These are your subjects, Your Majesty: Morocco edition

On 31 July, hundreds of middle-aged and elderly Moroccan men stood in the old palace in the city of Tetouan from early morning, waiting to pledge allegiance to their country’s king on the anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Delegates wearing their finest traditional kaftans represented all 75 provinces and prefectures across Morocco’s 12 regions.

They gathered at Mechouar Square outside the Royal Palace in Tetouan to re-declare their allegiance to their sovereign, King Mohammed VI, marking the 27th anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne, known as Throne Day.

King Mohammed VI stood in an old convertible car that moved slowly past the delegates, his subjects in Tetouan, in a live event that most Moroccan television channels aired.

At almost the exact same moment, many non-Moroccan television channels were broadcasting something very different: tens of thousands of Moroccan people — also subjects of King Mohammed VI, and mainly young people — were storming the Moroccan-Spanish border around Ceuta in an attempt to reach Europe.

And they were not all young people. There were children, some reportedly only days old, among those who crossed by sea and through the hills.

The storming of the border had begun 24 hours earlier; Morocco was celebrating Throne Day that same day.

Morocco’s Throne Day was created in 1933 by Moroccan nationalists rallying around Sultan then-Mohammed V during the French protectorate and became an official national celebration through a ministerial decree the following year. It is a public holiday in Morocco.

Some have argued that Morocco was sending a message to Spain not to cooperate with Algeria following Sánchez’s visit to the rival neighbour.

But Morocco knows better than anyone that no country is going to cut its relations with Algeria simply because Rabat wants it to.

The Richest Arabs in 2025: Saudis are back but Egyptians are still there

Once again, this post should have been published earlier. I had intended to make it an Egyptian Chronicles year-end tradition: The Richest Arabs in 2025, according to Forbes.

As an annual disclaimer, Arabs and Egyptians alike are well aware that there is another, unofficial list of the richest Arabs—those whose fortunes remain largely secret and unknown.

This year marked a major shift, as Forbes included Saudi billionaires on its list for the first time since 2018.

Fifteen Saudi billionaires made the ranking, 14 of them new entrants, largely due to their stakes in companies listed on the Saudi Exchange, which has seen a surge in IPOs in the post-COVID period.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud returned to the top of the list as the richest Arab in the world, with an estimated net worth of $16.5 billion.

He currently ranks No.162 globally on Forbes’ real-time billionaires list, after reaching No. 128 in May.

Saudi Arabia now has the highest number of Arab billionaires, with 15 individuals worth a combined $55.8 billion.

Lebanon follows with six billionaires worth $12.3 billion, while the UAE and Egypt each have five billionaires, with total fortunes of $24.3 billion and $20.6 billion, respectively.

According to Forbes’ World Billionaires 2025 list, the number of billionaires worldwide exceeded 3,000 for the first time, with 3,028 individuals making this year’s ranking—247 more than in 2024. Not only are there more billionaires, but they are also richer than ever, with a combined net worth of $16.1 trillion, nearly $2 trillion more than in 2024.

The Damned Dam : The truth and myth of the River Nile’s so-called colonial era treaties “Episode 1 : The road to 1902 treaty”

Ethiopia has fired back at Egypt’s latest statement, warning of its unilateral actions concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday using the same old accusations against Egypt of standing behind unrest in the Horn of Africa.

It slammed Egypt’s demands to respect the historical old treaties, describing them as “colonial era mentality” as it used big words like “Pan-Africanism” because Egypt is Africa’s white man, as Egyptians are not black enough.

The thing is that this Ethiopian statement, like the rest of old Ethiopian statements, plays on certain sentiments in Africa to win hearts and minds in a wicked way, twisting facts and history.

Unfortunately, the Egyptian government does not use the same playbook Ethiopia is using. It actually uses international laws in a lawless world.

This post aims to set the facts and history straight regarding colonial-era treaties.

