Maghreb in February 2026: the most important developments in society
Society in the Maghreb in February 2026 was marked by migrant deaths and abuse in Libya and Tunisia, floods in Morocco, and the funeral of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
On 9 February a migrant boat capsized off Libya, leaving 53 dead, including two babies. On 17 February the UN called on the EU to halt migrant returns to Libya, and a UN report described systematic abuse of migrants and refugees there, including the risk of rape and torture. In Tunisia, the state was accused of forcing "voluntary" migrant returns, new raids targeted migrant shacks in Sfax, and bloggers were jailed.
In Morocco, heavy rain and flooding forced the evacuation of 50,000 people by 2 February, 143,000 by 5 February and 150,000 by 7 February, and floods and landslides continued to disrupt life in the north. Flooding also continued in Portugal and Spain.
On 6 February thousands attended the funeral of Gaddafi's son in Libya. Later in the month there were protests over price hikes and taxes in western Libya, and Senegalese football fans were sentenced for violence at a Moroccan stadium.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.