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Rabat – Glovo Morocco released a statement today, attributing the recent display of a divided Moroccan map on its courier applications to a technical glitch.
Emphasizing that its operation spans throughout the entire country, Glovo said that it is working in full respect of Morocco’s territorial integrity.
“A technical issue, identified by our teams, occurred on the courier applications following a recent external update, which temporarily caused the incorrect display of the map of the Kingdom of Morocco,” the statement said.
The company further stated that it intervened to fix the issue upon detection, noting that the issue was “immediately addressed,” and that the Moroccan map is now correctly displayed on the application.
Pledging openness and respect for dialogue policy with the courier community, Glovo Morocco said it held several discussion sessions with hundreds of couriers in Casablanca, presenting proposals aimed at improving the couriers’ experience.
“Additional complementary measures are currently being rolled out,” the company pledged, stating that this is aimed at enhancing day-to-day work in direct response to customers’ feedback.
It also pledged efforts to strengthen exchange platforms with couriers to better take into account the diversity of their feedback, conveying commitment to co-developing sustainable solutions with relevant stakeholders.
While the company reaffirms its position on the country’s territorial integrity, Glovo’s statement did not include an apology for customers.
The statement followed protests launched by Glovo riders, who took to the streets of Casablanca earlier this week to protest deteriorating conditions and to denounce the distorted, incomplete depiction of Morocco’s Sahara region on the company’s app.
Protesters condemned Glovo for displaying a map that excludes Morocco’s southern provinces, labeling the region as merely “Western Sahara”.
Protesters also conveyed their anger over what they report to be unfair treatment of the couriers – specifically bringing to alarm that they are responsible for all expenses — including motorcycles, fuel, insurance, and equipment, with earnings they argue barely cover basic living costs.
Sovereignty at the center
Both domestically and on the international stage, Morocco consistently and clearly emphasizes that its sovereignty over the Sahara is non-negotiable, serving as the primary lens through which it views its relationship with partners and nations.
The Moroccan government has been reiterating this position in diplomatic engagements, economic partnership, as well as foreign policy decisions.
Ambiguous stances from several countries regarding Morocco’s territorial integrity have been met with firm responses from Morocco’s government, which has not hesitated to take bold steps when its sovereignty over its southern provinces was questioned.
In 2021, Rabat froze ties with Germany in response to Berlin’s unclear stance and a rift that lasted for months until Germany eventually endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a good basis for resolving the conflict.
Similarly, tensions with Spain reached a historic low in April 2021, when Morocco recalled its ambassador after the Spanish government allowed Polisario leader Brahim Ghali to enter the country for medical treatment.
What followed was a period of one of the most dramatic diplomatic crises in their history – tensions which only began to ease when Madrid aligned with Morocco’s position in 2022, endorsing the autonomy plan as the most serious and credible political solution to end the dispute.
In 2024, France also brought an end to years of diplomatic chill by officially recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces. Now, Rabat and Paris ties are hitting their stride, with robust cooperation on various levels.
