“Sabotage”: the word the world took up — and that nobody inflated

Salma F. — Rabat, Maroc — 2026-10-13

On 11 October 2026, the General Directorate of National Security announced the arrest, “in early October”, of 61 people of Moroccan nationality in Oran, “preparing to commit acts of sabotage” — a press release taken up by APS. Three days later, that text had gone round the world. Not the thesis: the word.

1. The tally: 36 outlets, and what each one wrote

36 outlets, from 11/10 at 18:36 to 13/10 at 08:21: 8 languages, 12 countries or established seats, 4 with no established country (no nationality inferred). † = page seen by headline only; “n. d.” = date not displayed.

What the press release says, before the world took it up: Radio Algérienne, APS source (entry 1 of the bibliography) — the number (61), the nationality, the route via Tunis, then El Kala (wilaya of El Tarf), then Oran, the seizure of Moroccan passports and of funds in dirhams and euros, and the referral to the public prosecutor at the specialised criminal division of Oran.

The decisive column is the fifth: no “terrorism”, no “attentat”. Not one, out of 36.

2. The description travelled too

The word of the press release crossed eight languages without gaining a notch: sabotagedaden (nl), actos de sabotaje (es), δολιοφθοράς (el), 破坏活动 (zh), أعمال تخريبية (ar), خرابکاری (fa) and “acts of sabotage” (en). They all say the same thing.

A dispatch gets copied; but it is also translated in its description. VRT NWS puts the word in quotation marks and notes that the DGSN “gave no details”; CNEWS (AFP) keeps to “suspicion of sabotage”.

Two headlines go further. actu-maroc.com (12/10): “Alger accuse sans rien prouver” (“Algiers accuses without proving anything”) — the article does not quote the press release it claims to refute. Tanja7 (13/10): “purement fictif” (“purely fictitious”), “scénario complètement fabriqué” (“a completely fabricated scenario”). Between them, Tel Quel, Hespress (en) and Asharq Al-Awsat ask the question without crossing the line: doubt is a right, not a description.

3. The anonymous source promoted to “official” in one day: two columns

Jeune Afrique, 13 October, 08:21: “Contacted by Jeune Afrique, an unofficial source in Rabat speaks of a ‘pure fabrication’.” Tanja7, the same day, citing that same interview: “An official source, without revealing its identity, stated in an interview with ‘Jeune Afrique’ […]”.

Two texts, two URLs, one day: the source moves from “unofficial” to “official” without being named, and without any Moroccan institution speaking. The same article places the crossing at “Tébessa” where the press release says El Kala, wilaya of El Tarf, and promises “the identity of the 61” that its body never gives. Counterpoint: Afrik.com noted as early as 12 October that “the Moroccan authorities had not reacted publicly”; China News Service (12/10): “截至目前，摩洛哥方面尚未就此事作出公开回应”. We write: we have found no official Moroccan reaction — not “Morocco has not reacted”.

4. What this tally does not establish

• No Reuters, AP, BBC or Al Jazeera dispatch reached: that does not prove none exists.
• Neither the exact nature of the acts, nor their targets, nor their means, nor the day of the arrests.
• The 61 people are presumed innocent.
• Synchronisation real; orchestration not established: 36 outlets in 38 hours are also explained by a single dispatch.

actu-maroc.com headlined “Alger accuse sans rien prouver”. The press release, for its part, gives the number (61), the nationality, the route Tunis–El Kala (El Tarf)–Oran, the passports and funds seized, and the prosecutor. Their three discrepancies converge: the “unofficial” source of Jeune Afrique becomes “official” at Tanja7; the crossing moves from El Kala to “Tébessa”; a headline promises “the identity of the 61”, never given. A newspaper can be wrong. It is not wrong three times in the same direction, on the same day, on the same file.

Salma F. — Rabat, Morocco

📚 COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHY (rule no. 19)

(The table's order is this bibliography's order. “†”: headline cited — description as displayed, date not established.)

