Since the time of Sun Tsu, the author of “The Art of War”, history has taught us that disinformation undeniably seeks to discredit the opponent in order to win the sympathy and support of the international community and strengthen the faith of activists. Since the outbreak of the Sahara conflict, the Polisario front has waged a media war against the Kingdom of Morocco either at the regional (Maghreb/African) or international level.
As per the Institute of Propaganda Analysis, “propaganda is the use of communication to propagate specific beliefs and hopes”. The literature on the control of emotions and the explanation of this control differs from one theory to another. Freudism deems that satisfying the needs of the ID, the EGO and the SUPEREGO leads to persuading an individual, while behaviorism considers that every human action is a conditioned response to an external stimulus. A third theory “the Magic Bullet Theory” posits that mass media penetrate the brain of simple-minded individuals and create an instantaneous effect.
As an art of persuasion, propaganda has set goals. Based on the classic works of Harold Lasswell and Walter Lippmann, these objectives are four in number: to mobilize hatred against an enemy, to preserve the friendship of allies, to acquire the cooperation of neutrals if possible, and to demoralize the enemy.
Propaganda is a portmanteau word; it is divided into three categories: black propaganda whose purpose is to deliberately convey lies (e.g. the Nazi movement), white propaganda which consists of suppressing dubious or harmful ideas while promoting positive information to divert attention, and gray propaganda which aims to convey ideas that may be false or true.
According to Werner Severin and James Tankard, propaganda in contemporary society is based on seven techniques found mainly in political campaigns, commercials, editorials and statements by extremist groups. These means are: Name calling which is the process of giving a bad label to reject something and condemn it without really looking at the evidence, conjuring up emotions of hate and fear; Glittering generalities which consist of using a word of virtue to impress and influence the audience.
In politics expressions like “the right to work”, “the right to vote” and “the freedom fighter” are examples used by the propagandist to appeal to emotions of freedom, equality, justice, democracy, etc; and Transfer which is a device by which the propagandist postpones the authority, the sanction and the prestige of something that we respect. The nation’s flag, the Koran or the Bible are all symbols which stir emotions.
Other techniques include: the use of testimonials which is the employment of respected personalities to instill public confidence. In advertising, quotes by celebrities (actors, philanthropists, athletes, etc.) and public figures are used mostly because the public regards them as idols; plain folks whereby the propagandist claims to be an ordinary man to win the public opinion. He would communicate and dress like the target audience to gain their trust; card stacking which aims to present information that is favorable to an idea or opinion while omitting information contrary to it; and bandwagon which is the call for the individual to follow the crowd and join the others.
Bearing in mind all these propaganda-imbued methods, an analysis of a speech by former head of the so-called Polisario Front Mohammed Abdelaziz, marking the 32 anniversary of the separatist movement’s inception, shows the following:
– The repetitive use of the “Sahrawi Popular Liberation Army” or ALPS is very significant as it accentuates the cause and homogeneous identity of the movement. It tries to make us believe that this is an organization that fights for the freedom of an ethnic group, a minority. The term “liberation” presupposes an occupier, and reveals the use of the aforementioned echnique of Glittering Generalities. The self-proclaimed president attributes legitimacy to the fight led by the Sahrawis; they are fighters, martyrs, heroes and not terrorists. Here he appeals to the emotions of freedom and the right to live.
At this stage of the speech, the so-called Polisario leader uses card stacking technique as the term Saharawi people presupposes the existence of a homogeneous people who have no relations with the Moroccans of the north. Yet history has taught us that southerners immigrated to the north and vice versa. Moreover, the tribes of Dlim are found in the south and in the center and north of Morocco. The Zaouïas like the Al Mohads, who ruled all of Morocco for centuries, are of Sahrawi origin. The Jbala tribes in northern Morocco, known as the Aroussis, originated in the south. Finally, the implicit irony in this speech is that the leader himself was born and raised in Marrakech.
– Further in the text, the polisario leader switches to the Bandwagon and card stacking techniques. The fighters are described as heroes, martyrs of a supreme and honorable cause. The quoting of names like El Wali Moustapha Sayed is an explicit call to join this group, whose is associated with victory and eternal life in the collective memory. Mohammed Abdelaziz moves from using the “I” pronoun to the “we” pronoun which refers to a group whose moral qualities are the subject of a consensus. Here the discourse speaks to our sense of what is right and true. The propagandist leader appeals to the emotions of freedom, equality, justice, democracy, etc. His ultimate goal is to legitimize his agenda and ally the ‘Sahrawis’ to his own cause.
