Today’s news indicates that things are looking up in Morocco. First, Reuters AlertNet announced, in a statement made by the UNHCR itself, that Morocco’s UN Refugee office has reopened after the peaceful breakup of a sit-in staged by refugees. Last weekend, several Congolese refugees stormed the office, causing them to shut down at the threat of violence. Since the closure of the office, there have been protestors outside, urging it to reopen. Many of Morocco’s refugees, most of whom are sub-Saharan Africans, have requested monthly financial assistance, which the UNHCR says it cannot provide.

Morocco’s main Islamist opposition group, Al Adl wa al Ihsane, which advocates for Shari’a law in the country, was barred from holding a news conference on Thursday in Rabat. The group, which has about 250,000 members, is also banned from holding meetings.

The Moroccan Council for Higher Education met on Wednesday to discuss the need for civic education in schools, according to Magharebia.com. King Mohammed VI, in his opening remarks, stressed that “promoting civic conduct is a pressing demand in today’s world.”

Finally, Amnesty International released its 2007 Report on Wednesday, which called attention to abuses in the Western Sahara. The report also highlighted the questioning of 3,000 Al Adl wa al Ihsane members, the deaths of migrants trying to cross to Sebta and Melilla last summer, and abuses in the ‘war on terror.’