Journalist and former Editor in Chief of national channel 2M Samira Sitail, who in an interview had criticized French media for false claims that Morocco had “refused” French aid and then faced a rash of allegations that she is in the pocket of the Moroccan state, is fighting back.
On “C a vous,” a show that aired on the French channel “BMF TV” last week, talking heads had suggested that Sitail is a mere mouthpiece for the kingdom. Sitail fired back, “No one is paying me to defend my country,” during a broadcast of “Un Space” on Tarik Talk that aired on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
The journalist said that all she is doing is defending her ideas. The “Makhzen does not need me to express its thoughts.” (Literally, the word “makhzen” means “warehouse” in Arabic, referring to the location where the king’s civil servants used to receive their wages. In current Moroccan parlance, however, it has become synonymous with “the elite.”)
In the interview that sparked the smear campaign, Sitail had criticized French media that had focused extensively on Morocco’s alleged rejection of France’s relief offer following the violent September 8 earthquake that rocked the North African country. She had also explained Morocco’s strategy of accepting assistance depending on identified national needs.
Sitail had said it was a “shame” that an allied country had faulted Morocco for its choices, and essentially had tried to manipulate Moroccan public opinion against its leadership. She noted that this French criticism was happening at a time when France is limiting visas to Moroccans.
Addressing other issues that the French press critiqued, Sitail said it was misleading to claim that Morocco had rejected France’s handling of the Moroccan Sahara issue, or that France has close ties with its former colony Algeria.
At this point, she recalled that France supported Morocco’s autonomy plan presented at the UN in 2007, but since then, France’s position has not changed, contrary to Spain, which recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara last year. To be sure, France’s foreign policy will go at its own pace, but France should not be surprised as Morocco maintains its position on this critical issue.
Sitail asserted that the French “deep state” is striving to keep Morocco and Algeria in a state of discord, so that Morocco’s outstretched hand will never be accepted by the Algerians.
She recalled also that Spain and France, which had carved up Morocco between themselves, created Morocco’s borders and deprived the country of a very large part of its territory.
An AFP released a dispatch criticizing Morocco’s king and his efforts in handling the crises, while this agency should represent the state position. Not only the state Agency, but France 24 also had the courage to invite so-called opponents of the Moroccan regime to appear on its programs.
Sitail remarked also on Gad Elmaleh’s pride of being a “Moroccan,” when in an interview he corrected the French interviewer who had presumed him to be “Franco-Marocain,” noting he is a Moroccan immigrant in France.
Finally, she said that today the close ties between Morocco and France are “self-evident,” given their mutual economic interests, integrated networks, and common social structures. “Nobody can suggest that a break in relations is not too far off. Even if Morocco is currently broadening its partners, a break would be to neither’s advantage.”