Migration & Borders: A Mauritania crackdown has sharply stalled West African migrants’ attempts to reach Europe, with tighter checks, mass expulsions, coastal surveillance and smuggler arrests leaving thousands stranded in Nouadhibou and pushing people to keep a low profile. Trade & Integration: The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s National Council reviewed how it joined the AfCFTA, highlighting ratification in 2019 and presenting a profile document meant to showcase economic and investment opportunities. State Land & Jobs: Morocco’s State Land Agency approved 308 investment projects on about 32,000 hectares in 2025, targeting 71 billion dirhams in investment and 16,333 jobs, with a heavy share in southern regions and energy-linked allocations. UN Decolonization Debate: Calls are growing to remove the Sahara file from the UN’s C24, as advocates argue Security Council language now frames the dispute as a political and regional matter tied to Morocco’s autonomy plan. Sahara Leadership & Security: The Polisario announced the death of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, a senior commander and son of late leader Mohamed Abdelaziz, amid reports of a drone strike near Morocco’s defensive wall. Water & Infrastructure: Morocco’s desalination push is framed as a long-term answer to structural drought risk, with plans to draw drinking water from the Atlantic while supporting irrigation.