Faced with the weakness of its claims over Western Sahara and the undeniable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, Morocco is increasingly infiltrating Western think tanks, television channels, and foreign newspapers. This strategy aims to demonize Algeria and present Morocco as a victim of alleged Algerian expansionist ambitions in Western Sahara.
The Rachid M’Barki Affair: Unveiling Manipulation
The case of Franco-Moroccan journalist Rachid M’Barki, a former presenter at BFMTV, perfectly illustrates this strategy. Suspended on January 11, 2023, following an internal investigation revealing foreign interference, he was fired on February 23, 2023, for gross misconduct. The "Story Killers" investigation by Forbidden Stories shed light on the dubious circumstances under which certain content was broadcast on the French channel. Accused of breach of trust and passive private corruption, M’Barki finally admitted to the charges in early 2024. The National Assembly also reported his false testimony before an inquiry commission in March 2023.
Safae El Yaaqoubi: An Emerging Controversy
Following M’Barki and Abdul Samad Nasser of Al Jazeera, Safae El Yaaqoubi might be the next to face justice. On June 27, 2024, she published an article titled "Disunion of the Maghreb: The Divergent Strategies of Morocco and Algeria in Shaping Future Regional Geopolitics" in the Wilson Center. This article, presented as biased and factually inaccurate (1), does not reflect the official position of the American think tank, as noted in the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.
Two days later, the Moroccan newspaper Hespress misrepresented El Yaaqoubi's article, claiming it represented the Wilson Center's stance (2), thus attempting to legitimize a biased view of the Maghreb situation.
A Repetitive and Ineffective Strategy
This modus operandi is recurrent in the Moroccan press, where contributors produce slanted articles aimed at tarnishing Algeria's image, presenting them as serious studies from Western think tanks. These clumsy methods reflect the desperation of Moroccan authorities and the mediocrity of their intelligence services, which spend considerable sums for unconvincing results. These manipulation attempts are often too crude to deceive an informed audience.
Towards an Inevitable Resolution
Despite Morocco's efforts to influence international opinion and involve Algeria as a major party in the conflict, the decolonization issue of Western Sahara seems inevitably to favor the Sahrawi people. Colonialism has never succeeded in overcoming the will of a people determined to achieve freedom and live with honor and dignity.
(1) : Maghreb Disunion: Morocco and Algeria’s Divergent Strategies in Shaping Future Regional Geopolitics
(2) : Hespress Article
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