Es vergonzante que artistas comprometidos no se informen y sean utilizados, a buen seguro que incluso de buena fe,  por Marruecos para «contraprogramar» el Festival original …si Marruecos quiere hacer uno, que como tal y culturalmente nos parece estupendo, que lo hagan limpiamente, o sea en una ciudad marroqui, no en la Dajla usurpada a los saharuis, y ademas usando fechas cercanas, …en realidad solo quieren ocultar el original ….lo que por otro lado indica que el que quieren tapar (www.fisahara.es) cumple con su labor divulgativa y cultural ¡¡¡¡ …informemosles ¡¡¡, hagamosles saber que estan siendo manipulados por marruecos ¡¡¡

Pâgina de Facebook para unirse : BOYCOTT JOHNNY CLEGG AT DAKHLA FESTIVAL

Johnny Clegg, músico sudafricano que luchó en contra del Apartheid va a tocar en el Festival de Dajla, en el Sáhara Occidental ocupado. Nosotros dijimos NO al Apartheid. Ahora Johnny Clegg DEBE decir NO a la ocupación ilegal del Sáhara. Ojos de Brujo renunciaron a tocar allí el año pasado. Siga su ejempplo, Sr. Clegg. Johnny B. Good 😉

Si considerais que debeis participar en esta labor divulgativa podeis enviar vuestra opinion a los productores y managers de JOHNNY CLEGG ( info@caramba.fr,  oneworld.mus@wanadoo.fr,  AnneMarie@montereyinternational.net,  real@realsa.co.za, salt@realsa.co.za), como ya hizo  Juan Antonio Vázquez , Co-hacedor de Mundofonías en Radio Nacional de España, con el texto que os adjuntamos.

I’m Juan Antonio Vázquez, conductor of Mundofonías. The world music show on Radio Exterior, the international service of RNE (Radio Nacional de España). Radio Exterior is the third international radio service, only behind BBC World Service and Radio Vaticana, with 80 millions listeners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Nacional_de_Espa%C3%B1a#RNE_today)

I know the situation of Saharawi people, hundred of thousands refugees in exile, lots of political prisoners, prosecution, violence agaisnt civil population, missing people, rapes, tortures, assassinations… I’ve been deeply disspointed when I knew Johnny Clegg was going to play in Dakhla Festival. In JC’s pages says «Dakhla, Morocco», which is false. It should be «Dakhla, illegally occupied by Morocco». Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara it’s not recognised by United Nations. Western Sahara remains in its Lists of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1963. The UN Security Council had approved more than 100 resolutions supporting the right of Self-determination of the Sahrawi people.

South Africa is one of the countries that recognises Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, wich is also a is a fully recognised and founding member of the African Union
http://www.arso.org/SA.RASD2004.htm

Last year, Spanish band Ojos de Brujo decided finally not to play in Dakhla Festival, when they received lots of petitions in this direction. Ojos de Brujo is a well-known international band, compromised with social, enviromental and politic matters. Johnny Clegg is a symbol of free music against oppression and Apartheid. That energy should be against occupation and tirany, and supporting people’s fight for freedom, as much of us all over the world supported South African fight against Apartheid.

I guess you know a lot of people has posted messages against Johnny Clegg’s concert at Dakhla Festival in his Facebook fan page. This was the most usual:

«After fighting against Apartheid, you should no support Moroccan Kindom’s occupation and apartheid against Saharawi people by performing in the Dakhla Festival. South Africa recognizes Saharawi Republic. Solidary people all over the world never recognized South African’s apartheid, neither Moroccan occupation of Saharawi territories. Thousands and thousands of refugees must come back to a free Sahara from the camps in the desert they’re living in after 36 years. Spanish band Ojos de Brujo decided not to participate in that festival after an international campaign of rejection.»

Offensive, insulting? Not at all. Absolutely correct and polite, and with interesting and verified information. But
after receiving a lot of this comments, all of them have been removed and the people banned. Me myself, and two more National Radio of Spain colleagues (Araceli Tzigane, my partner on Mundofonías; and Fernando Íñiguez, conductor of Tarataña, the Folk Music show on Radio 3, who was himself born in Western Sahara) have been banned and all of our posts deleted without an explanation or a justification…

Maybe you’re surprised… did you know about this situation? It’s really difficult to make its worst. Pure censorship. Would you please get me in touch with the fan page administrator to transmit him/her my dissagreement with this situation? And… does Johnny agree with this? Well…, does Johnny know about this?

As you may supose, this situation is not good for Johnny Clegg reputation, as Ojos de Brujo understood last year when they refused to participate in an occupied land in a festival «Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI». Freedom and music lovers all over the world will appreciate that Johnny Clegg resigns to participate in that fully-pro-occupation-propaganda-filled festival* . And censorship is the worst attitude. It will surely turn against him.

*You can see the presence everywhere of the Moroccan flag in this TV report of 2009 edition
http://rubencaravaca.blogspot.com/2009/03/festival-de-dakhla-en-tve.html

Waiting for your news and with my best wishes.

Juan Antonio Vázquez

PS:
Links:
Solidary with Sahrawi people blog manifest rejection to Johnny Clegg performance in occupied Dakhla:
http://poemariosaharalibre.blogspot.com/2011/02/no-al-festival-de-dakhla-ocupada-di-no.html

Letter of President Thabo M’Beki to the king of Morocco Mohamed VI
http://arso.org/MBK.htm

Joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of South Africa and the Sahrawi Democratic Republic
http://www.arso.org/SARASDcomm.htm

English Wikipedia quotation:
«Johnny Clegg will tour Europe and North America in 2011 . He has also annouced that he will play in Western Sahara city of Dakhla, which has caused a campaign of rejection, as that concert is considered as a support for Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara»
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Clegg

Juan Antonio Vázquez