Among the main Egyptian demands per the international laws organizing the rivers across borders is Ethiopia’s recognition and respect as an upstream country to the historical Nile River Water Shares of both Egypt and Sudan as downstream countries based on the historical Nile Water treaties, especially 1902,1929 and 1951, which Ethiopia labels as colonial treaties”

Interestingly, Ethiopia’s modern diplomacy often relies on a powerful narrative — that it is the only African country never to have been colonised.

It’s repeated in schools, documentaries, and political speeches, framing Ethiopia as the proud exception to Africa’s colonial story — the continent’s “real-world Wakanda.” Yet the deeper one digs, the more contradictions begin to appear.

What I cannot understand is how the current regime insists it was forced into accepting “colonial-era treaties” when, by its own celebrated narrative, Ethiopia was never colonized.

If Ethiopia was truly the unbroken, unconquered “Wakanda” during the great scramble for Africa, then the story becomes even more complicated — because the country was invaded twice, and in neither instance did the Ethiopian state sign anything related to the Nile, starting with the 1902 treaty.

Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia
in 1870s.

But we can’t start with the 1902 treaty without going back in time to 1889.

In 1889, the Kingdom of Itay and the Ethiopian Empire signed the Treaty of Wuchale after the Italian occupation of Eritrea. It was signed in the small Ethiopian town of Wuchale, from which the treaty got its name.

The damned dam: No, Trump Did Not Stop a War Between Egypt and Ethiopia

Egypt issued a new statement last week warning that Ethiopia’s latest unilateral and unregulated operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has caused sharp fluctuations in water flows along the Blue Nile.

This unexpected surge has forced the Egyptian government to open the Toshka spillway to safely absorb the excess water.

This is the second—or perhaps even the third—such warning Egypt has issued within a span of three months. Honestly, I’ve lost count.

Now, I am seizing this moment to clarify a recurring claim: Donald Trump did not stop a war between Egypt and Ethiopia.

There was no war between Egypt and Ethiopia to begin with.

I will acknowledge that real progress was indeed achieved during Trump’s first term. In February 2020, the parties were genuinely on the verge of signing an agreement before Ethiopia backed away at the last moment.
Still, there was no war, nor any military confrontation, for Trump to “stop” in his previous or current term.

The only time Egypt and Ethiopia were actually at war was in the 19th century, when Khedive Ismail attempted to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Mohamed Ali Pasha, in Sudan.

And Egypt faces its first man-made Nile flood thanks to Ethiopia’s GERD

Egyptians slept on Thursday, wondering what would happen after reading the Egyptian prime minister Mostafa Madbouly that the Nile floodwaters are expected to inundate riverbank areas and informal housing in Monufia and Behaira during October, as the River Nile water discharge is forecast to exceed average seasonal levels.

Then they woke up on Friday only to find that there were warnings issued to 15 governorates.

The warning was to expect Nile floodwaters are expected to inundate riverbank areas in Luxor, Qena, Sohag, Assuit, Al-Minya, Bani Suef, Giza, Cairo, Qalyubia, Monufia, Sharkia, Gharbia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Dahaqliya and Damietta.

Dalhamo village after the man-made flood 
by Doaa Adel 

Then videos taken by local journalists showing the River Nile flooding the riverbank areas and islands in Monufia began to go viral, especially from Dalhamo village, part of Ashmoun district, where Citizens lost their houses and cattle.

Scenes from FIFA CWC 2025 : Handala and Ultras Ahlaway are here to stay

If you're looking for a brief escape from the region's heavy news cycle, especially if you're a football fan, this one's for you.

Two weeks ago, the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) kicked off in the United States — the country that famously refers to the world’s most popular sport as "soccer."

As expected — mashallah — Egypt’s Al-Ahly SC proudly qualified for the tournament once again. This marks the club’s ninth appearance in the CWC, making Al-Ahly the most qualified team in the tournament’s history outside of Europe and South America. 

Cairo’s Red Castle continues to make its mark on the global stage.

