Udenrigsudvalget 2018-19 (1. samling)
URU Alm.del Bilag 28
Offentligt
Press release for immediate release
Copenhagen, 5 November 2018
The Moroccan Forum of Denmark calls on the Danes to support the Moroccan
Sahara autonomy initiative
A Moroccan initiative to stop terror in Europe.
The Dansk Marokkansk Forum and the Association of Moroccan Investors, composed of
several Moroccan associations in Denmark, call on the Danish civil society to support the
Sahara autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco in 2006. The resolution of this conflict which
seems far from Denmark's interests, would have direct impacts on the country. For example,
with autonomous Sahara under Morocco's sovereignty, a gateway to this region, or even to
Africa, would be wide open to Danish investors.
National Security
It is also important to understand how the current instability of the Tindouf camps in south-
western Algeria leads to the proliferation of terrorist groups, drug trafficking, and other mafia
operations in this zone. The repercussions on Denmark in terms of national security and the
country's contribution to the European Union's security policy must be addressed by our
politicians.
To understand the history of the links between the Sahara and Morocco, and the contents of
the royal initiative for the Sahara autonomy, the population and the politicians are invited to
celebrate the 43
rd
anniversary of the Green March, this 6
th
November. This March which took
place in Morocco on November 6, 1975 at the initiative of King Hassan II is a symbol of the
Kingdom's peaceful unity with its Sahara.
This peaceful March led to the recovery of the Sahara provinces, just after the confirmation
by the International Court of Justice in The Hague of the existence of legal ties of allegiance
between the Sultans of Morocco and the Sahrawi tribes.
The world remembers how Moroccans responded spontaneously to the call for the March, as
the lists of female and male volunteers exceeded by far the planned figure of 350,000
participants. The aim was to force Spain to hand over the colonized Sahara territory back to
 URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 28: Invitation fra Dansk Marokkansk Forum om invitation til arrangement den 6. november 2018 om Vestsahara
1963580_0002.png
Morocco. Some people describe the March as
the miracle of the century;
others as
the most
striking peaceful march in human history.
It is through this celebration that the Moroccan Forum and the Moroccan investors wish to
exchange with civil society actors and politicians, in order to refute the pro-Polisario
propaganda circulating in Denmark, but above all to demonstrate the urgency to work
together.
According to Mustapha Tayibi, President of the Dansk Marokkansk Forum,
"the
Moroccan
community, which is made up mostly of Danish-Moroccans, is part of Danish society and this dual identity means
that we have the interests of both countries at heart. Therefore, together, we have the willingness and the
responsibility to see to Europe's security and respect for human rights that are currently violated in the Tindouf
camps. We ask Denmark's civil society and politicians to come and meet us on November 6, to understand the
proposal of Morocco. Community and unity are very important for us, and more than ever in 2018. Much attention
is unfortunately focused on what divides the world. On November 6, Moroccan associations would like to
celebrate what unites Morocco and Denmark, the same as Morocco and the Sahara".
An important message
The event will highlight not only the impact of this conflict on Denmark, but will also raise
awareness of the plight of refugees in the Tindouf camps. As Ahmed Elhamss, member of the
Moroccan Council for Moroccans Abroad said,
"In
south-western Algeria, there are nowadays, in 2018
and right now, human beings who are victims of torture, sequestered, and deprived of medical care, because of
the embezzlement of humanitarian aid, and the list goes on. We have evidence to support that, and Human Rights
Watch already released an alarming report on the suffering of these refugees. It is therefore imperative to stop
playing the role of a mere spectator of these atrocities. Now, the Tindouf refugees deserve a peaceful and
consensual solution, such as the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco."
The program of the November 6th event will be as follows:
-
-
-
-
Address: Gammel Køge lande vej 117, 2500 Valby
Starting from 5 p.m.: Screening of a short documentary on the Green March
Speech of the organizers, exchanges and discussions with guests.
Conclusion of the ceremony with a meal.
We thank the public and the media for making this event a success.
Any interview request can be sent to:
Mustafa Tayigi
[email protected]
+45 24 84 67 95
Ahmed Elhamss
[email protected]
+45 42 23 83 98