1. Radio Algerianne (fr, Algeria), 11/10/2026, 18:36, DGSN press release, APS source, — https://news.radioalgerie.dz/fr/node/96239

2. Horizons (fr, Algeria), 11/10/2026, — https://www.horizons.dz/2026/10/un-reseau-criminel-marocain-demantele-en-algerie/

3. Horizons (en, Algeria), 11/10/2026, 22:45, — https://www.horizons.dz/language/en/2026/10/the-police-bust-moroccan-sabotage-ring-in-oran/

4. Algeria360 (fr, Algeria), 11/10/2026, 19:32, — https://www.algerie360.com/oran-marocains-arretes-reseau-criminel-demantele/

5. L'Espoir Libéré (fr, Algeria), 11/10/2026, 19:43, — https://lespoirlibere.dz/2026/10/11/demantelement-dun-reseau-criminel-marocain-et-arrestation-de-61-ressortissants-de-ce-pays/

6. Le Courrier d'Algeria (fr, Algeria), 11/10/2026, — http://lecourrier-dalgerie.com/61-ressortissants-marocains-sappretaient-a-commettre-des-actes-de-sabotage-arretes-lalgerie-dejoue-un-plan-de-destabilisation/

7. AL24 News (fr, Algeria), 11–12/10/2026, — https://al24news.dz/fr/demantelement-dun-reseau-criminel-organise-et-arrestation-de-61-ressortissants-marocains/

8. Ennahar Online (ar, Algeria), 11/10/2026, — https://www.ennaharonline.com/%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%82%d9%8a%d9%81-61-%d9%85%d8%ba%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%88%d8%a7-%d8%a8%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%b6%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%b9%d9%85%d8%a7/

9. Ultra Algeria (ar, Algeria), 11/10/2026, 21:27, date not displayed, — https://ultraalgeria.ultrasawt.com/%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%8C-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%82%D9%81-61-%D9%85%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%8B%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%88%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/

10. Dzair Essaa (ar, Algeria), date non affichée, — https://www.djazair-essaa.dz/?p=124455

11. Tel Quel (fr, Morocco), 12/10/2026, — https://telquel.ma/instant-t/2026/10/12/algerie-arrestation-de-61-marocains-soupconnes-de-preparer-des-actes-de-sabotage_2012442/

12. Le360 (fr, Morocco), 12/10/2026, — https://fr.le360.ma/politique/61-marocains-arretes-en-algerie-le-regime-ne-fait-pas-la-guerre-au-makhzen-mais-aux-marocains_2X4J3DHYWJCQPDXUNT5WJUBWMM/

13. Le360 (ar, Morocco) †, — https://ar.le360.ma/politique/W3C3GVFJDNGWZIT6QTPJZ63EF4/

14. Le360 (ar, Morocco) †, — https://ar.le360.ma/politique/2GOSQ33PY5CM7GBG3HSBTJOSKM/

15. Hespress (en, Morocco), 11/10/2026, 19:59, — https://en.hespress.com/147121-algeria-arrests-61-moroccans-accused-of-allegedly-planning-acts-of-sabotage.html

16. Hespress (en, Morocco), 12/10/2026, 18:56, — https://en.hespress.com/147180-algeria-arrests-61-moroccans-over-alleged-sabotage-plot-as-questions-surround-evidence.html

17. Hespress (fr, Morocco), 12/10/2026, 17:56, — https://fr.hespress.com/491922-algerie-laffaire-de-larrestation-de-61-marocains-au-coeur-dun-recit-securitaire-controverse.html

18. actu-maroc.com (fr, Morocco), 12/10/2026, — https://actu-maroc.com/61-marocains-arretes-a-oran-alger-accuse-sans-rien-prouver/

19. Tanja7 (fr, Morocco — Tanger), 13/10/2026, — https://tanja7.com/fr/22687

20. Asharq Al-Awsat (ar, Saudi Arabia/London), 12/10/2026, 15:40, — https://aawsat.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A/%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7/5328739

21. Al-Quds al-Arabi (ar, Londres) †, — https://alquds.com/ar/posts/261665-algeria-arrests-moroccans-sabotage-plot-oran

22. Akhbar al-Yawm (ar, country not established) †, — https://www.akhbaralyawm.com/news/583169/

23. Jeune Afrique (fr, France/pan-African), 13/10/2026, 08:21, — https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1851383/politique/alger-annonce-avoir-arrete-61-saboteurs-marocains-rabat-evoque-une-affabulation/

24. CNEWS, with AFP (fr, France), 12/10/2026, 07:05, — https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2026-10-12/algerie-61-marocains-arretes-pour-des-soupcons-de-sabotage-1933459

