L’Île-Saint-Denis Mayor Mohamed Gnabaly decided on Saturday to close the Moroccan stand at Station Afrique, a fan zone near the Paris 2024 Olympic Village.
The decision followed a performance by Sahraoui Moroccan singer Saida Charaf, who expressed her support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and thanked France for recognizing Moroccan claims, performing the nationally-beloved anthem “Sawt Al Hassan” and her acclaimed song “Mani” in celebration. The song featured themes of Moroccan identity and historical ties between Sahrawis and Moroccan Kings.
Scandaleux ! Le maire de l’Île-Saint-Denis @GnabalyMohamed a décidé de fermer le stand du Maroc suite à un concert de la chanteuse marocaine sahraouie Saida Charaf où elle a exprimé son attachement à sa terre natale et remercié la France pour la reconnaissance du Sahara marocain. pic.twitter.com/VblcZuW53O
— Safia ? صافية (@Izza_xcv) August 3, 2024
Gnabaly, who is associated with the Europe Green Party (EELV) closed the Moroccan stand, 36 hours after Charaf’s Thursday evening concert.
Gnabaly’s actions were met with backlash from the Moroccan community at the event. They chanted “the Sahara is Moroccan” in response to the mayor’s decision. The mayor, who was born in Senegal and is married to an Algerian woman, has been criticized for his close relations with Algerian officials, including the recently recalled Algerian Ambassador Said Moussi and Algerian-born French Deputy Akli Mellouli.
????| Le maire de l’Île-Saint-Denis, Mohamed Gnabaly (EELV), se dit « mal à l’aise » après que la chanteuse marocaine sahraouie ait remercié le président français, Emmanuel Macron, d’avoir reconnu la marocanité du Sahara.
Le communiqué de Mohamed Gnabaly cite cette séquence… https://t.co/ALJQkbMI3e pic.twitter.com/DqRLIL6ZNF
— Morocco Intelligence (@MoroccoIntel) August 4, 2024
Unironically clad in a Morocco t-shirt, the Gnabaly said he was “uncomfortable” with Charaf’s expression of gratitude to French President Emmanuel Macron for supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara.
In an official statement on Instagram, Gnabaly defended his decision, stating that it was necessary to uphold the “spirit of neutrality, unity, and fraternity” at Station Afrique. However, his decision to close the Moroccan stand and set up a display for the non-participating separatist Polisario entity has drawn criticism.
??????#FLASH| Malgré les protestations des marocains, ?? ??????? ?? ????? ????????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ???? avec le soutien du maire Mohamed Gnabaly. https://t.co/ngvSFMGslA pic.twitter.com/9YQHXVVtfW
— Morocco Intelligence (@MoroccoIntel) August 3, 2024
Today, the Moroccan Consulate in Villemomble has condemned the Mayor’s abrupt decision to close the Moroccan stand at Station Afrique, which it described in a statement as an “isolated act of manifest feverishness” and a “unilateral and arbitrary termination,” that occurred despite protests from several municipal council members.
— Le Maroc à Villemomble (@MaVillemomble) August 4, 2024
The consulate criticized the decision as an attack on the freedom of expression of Sahraoui Moroccan artist Saida Charaf, who had mentioned the recent Macron decision while on stage.
The consulate is calling for an apology from Gnabaly and reserves the right to pursue legal action if necessary to seek redress.
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