Sadly, Al-Ahly’s 2025 campaign came to an end after a dramatic draw with Portugal’s FC Porto at New Jersey’s iconic MetLife Stadium. Despite the electric atmosphere and a performance that fans will remember for years, the draw wasn’t enough to push them through to the next round. 

As Egyptians and Al-Ahly fans, we’ve exited the tournament — but some images and scenes from this edition of the FIFA Club World Cup will stay with me forever.

One of them is Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, making history in a way that transcends sport. In the unforgettable match against FC Porto, Abou Ali scored three goals — a true football “hat trick.” It was his night, and his name is now etched in the record books.

He became the first Palestinian player ever to score a hat-trick in a global tournament of this scale — a milestone not just for himself, but for Palestinian football. And to mark this powerful moment, Abou Ali celebrated in the spirit of Handala, the symbol of Palestinian resilience.

He was rightly named Man of the Match. It was well earned.

FIFA typically highlights and celebrates players who score historic firsts — especially hat tricks — in their official social media channels. But strangely, Wessam Abou Ali has received no such recognition from FIFA, and no official explanation has been offered.

Malcolm X at 100 : Malcolm X Goes to Mecca

It is the Hajj season of 2025 — and it also marks the 100th anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth.

In these difficult times filled with despair, anger, and growing racism in the Arab Muslim world — and beyond — I find myself unable to ignore the profound spiritual experience Malcolm X had during his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in April 1964.

That journey was a turning point in his life. It marked his transformation from a former member of the Nation of Islam — which he had recently left — to someone who truly embraced being a brother within the global Muslim ummah.

Hajj expanded Malcolm X’s worldview. After years of advocating the separatist, Afrocentric ideology of the Nation of Islam, the pilgrimage introduced him to a vision of Islam rooted in unity, equality, and racial harmony among Muslims of all backgrounds.

The experience moved him deeply — so much so that he wrote a letter during the pilgrimage to a friend. That letter, written in Mecca on April 26, 1964, would later be included in the final chapters of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley.

What follows is the full text of that letter, written by Malcolm X — who by then was calling himself El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Letter from Mecca

I have just completed my pilgrimage (Hajj) here to the Holy City of Mecca, the hollyiest City on earth, which is absolutely forbidden for non-Muslims to even rest their eyes upon. This pilgrimage is the most important event in the life of all Muslims, and there are over 226,000 who are here right now from outside of Arabia. From Turkey came the largest contagion, around 50,000 in over 600 buses. This refutes Westerner propaganda that Turkey is turning away from Islam.

I know of only 2 others who have made the actual Hajj to Mecca from America, and both of them are West Indians who also converts to Islam. Mr. Elijah Muhammad, 2 of his sons, and a couple of his followers visited Mecca outside the Hajj season, and their visit is known as the “Omra”, or Lesser Pilgrimage. It is con-

(Page 2) -sidered a blessing in the Muslim World even to make the “Omra”. I very much doubt that 10 American citizens have ever visited Mecca, and I do believe that I might be the first American born Negro to make the actual Hajj itself. I’m not saying this to boast but only to point out what a wonderful accomplishment and blessing it is, and also to enable you to be in a better position intellectually to evaluate it in its proper light, and then your own intelligence can place it in its proper place.

Malcolm X at 100 : When Malcolm visited Gaza

On this day, May 19, a hundred years ago, Malcolm Little was born in Nebraska.
He would later become known as Malcolm X, and eventually as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz — a pioneering Black African American Muslim activist who emerged as a global icon in the struggle for human rights and justice.

On the occasion of his 100th birthday, I believe it’s the right moment to revisit the op-ed he wrote for The Egyptian Gazette following his visit to Gaza in September 1964, just months before his assassination in February 1965. 

The article, titled “Zionist Logic,” remains a powerful reflection of his evolving worldview.

I will be sharing it with you.
I only wish The Egyptian Gazette’s remarkable archives were available online.

