Open Letter to His Majesty Mohamed VI Palais Royal Rabat, Morocco 27 October 2005

Your Majesty,

I feel the duty to address you, with the greatest respect and sincerity, as an old doctor who has spent most of his professional life in relieving the sufferings of others, both in Italy and in Africa, and as an old university professor who, over a forty year period, has taught many young people, also in four African countries. I wanted to address you, the Head of State of a nation for which I feel strong ties for various reasons, to express my viewpoint — I would not dare to call it my advice — concerning the dramatic events that have been happening in the territory of Western Sahara.

It is a sign of strength for a man, let alone a sovereign, not so much to conquer an enemy but to conquer himself. In other words, to recognize one’s own mistakes, if they have been made, and to hold out a hand to the one who has suffered from them, even if this was not the intention. You know the history of your country very well and will remember that the Green March was nothing but astute propaganda by your deceased father to invade the former Spanish colony of Rio de Oro, which is rich in phosphates and has abundant fishery resources. You will remember that Morocco’s claim over that territory was, to say the least, arguably (as if Italy should claim the territories bordering the Mediterranean, including Morocco, as they had been part of Ancient Rome). You will remember the bombardment of Saharaoui refugees fleeing towards Algeria and the guerrilla warfare that ensued, which was first denied — as always happens in such cases — and then blocked by a wall of over 2,400 kilometers (known as the ‘Wall of Shame’).

You will remember that the referendum to which the people had an unalienable right was first refused and then hindered by all kinds of excuses, then partially accepted and finally again completely refused. You will certainly know, even though the governmental press has never spoken about it, how many people have been assassinated, how many have been forcibly removed (there are still today more than 500 disappeared Saharaouis) and that only a few days ago a mass burial grave was discovered containing the corpses of 43 Saharaoui civilians, including the parents of the current Saharaoui Minister for Foreign Affairs.

There continue to be farcical trials, sentenced to years of imprisonment (Mohamed Daddach, prisoner of conscience — 20 years of prison!). You will remember the existence of the so-called ‘Secret Gardens’, denied for years by your deceased father and then acknowledged when it was already too late because by then everyone knew of those shameful prisons as the news had gone round the world, seriously damaging the good name of Morocco. Kalaa M’gouna, Agdz (Tazmamart was reserved for Moroccans only) are names that conjure up horror, just to hear them.

Need I remind you of how many years (30!) that Saharaoui civilians have been subjected to outrages, offenses, inhuman and degrading treatment (which degrade more those who commit it than those who receive it). I know that you made a courageous and generous gesture by setting up the ‘Instance Equite et Reconciliation’. It was however only partially courageous: why could the torturers not be denounced? Torturers who still move around in all tranquillity today, and who can still mock their old victims, or threaten them, or torture them once again.

I should, however, remind you of the outbreak of the Saharaoui intifada last May and the violent repression by the armed forces of your government that followed. Many Saharaoui human rights militants were arrested, their homes destroyed and 37 of them went on a hunger strike that lasted 51 days! I mention this because perhaps you have not received the news, which is concealed behind all the lies propagated by the governmental news agency MAP and by your Minister of Justice. This hunger strike, after an interruption of twenty days, has now started up again, with a dignity and courage which is truly stupefying.

Imagine what strength and faith these Saharaoui must have to sacrifice the most precious thing for every human being, their own lives, in order to claim the right to independence of their people!

But you, Sire, may perhaps be even stronger than these people. Not by beating, torturing, imprisoning those who protest, not allowing those who are on a hunger strike to die slowly (and who will be forever glorified by posterity), but by recognizing the errors that have been made by you and your government. Just think how you would be honored, respected and sincerely venerated (and not, how it happens to you now, often through petty opportunism) and your shining image would remain in the story of the Maghreb if you humbly recognized the crime that started through the work of your deceased father, followed by yourself up until now. If you extended your hand to your Saharaoui brethren, recognizing their legitimate right to independence, letting them out of prison (and what a prison! The photos in which we can see how the Saharaoui detainees are treated are circulating around the world). Or at least start a genuine dialogue with their legitimate representatives (legitimacy acquired through the purity of their commitment) for an authentic peace process. To insist on continuing such a wrong path can only lead to more fighting, disasters and still more suffering for hundreds of thousands of people and create ever more hatred. And history will implacably point to those who are guilty, in spite of the smokescreen of propaganda lies that MAP is producing every day. If Ali Salem Tamek should die, how great would your own responsibility be! His brave and honest regard, which has never wavered in confronting his own responsibilities, and death itself, will persecute you for the rest of your life!

Be victorious over yourself, Sire. Think about it, look courageously at the problem from another point of view. Speak about it with your very beautiful wife. Perhaps a woman can understand these values better than a man.

Extend your august hand to the Saharaouis. By so doing you will obtain nothing but glory, nobility, and eternal recognition. And peace will return to your heart and your realm, which will then be a really magnificent country. Believe me. It is the life experience of a doctor of over eighty years of age which leads me to say these things to you. Thank you for kindly reading these lines.

Professor Silvio Pampiglione, M.D., Ph.D., c/o Dipartimento di Sanita Pubblica Veterinaria and Patologia Animale, Universita di Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Ozzano Emilia (Bologna), Italy

In case this letter is not delivered to you, I am sending copies to the Italian Embassy in Rabat and to the Moroccan Embassy in Rome. If I do not receive your reactions in a reasonable length of time I am going to send copies of my letter to some international newspapers and post it on the internet in the hope that the contents of this letter will reach you, at least through these channels. The Italian Embassy in Rabat, 2 rue Idriss El Azhar, B.P. 111. Morocco. The Moroccan Embassy in Rome, Via L. Spallanzani 8, Italy.