Morocco’s Human Rights Groups Demand An Apology From France for the Colonization of the Kingdom
By Samira Arabi
Morocco News Tribune
Agadir, Morocco |Moroccan human rights organizations called for France a formal apology to Morocco, Moroccan because of what the right of many human tragedies during the colonial era, which lasted about 43 years, Alarabya reported.
The organizations called on the need for France to compensate Morocco about what happened from the exploitation and plundering of wealth throughout the years of occupation.
These demands of these human rights associations coincided with the French President Francois Hollande to Morocco’s first official visit to the country from 3 to 4 April, carrying with him in his suitcase files important political and economic topped development of economic relations between the two countries, as well as to confirm the position of Paris from the Sahara issue.
Said Abdul Salam Adib, head of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights Branch Rabat, told Alarabiya that the French colonial period witnessed a great deal of gross violations of human rights and oppression directed at Moroccans and also exploitation of Morocco’s wealth and resources.
Adib added that the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, the largest human rights organizations in Morocco, France needs to apologize publicly to the Moroccans for all what it did during the colonial period in terms of causing wars in Sahara, in the rural areas and for enslaving Moroccans to work in land and farms.
The spokesman pointed to the deployment of many Moroccans by France to fight in the Second World War in Europe and Asia, leading to the loss of many lives.
“ All these events ate evidence of excessive aggression committed by the French during the colonial authorities against millions of Moroccans.
Also, Moroccan Association for Citizenship and Human Rights called for France to apologize to the Moroccan people and provide compensation for years of exploitation and colonialism through immediate cancellation of Morocco’s foreign debt, suggesting that Paris pay them off.
“It is our right as Moroccan people to demand compensations for tragedies lived by our ancestors and fathers and some who are still living with this generation,” he added “Legally these compensation claims are legitimate and guaranteed by international laws “.
On the other hand, Francois Hollande tried, during his meeting with the French community living in Morocco, at Lycée Lyautey in Casablanca,to alleviate the impact of French colonialism to Morocco on the relations between the two countries, and said that this era “had pros and cons, but it was overshadowed by assault on civil liberties” according to the Moroccan newspaper AL-Masae.
