Olympics: mayor closes Moroccan fan zone after singer makes statement on Sahara issue

The mayor of Ile-Saint-Denis in France has closed the Moroccan pavilion in the Station Afrique fan zone at the Olympic Games in Paris, saying that Moroccan singer Saida Charaf did not adhere to the neutrality rules during her concert in the zone, when she thanked President Emmanuel Macron for supporting Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara. This, said Mayor Mohamed Gnabaly, was taking politics into the fan zone.

The Consulate General of Morocco in Villemomble condemned what it called the “biased position” of Gnabaly, who is a member of the French Green Party, Les Ecologistes. It said that his decision was clearly aimed at provocation by depriving Morocco and its citizens in the region of a major moment of celebration for the African continent during the Paris Olympic Games and fair representation.

“This unilateral and arbitrary decision raises serious questions about the mayor’s motives and respect for the commitments made,” said the consulate. “Several members of the city council have voiced their opposition to his decision and expressed their full solidarity with Morocco.”

It explained that the “spontaneous expression” of joy by Charaf over Macron’s decision was not a breach of the event’s “neutrality” and was not politicisation of the Olympic Games. Nor did it hinder understanding between countries.

“On the contrary, it demonstrated the freedom of expression enjoyed by a Moroccan artist, of southern origin, who simply highlighted a current event of interest to France and the French, with the greatest friendship and a spirit of affability that the audience itself praised.” Officials said that they hope the integrity of the mayor’s decision was not influenced by personal and family ties or political considerations. They asked Gnabaly to apologise for his “unacceptable” decision.

Bloggers linked Gnabaly’s decision to his Senegalese origin and his inclinations towards the Algerian authorities, recalling his wife’s Algerian nationality and his closeness to the Algerian ambassador in Paris.

While Morocco proposes autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, Algeria backs the Polisario Front which seeks independence for the territory.

READ: Algeria withdraws ambassador after France supports Morocco on Western Sahara