Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and President of the African National Congress (ANC),
Subject: Are South Africans Truly Africans?
Mr. President,
During his visit to Accra on July 11, 2009, former U.S. President Barack Obama stated, “The future of Africa belongs to Africans” . This statement echoed the words of our Amazigh king, Massinissa, who declared 2,200 years ago, “Africa for Africans.”
Mr. President,
We are writing to express our concern regarding some of your decisions, which, unfortunately, appear to contradict African identity and the interests of our peoples. We were particularly surprised by the reaction of your party, the African National Congress (ANC), following the visit of Mr. Kopeng Obed Bapela to Morocco, whose purpose was to strengthen economic relations between our two countries. Morocco, an Amazigh country renowned for its hospitality, welcomed this initiative to bridge the two ends of our continent.
It is important to remember that countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Mauritania are fundamentally African, not “Arab” as some might claim [1]. In fact, the very term “Africa” originates from the Amazigh word “Afri”, which originally referred to the Tunisian territory under the Roman Empire. When certain leaders claim an Arab identity, they perpetuate an imported ideology, despite our continent’s history that attests to a well-rooted African identity.
It is regrettable that your government sanctioned Mr. Bapela for recognizing the fraternity that binds our peoples, recalling the invaluable support Morocco provided to Nelson Mandela, our pan-African leader. Mr. Mandela himself acknowledged the financial and military support received from Morocco and King Mohammed V. This historical connection and Morocco’s commitment to Mandela’s struggle for freedom and South Africa deserve respect: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSsw75dgwUc .
Mr. President,
In light of some of your positions, we have the right to question whether your government genuinely defends the interests of African peoples. Are you truly Africans?
We see that you dedicate significant energy to supporting the Palestinian cause, although it is a conflict that does not directly concern our continent. Meanwhile, severe human rights violations against the Tuareg of Azawad, Libyan populations, and other groups in Africa seem to be sidelined.
Regarding the Tuareg and Moorish populations of Azawad, who are subject to grave human rights violations and ethnic cleansing by the Malian government [2], our NGO, the World Amazigh Assembly, took the initiative to reach out to French President Emmanuel Macron [3], Russian President Vladimir Putin [4], Mr. Abdelhamid Dbeibeh, Head of the Libyan Government of National Unity, as well as foreign ministers including Mr. Nasser Bourita for Morocco, Mr. Abdoulaye Diop for Mali, Mr. Sameh Shoukry for Egypt, Mr. Nabil Ammar for Tunisia, Ms. Aïssata Tall Sall for Senegal, Ms. Ragnaghnèwendé Olivia Rouamba for Burkina Faso [5], the European Union [6], Turkish President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan [7], and Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and current Chair of the African Union [8]. So far, we have received no favorable response from any of them on this crime against humanity unfolding in the heart of Africa. Yet, your diplomacy remains silent!
We also wish to highlight concerns about your foreign policy’s alignment with the Algerian generals, who pursue a repressive policy against the Amazigh in Algeria and violate human rights. These ‘Algerian generals,’ whom we should refer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [9], practice “state terrorism” by creating jihadist groups, like Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), that have destabilized Sahel countries. They impudently assassinated 127 young people from the Kabylia region in April 2001 and the famous singer Lounès Matoub on June 25, 1998, severely repressed the Mozabites during 2014 and 2015, and continue to pursue human rights activists and peaceful political movements, such as the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK), which they have treated as terrorist movements. Most recently, they attempted to kidnap and abduct Chaoui writer and journalist Hicham Aboud, a member of our NGO, in Barcelona on October 18 (and who was, fortunately and miraculously, freed by the Spanish Guardia Civil in Lebrija) [10]. It would be highly desirable to see South Africa oppose such policies by supporting democratic aspirations in Algeria and fostering greater regional cooperation in North Africa.
In this regard, we advise you to distance yourself from these Algerian generals, who are obsessed with destabilizing their neighbor Morocco by supporting and financing two separatist and terrorist movements: the Polisario, which aspires to establish an “Arab” republic on “Amazigh and African” land since 1976, and the “National Rifain Party.” These generals persist in blocking any regional union of North African states and their trade relations with Europe, as we denounced once again in our October 1 letter addressed to European Union parliamentarians and Spanish, French, and Belgian representatives. [11].
In conclusion, Mr. President, if South Africa aspires to secure a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, it must demonstrate a sincere and effective commitment to the peace and prosperity of Africa as a whole. Morocco, for instance, has proposed a political solution for the Sahara region, recognized by the United States, France, Spain, and dozens of African countries. Supporting African initiatives for peace, promoting the rights of the Tuareg people to regional political autonomy within a federal Mali (as our deputy president, Dr. [Mimoun CHARQI, has repeatedly suggested [12] ), assisting in ending the civil war in Libya by forcing the departure of Turkish Syrian mercenary forces from Tripolitania and Wagner mercenaries from Cyrenaica, engaging in Sudanese reconciliation efforts… And in the case of Algeria, directing your efforts to advocate for its democratization as legitimately demanded by the “Algerian Hirak” since February 2019, requiring a transfer of power from the highest military authorities to a newly and democratically constituted civilian authority. Not forgetting to always and primarily assist African countries in difficulty, such as urgently providing humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of Azawad refugees hosted in Mauritania and Sudanese refugees in Chad.
Thank you for the attention given to this letter, and please accept, Mr. President, the expression of my highest consideration.
Rachid Raha, President of the World Amazigh Assembly
Notes :
[2]- https://mondafrique.com/a-la-une/la-region-de-lazawad-meurtrie-au-coeur-du-sahel/
[4]- www.afrik.com/mali-la-russie-accusee-de-declarer-la-guerre-aux-les-touaregs
[12]- https://fr.linkedin.com/pulse/lazawad-entre-droits-des-peuples-disposer-deux-memes-et-mimoun-charqi
