Morocco’s Deceptive Stance: Support for Amazigh Cause Amidst Genocide in Rif Region
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In the wake of the heinous assassination of the Rif leader Abdelkrim El Khattabi, betrayed by the regime, the Rif region, seeking a legitimate political presence within the usurped nation, faces an ongoing and genuine genocide perpetrated by the Alaouite palace whenever an imminent uprising is sensed among its people.
The infamous bloodbath in Beni Ouriaghel in 1959, following a barbaric bombardment ordered by the then Crown Prince Hassan II, resulted in the ruthless killing of thousands of innocent Riffians. They were protesting against the brutality of the regime and the poverty and marginalization imposed upon them, only to find themselves confronted by a marauding force deployed by the Makhzen to quell what was then called the “Rif Revolt” or “Thawrat Al-Rif.”
In 1984, during another uprising in the Rif against the brutal Makhzen, King Hassan II, donning the garb of an unrepentant and arrogant monarch, callously remarked about the Riffians, “If the Azbach [referring to the rebels] have forgotten the character of King Hassan II, let them remember that of Crown Prince Hassan in 1959.” This thinly veiled threat aimed to suppress any resurgence of resistance reminiscent of the 1959 revolt.
The successive crimes committed by the Makhzen regime against the Rif and its oppressed people, from the historic assassination of their leader Sheikh Abdelkrim El Khattabi, through the massacre of “Prince Hassan” in 1959, to the imprisonment of the icon of the Rif’s activism, Nasser Zefzafi, and his fellow advocates of the Republic of the Rif, and culminating in the recent assassination of military doctor Mourad Sghir, all affirm unequivocally that Morocco, which bleeds the Rif from vein to vein, is the eternal tomb for the Amazigh cause.
The Amazigh cause, considered a red line by the king and his Makhzen, finds no place in the Kingdom of Lies. In stark contrast to Algeria, where the Amazigh language is constitutionalized, taught, and supported by a high commission for Amazigh culture attached to the presidency, Morocco, steeped in deceit for ages, feigns support for this cause while simultaneously attempting to eradicate it. This parallels its deceptive stance on Palestine, cloaking its fervent support for Zionism and the active involvement of its Armed Forces in aiding the genocidal Zionist army in Gaza.
The Morocco-Zionist entity pact represents a sinister alliance between two perpetrators of genocide—one seeking to exterminate the Amazighs of the Rif, and the other aiming to annihilate the Palestinians.
As the Rifians find themselves homeless and destitute 90 days after the earthquake, reminiscent of the 2004 earthquake in the Al Hoceima region that left hundreds dead and homeless, the government remains indifferent to their plight.
In contrast to Morocco’s duplicitous claims, the Amazigh cause is thriving in Algeria, with the language constitutionally recognized, taught, and promoted by a prestigious institution directly under the presidency.
In conclusion, Morocco’s hollow rhetoric of supporting the Amazigh cause stands exposed by its actions—the ongoing genocide against the Rifians. The international community must not be misled by the kingdom’s deceitful maneuvers. It is imperative to recognize the grim reality beneath the veneer of Morocco’s purported support for the Amazigh cause.
