The largest human rights association in Morocco denounces the “imposed isolation” of the Amazigh and their suffering from poverty, thirst and poor services

Agadir24

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights denounced the “imposed and involuntary isolation” experienced by Moroccan Amazighs in general, and especially in many mountainous and semi-desert areas, due to “discriminatory spatial policies” towards residents of remote areas.

The association warned in a statement that “the Amazigh live in the tragedies of poverty, unemployment, hunger, thirst, poor social services such as health and education, the absence of infrastructure, and the deterioration of purchasing power.”

The association noted that this deprivation and deterioration is due to “what is called the useless French colonialism of Morocco (…) and the policies that depend on expropriating lands, plundering wealth, and investing the public treasury budget in some territorial areas rather than others, in the service of the interests of a clique of the rich and those who benefit from rents and privileges.”

In a related context, the same human rights body criticized what it called the “approach of repression” adopted by the government to impose its choices dictated by imperialist circles, while calling for commitment to the ratified international documents in the field of human rights, and working to activate the recommendations issued by various international institutions related to respecting, protecting and promoting internationally recognized human rights, as stated in the preamble to the constitution, and taking the necessary measures to protect the forms of cultural diversity that the country abounds in.

In addition, the same source called for the implementation of recommendations issued by the United Nations bodies in the field of human rights, including “protecting the Amazigh from the confiscation of their lands and from forced displacement, especially the women of the tribes, returning confiscated lands, ensuring the right to redress and access to justice for victims, and activating the participatory approach by conducting effective consultations with the concerned parties before licensing any development project or exploitation of natural resources that may affect their lands.”

On the other hand, the association called for “investigations into all cases of excessive use of force by law enforcement officials against Amazigh activists, human rights defenders and demonstrators, for victims and their families to benefit from appropriate compensation, and for measures to be taken to adopt specific legislation on the promotion and protection of human rights defenders.”

The same source expressed his great concern about what he called “the continued policy of procrastination and neglect regarding the activation of the official character of the Amazigh language, as the basis and origin for embracing cultural diversity,” while calling for “lifting the marginalization and exclusion practiced against the Amazigh component, and teaching the Amazigh language at all educational levels.”

Human rights defenders expressed their deep concern about “the laws and implementing decrees that are issued that are contrary to what is stipulated in the international references in the field of human rights, and do not take into account the legal dimension and do not take into account Morocco’s international obligations, as is the case with the law on “pastoral migration and the development and management of pastoral areas and forest pastures,” and the law on administrative guardianship of tribal groups and the management of their properties.”

Among the recommendations concluded by the association’s statement are “taking actual measures to formalize the Amazigh language and make it a language that has a presence in public spaces and removing all forms of discrimination against it,” “reviewing laws that do not take into account the legal dimension, responding to demands related to the release of all prisoners of opinion and expression, and accelerating the settlement of the political detention file.”