Zionist Logic

By Malcolm X

The Zionist armies that now occupy Palestine claim their ancient Jewish prophets predicted that in the "last days of this world" their own God would raise them up a "messiah" who would lead them to their promised land, and they would set up their own "divine" government in this newly-gained land, this "divine" government would enable them to "rule all other nations with a rod of iron."

If the Israeli Zionists believe their present occupation of Arab Palestine is the fulfillment of predictions made by their Jewish prophets, then they also religiously believe that Israel must fulfill its "divine" mission to rule all other nations with a rod of irons, which only means a different form of iron-like rule, more firmly entrenched even, than that of the former European Colonial Powers.

These Israeli Zionists religiously believe their Jewish God has chosen them to replace the outdated European colonialism with a new form of colonialism, so well disguised that it will enable them to deceive the African masses into submitting willingly to their "divine" authority and guidance, without the African masses being aware that they are still colonized.

Camouflage

The Israeli Zionists are convinced they have successfully camouflaged their new kind of colonialism. Their colonialism appears to be more "benevolent," more "philanthropic," a system with which they rule simply by getting their potential victims to accept their friendly offers of economic "aid," and other tempting gifts, that they dangle in front of the newly-independent African nations, whose economies are experiencing great difficulties. During the 19th century, when the masses here in Africa were largely illiterate it was easy for European imperialists to rule them with "force and fear," but in this present era of enlightenment the African masses are awakening, and it is impossible to hold them in check now with the antiquated methods of the 19th century.

The imperialists, therefore, have been compelled to devise new methods. Since they can no longer force or frighten the masses into submission, they must devise modern methods that will enable them to maneuver the African masses into willing submission.

The modern 20th century weapon of neo-imperialism is "dollarism." The Zionists have mastered the science of dollarism: the ability to come posing as a friend and benefactor, bearing gifts and all other forms of economic aid and offers of technical assistance. Thus, the power and influence of Zionist Israel in many of the newly "independent" African nations has fast-become even more unshakeable than that of the 18th century European colonialists...and this new kind of Zionist colonialism differs only in form and method, but never in motive or objective.

At the close of the 19th century when European imperialists wisely foresaw that the awakening masses of Africa would not submit to their old method of ruling through force and fears, these ever-scheming imperialists had to create a "new weapon," and to find a "new base" for that weapon.

Kodak Agfa presents: Cairo’s Ramadan Bazaar of Ahmed Maher Street or from Bab El-Khalk to Bab Zuweila Gate aka Taht el-Rab’a “Part.2”

It is like the last day of Ramadan, and I am really sorry to publish the second part of this post only now.

I should have posted earlier if it were not for the Ramadan procrastination, health issues, and work-life balance. It is not too late.

I am sorry that I am posting right now just as we are starting to re-watch the second season of the Gaza genocide again and watch live helplessly.

To be honest I am using this post as more of a runaway to escape the yet again footage and photos of killed children in hospitals.

I pray that when I finish this post a Ramadan miracle happens and ends this nightmare as soon as possible.

Now back to That el-Rab’a and that trip in that street from Bab El-Khalk to Bab Zuweila gate.

We stopped last time at the Ramadan Saint Patrons in Egypt: Bogy and Tamtam

Bogy and Tamtam, the saint patrons of Ramadan in Egypt 

Their facial expression may reflect many things in our time whether domestically or regionally or internationally.

Their statues on the street were like two ancient Egyptian statues guarding some ancient Egyptian King's tomb in some irony.

Despite the younger generations did not watch their shows in Ramadan as my generation had, many of them stopped and took photos with Ramadan’s most famous duo.

Snapping a photo with Bogy and Tamtam

Now you will know that you are near Bab Zuweila gate when you reach its famous walls or rather the walls of the Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad.

Ramadan lanterns in the shadow of
Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad Sheikh and Bab Zuweila

Bab Zuwayla or Bab Zuweila (Arabic: باب زويلة) is one of three remaining gates in the city walls of historic Cairo in Egypt. It was also known as Bawabat al-Mitwali or as Bab al-Mitwali or Bab al-Qus.

