Behind the Mask of Partnership: How Colonial Europe…
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Behind the Mask of Partnership: How Colonial Europe Reproduces Itself in Morocco and Africa
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Whenever I listen to speeches by European officials in the corridors of Brussels, speaking passionately about a "strategic partnership" and a "win-win future" with Morocco and the African continent, I am overcome by a deep sense of contradiction. These elegant diplomatic words, wrapped in promises of sustainable development, are nothing more than cosmetics covering an ugly geopolitical reality. The truth we whisper in our gatherings, translated by realities on the ground, is that Europe has never viewed Africa as an equal. Rather, it is a patronizing gaze laden with a heavy colonial legacy—one that has changed its tools, but never its objectives: subjugation, exploitation, and keeping the continent locked in a cage of dependency.
Let us drop the masks and contemplate the scene away from the noise of joint statements. "Old Europe" has realized that it is no longer the center of the world, and that Asian and American powers are pulling the rug from under its feet. In its desperate attempt to maintain its status, it has turned back to its "backyard," trying to reproduce a neo-colonial system that keeps Morocco and its African depth as mere tools serving the welfare of the European citizen.
Perhaps the most prominent manifestation of this exploitative gaze is clearly visible in "Green Colonialism." Today, Europe raises the banner of energy transition and climate protection, turning to Morocco and Africa as endless reservoirs of sunshine and wind. Mega-projects for green hydrogen and solar energy are marketed as developmental investments, but the undisclosed intention is to drain our natural resources and vast lands to power European factories at bargain costs. They want our clean energy, but fiercely reject any real technology transfer that would enable our countries to build an independent industrial base. It is the exact same old colonial equation: we export raw materials (energy, this time), and they re-export them back to us as expensive finished goods.
This systematic humiliation does not stop at economics; it manifests in its ugliest form in the migration file. With its characteristic arrogance, Europe has converted North African countries—chief among them Morocco—into mere "border guards" or a gendarmerie protecting its fortified fortress. The European approach to this issue is devoid of any genuine human sentiment; they turn a blind eye to the root causes of the crisis created by their past imperial policies in Africa, while demanding Rabat play the harsh policeman in exchange for crumbs of aid. And when Morocco refuses to be a docile instrument, Europe wields the weapon of diplomatic blackmail: at times reducing visa quotas (as France did in the infamous visa crisis to bend Moroccan sovereignty) and at times threatening to suspend aid programs.
What compounds the issue in this geopolitical struggle is the policy of "blackmail using human rights and sovereign issues." Whenever Morocco attempts to diversify its strategic partners—by turning toward China, building deep alliances in West Africa, or asserting equal decision-making regarding its Sahara—the European Parliament suddenly leaps into action to issue resolutions "condemning" the state of human rights or freedom of expression. We are not naive enough to believe these moves stem from a sudden awakening of human rights conscience; they are Machiavellian bargaining chips and explicit attempts to punish any Southern nation that dares to step out of Europe's line of obedience. Europe does not want Morocco to become a dominant, independent regional power, because that quite simply means the end of the era of guardianship.
Furthermore, the strategy of "divide and rule" remains alive and well. The ongoing regional tensions in the Maghreb and manufactured conflicts in Africa present an ideal environment for European arms companies and a pretext for permanent intervention in the continent's affairs. Europe smiles in the faces of African leaders, yet fuels their divisions behind closed doors to ensure they remain weak and dependent on its protection.
The positive discourse Europe sings about is nothing more than a velvet glove covering an iron fist.
#local
​
Whenever I listen to speeches by European officials in the corridors of Brussels, speaking passionately about a "strategic partnership" and a "win-win future" with Morocco and the African continent, I am overcome by a deep sense of contradiction. These elegant diplomatic words, wrapped in promises of sustainable development, are nothing more than cosmetics covering an ugly geopolitical reality. The truth we whisper in our gatherings, translated by realities on the ground, is that Europe has never viewed Africa as an equal. Rather, it is a patronizing gaze laden with a heavy colonial legacy—one that has changed its tools, but never its objectives: subjugation, exploitation, and keeping the continent locked in a cage of dependency.
Let us drop the masks and contemplate the scene away from the noise of joint statements. "Old Europe" has realized that it is no longer the center of the world, and that Asian and American powers are pulling the rug from under its feet. In its desperate attempt to maintain its status, it has turned back to its "backyard," trying to reproduce a neo-colonial system that keeps Morocco and its African depth as mere tools serving the welfare of the European citizen.
Perhaps the most prominent manifestation of this exploitative gaze is clearly visible in "Green Colonialism." Today, Europe raises the banner of energy transition and climate protection, turning to Morocco and Africa as endless reservoirs of sunshine and wind. Mega-projects for green hydrogen and solar energy are marketed as developmental investments, but the undisclosed intention is to drain our natural resources and vast lands to power European factories at bargain costs. They want our clean energy, but fiercely reject any real technology transfer that would enable our countries to build an independent industrial base. It is the exact same old colonial equation: we export raw materials (energy, this time), and they re-export them back to us as expensive finished goods.
This systematic humiliation does not stop at economics; it manifests in its ugliest form in the migration file. With its characteristic arrogance, Europe has converted North African countries—chief among them Morocco—into mere "border guards" or a gendarmerie protecting its fortified fortress. The European approach to this issue is devoid of any genuine human sentiment; they turn a blind eye to the root causes of the crisis created by their past imperial policies in Africa, while demanding Rabat play the harsh policeman in exchange for crumbs of aid. And when Morocco refuses to be a docile instrument, Europe wields the weapon of diplomatic blackmail: at times reducing visa quotas (as France did in the infamous visa crisis to bend Moroccan sovereignty) and at times threatening to suspend aid programs.
What compounds the issue in this geopolitical struggle is the policy of "blackmail using human rights and sovereign issues." Whenever Morocco attempts to diversify its strategic partners—by turning toward China, building deep alliances in West Africa, or asserting equal decision-making regarding its Sahara—the European Parliament suddenly leaps into action to issue resolutions "condemning" the state of human rights or freedom of expression. We are not naive enough to believe these moves stem from a sudden awakening of human rights conscience; they are Machiavellian bargaining chips and explicit attempts to punish any Southern nation that dares to step out of Europe's line of obedience. Europe does not want Morocco to become a dominant, independent regional power, because that quite simply means the end of the era of guardianship.
Furthermore, the strategy of "divide and rule" remains alive and well. The ongoing regional tensions in the Maghreb and manufactured conflicts in Africa present an ideal environment for European arms companies and a pretext for permanent intervention in the continent's affairs. Europe smiles in the faces of African leaders, yet fuels their divisions behind closed doors to ensure they remain weak and dependent on its protection.
The positive discourse Europe sings about is nothing more than a velvet glove covering an iron fist.
#local
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