L'ile-Saint-Denis (France), 4 August 2024 (SPS) - The mayor of L'île-Saint-Denis has announced the closure of Morocco stand at the Africa Station, a venue for celebration during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, after a Moroccan singer made a "political" comment relating to Western Sahara, "in breach of the rules of neutrality set out in the convention signed by all countries."
"Since 20 July 2024, several countries have been represented through daily activities and concerts. The city of L'île-Saint-Denis has thus managed to bring together all countries around the principle of neutrality, mutual respect and a total ban on any position on international politics that may offend the participants in this nice collective project," L'île-Saint-Denis said in a statement released Saturday.
"It is therefore with great regret that the city of L'île-Saint-Denis, yesterday morning (Friday), informed the representative of Morocco that the occupancy agreement between our city and the embassy of Morocco, as part of the Africa Station (in L'île -Saint-Denis) has been terminated," the statement said.
"The commitments to neutrality, the spirit of unity and concord for which all the participants have made considerable efforts over the past few months, to make the Africa Station the success we see every day, was challenged last Thursday, at the evening held in honour of Morocco."
The statement explained that Moroccan "singer Saida Charaf, on two occasions, announced to the audience that Western Sahara was Moroccan, thanks President Macron," in reference to the French support expressed recently by Paris for Morocco's alleged "autonomy plan" for Western Sahara."
"Such political interventions contravene the rules of neutrality set in the convention signed by all countries, while many preparatory meetings were held beforehand with the representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco to request that no reference be made to the situation by the evening's speakers and artists to ensure the best possible understanding among the peoples, upon which they had agreed," the French city stressed in the statement.
"The mayor of L'île-Saint-Denis had to intervene personally, during the concert of the Moroccan artist, to remind everyone of the spirit of neutrality, unity and fraternity of the Africa Station. He was then booed by a section of the audience who chanted (Western) Sahara is Moroccan."
At no time did the official representatives of Morocco intervene during, nor after, the concert to state that this was not the appropriate place, apologize for the situation or reaffirm the commitments made, the city said indignantly.