The Richest Arabs in 2024: Egypt and Lebanon Still Have the Most Billionaires in the Region Again “Despite shitty economy”

This post should have been published but here I am rushing to get it online before the end of 2024.

I could not publish then because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza but I think I was wrong. I should have published it on time and not let depression due to the news cycle get me.

Now to the annual disclaimers: Forbes Middle East has not included Saudi billionaires on its list since 2018. The list is based on published information and assets.

As Arabs, we are aware that there is another unofficial list of the Richest Arabs whose fortunes remain secret and unknown.

This secret list includes Arab rulers except for Lebanese PM Mikati and ex-Lebanese PM Saad El-Hariri who already come from filthy rich families with multi-billion business empires.

For the third year in a row, Lebanon and Egypt have the highest number of billionaires in the region, with six and five.

It's worth noting that the same individuals from last year are present, though their rankings have shifted. However, one has left the list due to his passing: Mohamed El-Fayed.

Published in May, here is Forbes 2024 World's Richest Arabs and Africans aka billionaires subsequently the Richest Egyptians. 

According to Forbes, Nassef Sawiris of Egypt is still maintaining his position as the richest Egyptian in the world, with a net worth of US $8.8 billion. He also ranks as the fourth richest African. This year, his global rank on the Forbes World's Billionaires list is 287th, a notable rise from his 2023 position of 305th.

His wealth has risen by $1.4 billion compared to 2023.

Nevertheless, Nassef Sawiris has been dethroned as the richest Arab in the world by none other than Pavel Durov. Originally from Russia, Durov, the only tech CEO on the list, obtained Emirati citizenship, ironically earning him the leading spot in the Arab billionaires club.

Durov is not the only non-Arab to make it to the list. A group of Indian tycoons residing in the UAE also joined, including Renuka Jagtiani, the first businesswoman to make the list. These foreign entries have pushed Arab billionaires down the rankings.

All Eyes on Sudan : Wad Al-Noura Massacre is just one of too many Massacres

I told you before that 5 June 2024 was a bitter one as it was not only the anniversary of the Six Day War Defeat in the Gaza war and the flags parade in East Jerusalem, but it also came at the time another Arab country witnessed a horrifying genocide and the world is still watching.

A photo from a screenshot showing the first mass funeral held for the victims
on the Wednesday at Wad Al-Noura 

In Sudan, we found out Wednesday night that more than 100 men were killed by the Rapid Support Forces “RSF” in one day in one single village in Al Jazira state.

According to the latest numbers we have got, there are at least 180 men who were killed by the RSF in this massacre that officially carries the name of the village it had been committed at “Wad El Noura”.

The latest numbers confirmed that there are 35 children among the victims. There are 220 people seriously injured by the villagers.

“Wad El Noura” village which was unknown outside Sudan has become world famous for the most wrong reasons ever.

Happy Eid despite all the hardships and war in Gaza and Sudan

Happy Eid El-Fitr to the dear readers of the Egyptian Chronicles around the globe especially those who are observing.

A very special Happy Eid El-Fitr to the people of Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Despite the death and destruction, Palestinians are endeavouring to celebrate Eid El-Fitr as best they can.

A Palestinian woman with her Eid Kahk aka cookies by 
Majdi Fathi in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 8, 2024

Women and children have gathered to make Eid cookies or Kahk, which differs from ours, despite being at the Internal Displacement Camps (IDC), using mud ovens like their ancestors did in 1948.

I read that in Palestinian Rafah, where a million and a half Palestinians have taken refuge, there are two hairdressers with queues of women and children since early Tuesday.

I see videos on Instagram of men having their hair cut in makeshift barbershops inside the tents.

Gaza War : South Africa stands with Palestinians in Gaza dragging Israel to the Hague “Everything you need to know and not to know too”

South Africa has made history by being the first country to bring Israel, a state often criticized for disregarding numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

The case is about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and it is going to kick off next week inshallah.

