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The Federation of the Democratic Left (FGD) criticized, on Sunday, the Moroccan government's management of the Ceuta crisis. FGD, a coalition of three left-wing parties, the Socialist Democratic Vanguard Party (PADS), the National Ittihadi Congress (CNI), and the United Socialist Party (PSU), denounced Spain’s «colonial tendencies» in the «occupied northern regions».
In a statement, FGD expressed its «great concern» at the arrival of more than 8,000 Moroccans to the Spanish enclave, «including young people and children, in addition to sub-Saharan nationals».
The federation believes that the massive arrivals «are an explicit condemnation of successive political choices, the intensity of which has recently increased with the social crisis linked to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the unemployment rate among the youth, in the towns of M'diq and Fnideq». The formation stresses that the crisis is an «inevitable consequence of the unpopular choices of the Moroccan state and its policies, which have exacerbated social disparities». FGD thus recalls that «the dignity of citizens is a fundamental priority on which the dignity of the motherland is based».
Moreover, the party noted that the events recalled «the history of the Spanish colonial intervention in the north and the south of Morocco and the abuses which are associated with it, the consequences of which continue even today». «All new and old questions, including the issue of Morocco's recovery of Ceuta, Melilla and the Zaffarin Islands, must be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, far from any threat or blackmail, on the basis of principles of good neighborliness and maintenance of common interests». The written declaration also underlined that free movement is a constitutional right guaranteed by national provisions and by international conventions.
Istiqlal points to an «abandonment» of the northern regions
For its part, the Istiqlal (PI) party criticized the government for having long turned its back on the socio-economic issues of the northern areas lacking development opportunities, particularly M'diq and Fnideq.
Through its secretary general, Nizar Baraka, the party recalled having long sent concrete proposals to the El Othmani government, in order to allow young people in the region to benefit from socio-economic projects, without pushing them to think about forced migration. According to him, «these proposals have remained unanswered».
In the wake of social movements such as the Hirak in Jerada, the Istiqlal «presented a memorandum to the head of government to revitalize the border areas» and avoid such an exodus movement, «which put the lives of thousands of citizens in danger», insisted Nizar Baraka. The latter questioned the reasons for the «inaction» of the government, which took note of the proposals, without bringing them to public debate.
