Minister of Justice Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi has addressed strong criticism to Algeria stating: “We cannot adapt certain behaviors coming from neighboring country (Algeria) regarding international peace and security; were the missiles launched from Algerian soil in the direction of Moroccan areas, not an act of terrorism, and have we moved from terrorism of individuals to a state terrorism?”
Mr. Ouahbi added in his intervention made last Thursday November 23, 2023 in Geneva, during the closing session of the comprehensive report for periodic reports 19, 20, & 21 about the implementation of the world convention to eliminate all kinds of racial discrimination, “excuse me, when I try to adapt things, I find out that they are in a rather week position, reaffirming that self-determination is the entire Moroccan people determination and it is convenient with autonomy and the subject today is at the hand of the U.N.
Minister Ouahbi, addressing neighboring Algeria said “Unfortunately, we have no power over geography; however, going back to history, it’s obvious that our common blood and family links and our common history seem to be not enough to live in international peace and security?”
Regarding racial discrimination, Ouahbi has expressed his astonishment how a state can talk about racial discrimination while it actually does practice, saying “how a neighboring country transfer economic migrants into the Moroccan Kingdom which welcomes them and so bear the burden of economic pressure, while big countries come in and take engineers, medical doctors, and scientists and let behind African economic migrants who seek only a confortable minimum living condition, isn’t this a racial discrimination and so to whom should we point the finger of blame in this case?”
About the question of discrimination against Amazigh in Morocco, Minister Ouahbi stated that this problem does not exist in Morocco, but only in the minds of some persons, while the reality is something else, citing the example of several government cabinet members including himself are Amazigh; and considering that this kind of questions prove that there’s a certain ignorance about true conditions in Morocco.
Regarding the condition of Jews in Morocco, Minister Ouahbi has confirmed that nobody has paid attention to the fact that in the Moroccan judiciary system, we include a Hebraic judiciary which decides on matters related to Jews and nobody has remarked that His Majesty’s adviser (Mr. André Azoulay) is a Jew and that in Morocco, we have lived and studied together with Jews, which makes the Moroccan Kingdom a model in this matter and it’s ready to give lessons of anti-racial discrimination not after but before the convention.
On the other hand, Minister Ouahbi was surprised to hear some people saying there are black and white Moroccans saying “for the first time I am hearing such a classification and has never come to my mind, you are talking about things which do not exist in our country; so could you put down some facts about this country to help us advance and progress as a legal democratic model in Africa and the Arab world, or you are just not seeing successes we have achieved; so help us and we will assume responsibility”.