On the 27 of October, two members of the EU Parliament along with some activists originating from the Rif region in Morocco organized an event in the European Parliament on “Beyond the Hirak: A New Vision for the Rif”. I proposed myself as a speaker at the event in my quality as Co-President of the Morocco/EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, and as an expert and writer on issues related to human rights and development. I thought I could bring a parliamentary and expert perspective to the debate and enrich the exchange the organizers were planning to have on this important topic. But the organizing party just simply and plainly rejected my request without any valid explanation.
I am shocked that the organizers of the event, claiming to be human rights activists, refused to hear a parliamentarian’s point of view. Democracy is built around differences and a debate of ideas. A dissenting or a different point of view can only enrich the debate. Do the organizers want only one point of view to be heard at the European Parliament? The essence of debate in this venerable institution is freedom of opinion, difference, and the plurality of voices. Hearing my modest point of view would not hurt; on the contrary, it would give the audience a multiplicity of opinions on the human rights and development issues facing the Rif region in northern Morocco.
I sent the organizers my thoughts on the issue in the hope that they share them with the audience, but it was in vain as well. I am hereby publishing them to enrich the debate around the issue and in the spirit of human rights, freedom of speech and the plurality of opinions that should mark our work and interaction as MPs and civil society.
My reflections on the topic have been formed after years of monitoring the rights and development issues of this northern region of Morocco. The human rights situation has been the focus of so many organizations but I find the extensive report of the Moroccan National Council for Human Rights (“Rapport sur les protestations d’Al Hoceima Mars 2020”) to be the most objective, detail-oriented, and fact-driven; while it does not exonerate the state from its responsibilities, it also holds protesters accountable for the use of violence and hate speech, and local and national public opinion for the fabrication and dissemination of misleading fake news.
The events were a painful chapter in the history of Morocco as it moves with determination towards democracy, pluralism, and a state of due process; nonetheless, human rights cannot be promoted and upheld if they are not conceived of on the basis of facts and an accountability mechanism that displays successes and failures and gets to the truth of what had happened in order to learn from it and strive to achieve a better and brighter future for all citizens, guided by the values of fairness and justice for all.
The subject is still quite present in the public arena in Morocco. The Parliament has never ceased to question the Government on its policies with regard to developing the Rif region and two opposition parties (now in Government since 2021), namely the Istiqlal Party (of which I am a member) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party have been asking for a general pardon of all persons who were given jail sentences following their participation in acts of violence in the wake of the Rif events between October 28, 2016, and October 27, 2017. Most of those incarcerated have been pardoned by the King of Morocco on different occasions since 2018.
Moroccan security forces used force to deal with acts of violence on the part of protesters but the allegations of torture have not been substantiated, according to the CNDH report, except for three cases. Nine cases of excessive use of force were also reported, in addition to three cases of cruel and inhumane treatment in custody; all the other allegations of violence on the part of security forces remained unsubstantiated and medically non-corroborated.
The violence of protesters against security forces resulted in 788 injuries, two of which have been of a grave nature leading to disability. Some report that the peaceful protests were high-jacked by violent elements but it is not clear when that happened exactly.
In the spirit of the way forward, as expressed in the title of this event and the “New Vision for the Rif”, it is important that the recommendations of the CNDH are implemented to make sure that these events do not occur again. Improving custody conditions by using cameras during interrogations, being assisted by a lawyer during interrogation, training security forces on how to deal with violent protesters while protecting their right to peacefully protest, educating protesters on the need to respect the orders of law enforcement officers and not to use violence against them, issuing legislation on the use of hate speech and raising the awareness of public opinion on how to combat fake news, and building infrastructure to safeguard the memory of the region and promote its history are some of the most important recommendations put forward by the CNDH.
The Government of Morocco has responded to the demands of the Rif population by putting together an ambitious development vision that is already bearing fruit. Investments included various initiates in agribusiness, real estate, tourism, etc. On the other hand, cultural infrastructure includes an opera house, a music institute, a sports village, stadiums, and indoor sports domes. The number of projects is staggering: 563 of a social vocation nature; 139 for economic projects; 87 for environmental adaptation and resilience; 95 for roads, bridges, and other forms of infrastructure; 62 for territorial development, and 6 for religious spaces.
In the pipeline, we find also the memory institute, a university, a state-of-the-art hospital, and various other projects.
With these efforts which are valued in billions of euros, Morocco has positively responded to the legitimate demands of the Rif population. Of course, a lot needs to be done with regard to training, a rights-based approach to development, and gender-based initiatives. But the will is there and the population is already seeing how the Hirak has paid off despite the sad chapter of violence and incarceration.
This is my view of the Vision for a New Rif; it is neither apologetic nor extremist. Hearing me out would have produced a fruitful discussion on the real way forward, especially in the precincts of an institution that is the beacon of freedom and free expression, namely the EU Parliament.
I have not been allowed to speak but I hope the organizers will understand my point of view as expressed herein and proceed to open a debate with Moroccan MPs on the best way forward, in a positive and constructive way.