On Wednesday the ICJ announced that it will hold public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measure submitted by South Africa in the African country’s case vs. Israel on 11 and 12 January.

South Africa has filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide concerning Palestinians in Gaza.

As per a statement from the South African Presidency, the government decided in a special meeting on 8 December to approach the ICJ, also known as The Hague, to seek an order directing Israel to abstain from any actions that could be classified as genocide or a related crime under the aforementioned Convention.

Pray for Libya: Storm Daniel Strikes Derna, Killing Thousands

Libya Needs Our Prayers, Thoughts, and Aid

Storm Daniel hit the eastern parts of Libya on Sunday, bringing heavy rains and flooding. The results were horrifying.

The heaviest rainfall occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, with some areas receiving up to 250 mm (10 inches) of rain in just a few hours. There were two dams protecting the city. The two dams were the Wadi Derna Dam and the Al-Gharbi Dam. 

Both dams collapsed as a result of the heavy rains and flooding caused by Storm Daniel Medicane. The collapse of the dams released a massive amount of water into the city, which caused widespread damage and loss of life.

The Wadi Derna Dam is located on the Wadi Derna River, which is a major waterway that runs through the city. The dam was built in the 1970s to control flooding and provide water for irrigation. The Al-Gharbi Dam is located on the Al-Gharbi River, which is a smaller river that flows through the city. The dam was built in the 1980s to provide water for drinking and industrial use.

Both of them could not stand against the heavy rain that turned into floods. The floodwaters swept away homes, businesses, and vehicles.

The storm also caused mudslides, which further damaged infrastructure and made it difficult for rescue workers to reach affected areas. There are rescue workers who died while saving the people.

The power grid was knocked out in many areas, leaving people without electricity. The water supply was also disrupted, making it difficult for people to get clean water.

At first, it was reported that 150 people had been killed. By Monday afternoon, that number had jumped to 2,000 in the city of Derna alone. The Libyan government says that over 5,000 people are still missing.

Derna survived ISIS and civil war but did not survive Storm Daniel 

The death toll in Derna is higher than the number of victims of the recent earthquake in Morocco. That earthquake, which was the worst in over a century, killed over 2,800 people nationwide according to the latest official numbers on Monday

In Derna, whole neighbourhoods have been wiped out by the floods. One Libyan official called it the worst natural disaster to hit the country since 1963.

How Can We help Morocco Now after the deadly quake ?

Morocco was hit with a deadly 6.8 degrees earthquake on Friday killing in a few moments 2000 according to the latest death toll officially released by Moroccan State TV.

According to scientists, it is the worst earthquake the North African country has seen in 120 years. Yes, it is worse than the deadly 5.8 degrees Agadir earthquake in 1960. One only can pray that the number of victims would be less “inshallah it will be less” than in 1960.

In the High Atlas Mountain range earlier on Saturday
after the earthquake by Mosaab El-Shamy for AP

The quake struck Morocco on Friday, September 8, 2023, at 11:11 p.m. local time (18:11 UTC). The epicentre was located in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountain range, about 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech.

Zambia's T7WSS Private Jet Mystery: Five Egyptians Freed Through Nolle Prosequi

In another even more interesting turn of events in Lusaka, five Egyptian and one Zambian detainees in the infamous Gold Gate case, who were formally accused of espionage in less than a week, were released on Friday after the Zambian Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) entered a “nolle prosequi”.

According to the DPP, the five Egyptian citizens are Walid Refaat Fahim Botros, Mounir Shaker Gerges Awad, Mohamed Abdel Hak Mohamed Gouda, Yasser Mokhtar Abdel Ghafor and Michael Adel Micheal Batros while the Zambian citizen is Mulungu Osward Diangamo.

However, two of the Egyptians were re-arrested on lesser charges and granted bail, according to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), which suffered a significant blow to its reputation on Friday.