– The dazzling generalities used by the so-called president are taken from a universally recognized lexicon, that of human rights. The terms human rights, repression, persecution, patriotism and resistance form a semantic field found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The misinformation in this speech is glaring; it seeks to discredit the Kingdom of Morocco as a violator of human rights and international conventions.
The truth is something else. Everyone knows that Morocco has invested a lot of resources to promote the southern provinces. These provinces are among the best equipped in terms of infrastructure (roads, hospitals, drinking water, schools, ports, etc.). The lie in the Polisario discourse becomes clearer if we take into account the position of several international humanitarian associations which have stopped sending food supplies to the camps (e.g: France Libertés). The reason is that the leaders of the Front sell these foodstuffs in the Mauritanian and Malian markets.
The lie becomes more fragrant for the informed reader and connoisseur of the intrigues of the conflict. The Tifariti region, which Mohammed Abdelaziz describes as a “liberated parcel of our territory,” is considered by the United Nations as a buffer region.
Also, the delusional leader claims that the polisario has succeeded in founding a state where democracy and respect for human rights reign. These statements make use of card stacking technique because they present the phoney republic as a utopian state, while the truth is something else. Mohammed Abdelaziz was “president” for more than three decades. He used to be elected by more than 99% of the votes and any attempt to change the political system in place was quickly aborted. In this context, I cite the example of the “Line of the Martyr” movement, which is based abroad and fights to establish the democracy which characterizes true republican regimes. Only the notables of the Sahrawi tribes occupy key positions in the government of the alleged republic (ministers, members of parliament, ambassadors, etc.). While Sahrawis from modest families live in submission and misery.
In addition, children are educated in communist countries like Cuba. Even worse, these children are taught how to fight. Once they come back, they are recruited as soldiers. They live alone in concentration camps in Tindouf.
The polisario leader also uses the technique of testimony as he cites the names of countries (Algeria, South Africa, Spain), celebrities (Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo) and human rights associations to substantiate his claims. The illusion communicated by this speech is that the struggle of Algerians against the French settler, and of South Africans against Apartheid is identical to that waged by the “Sahrawis” in southern Morocco.
This comparison lacks historical credibility. Algerians were fighting against a foreign state that invaded their country. South Africans were fighting against a racist and unjust regime. However, Morocco is not an invading country: Moroccans are at home. The government is not racist or unjust. The inhabitants of the southern provinces manage their local affairs themselves (municipalities, regional councils, etc.). Even better, Morocco showed good faith by proposing the self-governance / Autonomy project: regional parliament, management of natural resources, education, etc. This innovative project is accepted by most influential powers of the world.
While speaking, the alleged president oscillates between the threat to resume the armed struggle and the call to establish peace, making use of the transfer technique. He refers to UN conventions, and uses terms as refugee camp and decolonization out of context. This semantic de-contextualization also applies to other terms, notably referendum and self-determination. Former UNSG personal envoy for the Sahara Peter Van Walsum had declared the impossibility of organizing a referendum in the Sahara. This position is legitimate since it lays bare all the false propaganda carried out by Algeria and the Polisario. The Moroccan autonomy proposal is the best solution to end this conflict which has lasted for decades. This is a rational and just decision that goes far beyond the demagogic attitude adopted by the Polisario.
The propagandistic remarks by the so-called president are intended to obtain the support of a small group that defends these political and economic interests. For this, the demagogue deliberately uses simplistic speeches, without nuances, distorting the truth and showing excessive complacency. He appeals to intellectual laziness, by proposing analyzes and solutions that seem obvious and immediate. He does not appeal to reason and he does not really seek the general interest. Since 2007, the Security Council has issued dozens of resolutions that no longer mention the referendum as an option. These resolutions support the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco as the only just and realistic option to solve the Sahara issue.
* Prof. Youcef Hdouch is the head of the English department at the Faculty of Languages, Letters and Arts – Ibn Tofail University