morocco’s Amazigh population aligned itself with Israel in a form of solidarity against the Arabization of the region. Now, in the face of the war in Gaza, some Amazigh Jews are rethinking these long-standing ties.
Morocco Legalized Cannabis, but Divvying Up Profits Is a High Bar
After criminalizing cannabis farming for six decades, in May 2021 the Moroccan Parliament reversed course, passing a law that lawmakers hoped would open a new era when farmers and the state would collaborate to capitalize on the country’s cannabis potential, worth an estimated $15 billion, for pharmaceutical purposes.