French Ambassador’s Tweet Sparks Controversy Over Morocco’s Development Report

7 June 2020 – bySylvanus@Bladi · 1 min read

Moroccan ambassador Hélène Le Gal said that Chakib Benmoussa, president of the Special Commission for a New Development Model, and also Morocco’s ambassador to France, had presented her with a progress report on the commission’s work. A presentation that was supposed to be made to King Mohammed VI.

"I thank Chakib Benmoussa [...] for presenting me this morning with an update on the CSMD Morocco: very promising prospects for the new economic pact" between Rabat and Paris, Hélène Le Gal tweeted on Friday. A tweet that did not take long to spark controversy.

The comments are unleashed on the web. Some Internet users have condemned this act and called on Chakib Benmoussa to resign. For others, the tweet reflects Hélène Le Gal’s colonialist spirit and condescension.

Faced with the controversy, the CSMD tweeted to clarify the situation. According to it, the meeting was initiated at the ambassador’s request and by videoconference. "As has already happened with other ambassadors and foreign institutions in Morocco," the commission tries to justify itself.

Category: France

Keywords:

France Chakib Benmoussa Twitter (X) Hélène Le Gal