Australia: Scandal erupts as Moroccan diplomat verbally and physically assaults Sahrawi Ambassador
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- Australia has been the site of a scandal involving a Moroccan diplomat who verbally and physically attacked a Sahrawi ambassador during a ceremony celebrating Africa Day. This incident is a clear indication of Morocco’s desperation to maintain its criminal colonial project in Western Sahara, which has been met with widespread condemnation from the international community.
The incident occurred when Kamal Fadel, a representative of the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara, was prevented from entering the ceremony by Moroccan diplomats. This led to a heated altercation, with Moroccan embassy officials verbally insulting Fadel and physically preventing him from entering the room. The situation escalated to the point where Australian Federal Police officers and other African ambassadors had to intervene.
The incident has been widely reported in the media, with The Guardian Australia describing it as a “total embarrassment for the African missions here.” Police officer Chris Hedley, who was present at the event, expressed his disappointment at the behavior of the Moroccan officials, stating that “any goodwill you had with the people here is gone.”
This incident is particularly concerning given that the ceremony was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner of the African Union (AU). It is a clear indication that Morocco is willing to resort to violence and intimidation in order to maintain its grip on Western Sahara, despite the fact that the international community has repeatedly called for an end to its illegal occupation.
The video footage depicts a scuffle involving three officials from the Moroccan embassy in Canberra, who were stationed at the entrance of the Albert Hall to prevent Fadel from entering. The video shows Fadel attempting to push his way through, only to be blocked by the officials. One of the Moroccan officials claimed that Fadel had hit him, but Hedley refuted this claim, stating that Fadel had not hit anyone.
After 30 minutes of negotiation, Fadel was eventually allowed to attend the event, escorted inside by other African diplomats. Once inside, Fadel was greeted and even posed for photos with Australia’s Governor General. Unfortunately, this incident is not the first of its kind.
Noting that as a representative in Australia of the Polisario Front, Fadel was invited to the event by the South African high commissioner, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, who is also the dean of the African diplomatic corps in Australia.
Fadel’s invitation was agreed by African ambassadors in Australia ahead of the event.
In a statement, Fadel expressed his “sincere thanks and gratitude to all the African ambassadors who did the right thing and prevented the attempt to hijack the Africa Day event in an unprecedented and illicit manner”.
He thanked the AFP for “providing security and dealing with the incident in a highly professional manner”.
In a letter to Van Schalkwyk, Fadel wrote: “This was a very serious incident. I was mistreated, pushed around … and intimidated.”
Fadel said the actions of the officials “caused grave embarrassment to all the Africans and their friends who were celebrating an African historical and important day”.
“The celebrations held on this auspicious occasion are also meant to showcase our unity and pride as Africans. It is an occasion of joy and hope, not of aggression and intimidation.”
Subsequently, the South African high commission wrote to Fadel, telling him it regarded “the efforts to prevent your attendance as serious, unacceptable and in no way an indication of how our guests should be treated”.
“You were fully within your rights to attend the event at our invitation but also to attend it without any obstruction or abuse.”
In conclusion, this incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights abuses and violations of international law that are taking place in Western Sahara. It is imperative that the international community take action to hold Morocco accountable for its actions and to support the Sahrawi people in their struggle for self-determination.
