No ordinary conference. Bravo marxist youth!

On 22nd December 2006 the opening session of the first congress of ANNAHJ ADDIMOCRATI youth took place in the Mehdi Ben Barka Hall in Rabat, Morocco. More than four hundred people took part, of whom approximately three hundred were delegates. The youth came from all corners of Morocco. The numbers could have been higher if the timing was different because pupils cannot cut classes on Friday or Saturday and certain faculties are holding examinations.

The congress was a great success for the youth who frequently chanted slogans that "Marxism-Leninism is our choice and our identity"; that ANNAHJ ADDIMOCRATI is the continuation of the Moroccan marxist-leninist movement and in particular of IL AL AMAM*; and that they should be confident; neither a government nor a parliament; ZEROUAL**, SAIDA, TAHANI were everywhere in the slogans and the portraits. The hall was overheated under the encouraging gazes of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Abd El Karim Alkhattabi, Ben Barka ...

The organisation committee set up an extraordinary show depicting and commentating on the great events of the twentieth century, the two world wars, the October Revolution, the Chinese Revolution, the struggles in Vietnam, Cuba, and Chile. They also showed the struggles of the Moroccan people since the rejection of the protectorate agreement signed between the French colonialists and the makhzen***, via the proclamation of the Republic of the Rif**** up to the limited independence and then the uprising in March 1965 ....

The performance was punctuated by bursts of the Internationale and other revolutionary songs.

The audience was moved by statements read out from the FPL Palestinian youth organisation, from the Polisario Front and from the delegation of the Tunisian Marxist Youth which travelled over for the occasion. Many other messages were read out from European communist youth groups. At around 7.30pm the young communists travelled by coaches rented for the purpose to the Harhoura youth and sports centre where they worked in a serious and productive manner through to Sunday morning on the 24th December. They then joined in the national protest march against price rises for basic goods and services. The congress ended in the election to the National Committee of 48 members, including 31 militant comrades.

Congratulations to the ANNAHJ youth. Bravo young Morocoan communists.

*Il Al Aman ("Forward!") was the main clandestine revolutionary organsation in Morocco in the 1970s and 1980s. From this organisation emerged Annahj Addimocrati ("democratic path").

** The Zéroual mentioned is not the one who was president of Algeria (*Zeroual: President of Algeria from 1994 to 1999; ); Zéroual and Saida and Tahani were Il Al Aman fighters who died under torture.

***Makhzen is a Moroccan Arabic term for the governing elite in Morocco, centered around the king and consisting of royal notables, businessmen, wealthy landowners, tribal leaders, top-ranking military personnel, security service bosses, and other well-connected members of the establishment. Today, this term carries a heavy negative charge which means the abscence of democracy and freedom and the absolute rule of dictatorship, the state or even corruption.The term is used in Moroccan independent newspapers to describe or condemn the lack of democracy and the human rights abuses committed by state police or officials. (Source Wikipedia)

****The separatist Republic of the Rif was declared in Morocco on 18 September 1921, by the people of the Rif. It would be dissolved by Spanish and French forces on 27 May 1926 (Source Wikipedia)