25. Afrik.com (fr, France), 12/10/2026, 10:30, — https://www.afrik.com/sabotage-dejoue-a-oran-de-rabat-a-abou-dhabi-la-question-du-commanditaire

26. Sahafati (fr, country not established), date non affichée, — http://sahafati.com/ma/fr/post/45/356215679/alger-annonce-avoir-arrete-61-saboteurs-marocains-rabat-evoque-une-affabulation.html

27. VRT NWS, Belga source (nl, Belgique), 11/10/2026, 22:48, date not displayed, — https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/10/11/algerije-marokko-burgers-sabotage/

28. El Faro de Ceuta (es, Espagne), 12/10/2026, 14:31, — https://elfarodeceuta.es/detenidos-marroquies-argelia-sabotear-seguridad-orden/

29. ERT News (el, Grèce), date non affichée, date not displayed, — https://www.ertnews.gr/eidiseis/diethni/algeria-oi-arxes-synelavan-61-marokinous-katigorountai-gia-sxediasmo-prakseon-doliofthoras/

30. Guangming Online / China News Service (zh, Chine), 12/10/2026, 19:09, — https://m.gmw.cn/toutiao/2026-10/12/content_1304574637.htm

31. Hamshahri (fa, Iran) †, — https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/1076180/

32. Tasnim News (fa, Iran) †, — https://www.tasnimnews.ir/fa/news/1405/07/20/3720927

33. TRT Afrika (en, Turquie) †, — https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/cfdaa2a7771d

34. BSS News (en, country not established) †, — https://www.bssnews.net/international/433852

35. GhanaWeb (en, Ghana), 12/10/2026 (heure non établie), time not established, — https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/africa/Algeria-arrests-61-Moroccan-nationals-on-suspicion-of-planning-acts-of-sabotage-2056287

36. HB Report (en, country not established) †, — https://hbreport.com/algeria-detains-61-moroccans-amid-suspected-sabotage-plans/

⚠️ Published reservations.

(1) Nine pages cited by their headline (marked †): Dzair Essaa, Le360 (ar) ×2, Al-Quds al-Arabi, Akhbar al-Yawm, Hamshahri, Tasnim News, TRT Afrika, BSS News, HB Report. Their description is the one displayed; their date is not established. The table says so line by line.

(2) Four outlets have no established country: Akhbar al-Yawm, Sahafati, BSS News, HB Report. We do not assign them a nationality by inference.

(3) A negative check is not a proof. We reached no Reuters, AP, BBC or Al Jazeera dispatch. That means our search did not reach them, not that they do not exist.

(4) “We have found no official Moroccan reaction” ≠ “Morocco has not reacted”. It is a research finding, at a given date.

(5) The “clandestine emigration candidates” thesis is an anonymous allegation. It is reported as such; no document establishes it, and we do not present it as a fact.

(6) The 61 people are presumed innocent. No guilt is established by what we have read; the proceedings are ongoing before the specialised criminal division of Oran.

(7) The word remains “acts of sabotage”. It is the word of the press release, and the word of the table: no more serious term is used for this case, either by us or by the 36 outlets tallied.

(8) No orchestration is concluded. 36 outlets in 38 hours: that is a fact. A sponsor would be a proof — we do not have one. The wave is also explained by a single dispatch taken up everywhere.

(9) Errors noted in the take-ups — flagged as professional faults, not as manipulation: HB Report attributes the press release to “Morocco's General Directorate of National Security” (the DGSN is Algerian); Tanja7 places the crossing at Tébessa instead of El Kala (El Tarf) and promotes an “unofficial” source to an “official” one; El Faro de Ceuta writes that the suspects arrived “vía aérea desde Marruecos” — the press release does not say where the flight departed from — and illustrates with an “imagen de archivo” from 2025, which we do not reuse.

(10) We re-read nine pages ourselves (VRT NWS, ERT News, El Faro de Ceuta, Hamshahri, CNEWS, Jeune Afrique, Tanja7, Afrik.com, Asharq Al-Awsat): the words quoted come from those readings. The other lines come from the tally of watch report no. 2, based on pages opened or headlines, as indicated.

(11) No judgment on any people, nation or religion. The article analyses words, headlines and sourcing practices. No insult, either towards a media outlet or towards a country. The vocabulary proscribed by the editorial team does not appear in it.