The four crew members have also been released.

Zambia’s T7WSS private jet mystery: More Mysteries as 5 Egyptians to face espionage charges in the gold gate

In an unexpected turn of events on Monday, Zambia's Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) formally levelled accusations against five Egyptians and six Zambians, all entangled in the controversy surrounding the T7WSS private jet's gold gate scandal.

Notably, the DEC has implicated these individuals, including a senior officer and a state house official from both nationalities, with charges of espionage.

Zambian Newspaper's News Digger published the photos of two Egyptian detainees

This curious development raises questions about how espionage allegations emerged, especially since the initial press release and conference by the DEC Commissioner omitted any mention of espionage.

Adding to the perplexity is the discrepancy in the count of Egyptians involved, fluctuating from six to five, as per varying statements from the DEC.

Zambia’s T7WSS private jet mystery: What we know so far including "Julian Assange's French lawyer joins East Africa's gold controversy"

First of all, Egyptian journalist Karim Asaad who was arrested on Saturday was freed on Sunday. 

Asaad, a member of the editorial team of the fact-finding platform Matsada2sh in Cairo was detained on Saturday following the impressive and revealing coverage of the platform to the T7WSS private jet incident.

Following the release of Asaad, Matsada2sh announced on Tuesday that it would take some time off till next week. Asaad’s detention and release were like the first implication back in Cairo involving the controversial T7WSS private jet mystery.

Many people are wondering if Matsada2sh, which has become one of the few independent free fact-finding and news sources will continue the same path after what happened.

In those three days, I believe the absence of Matsada2sh and its unbiased news coverage for real resulted in the spread of rumors in Cairo that travelled to Lusaka. It is better to give freedom to Matsada2sh and similar independent news websites instead of letting rumors and fake news for real to spread.

The rumors are currently about one thing: The identity of the sixth Egyptian detained in Lusaka but we will deal with that later.

T7WSS gold scandal: The mystery of the six in Zambia’s jet

There is no doubt that many people in Cairo are now aware of the importance of open-source intelligence (OSINT), at least in the past 72 hours following the unfolding of the private jet that was busted in Zambia and its interesting connections to Egypt.

The Zambian guards guarding the T7WSS at Kenneth Kenuda International 
On Thursday "DEC"

On Friday, in the latest developments concerning the incident of Zambia’s jet, as it is known in Egypt, or the gold scandal, as it is known in Zambia, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema asserted at a press briefing that no one is above the law and that "there are no sacred cows in this case."

The mysteries of T7-WSS or that private jet in Zambia

It's official: Zambia has secured a prominent place among Egypt's most searched words for August and the year 2023 as a whole. Remarkably, this newfound attention has nothing to do with football, which is a departure from the usual context.

Typically, Zambia garners attention in Egyptian media when Egypt's national football team competes against Zambia's team in various African tournaments, or during official visits between the two countries' presidents—either Zambia's President visiting Cairo or their Egyptian counterpart journeying to Lusaka.

The events of the past 24 hours, however, have propelled Zambia into Egyptian headlines in an unexpected manner.

The sequence of events commenced with the landing of a private jet at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in a distant African country on a Sunday afternoon.

By late Tuesday, Al-Masry Al-Youm and Cairo 24 had reported that Zambian authorities had made a startling discovery aboard the private jet: approximately USD 5 million in cash and 127 kilograms of gold bars. The jet had originated from Cairo, Egypt, and six out of the ten individuals on board, all Egyptians, were detained for further investigation.

The news found its way to Sky News Arabia and other regional Gulf news websites but was subsequently removed from Al-Masry Al-Youm and Cairo 24.

Unfortunately pulling the news off the Egyptian websites made it as if something fishy was going on fueling speculations even without knowing the rest of the details.

Delving into Zambian media accounts, it was revealed that Zambia's Drugs Enforcement Commission (DEC) had issued a press statement and convened a press conference regarding the incident.