McDonald’s has been forced to apologize itself to the Moroccan kingdom. In their happy meals, the American fastfood chain had included maps of Africa, showing Western Sahara and Morocco as two separate entities. And that makes for unhappy Moroccans.
We all know them, the toys that come with McDonald’s happy meals. Moroccan kids do too.
Last week, the Moroccan franchise of McDonald’s handed out little toy-animals of endangered species with the happy meals. The toys were accompanied by a map of Africa, indicating the whereabouts of these animals.
This map was based on the internationally recognized borders of countries, as recognized by the United Nations. Accordingly, Western Sahara was not included in the Moroccan kingdom.
One of the many propaganda organisations of the Moroccan government, “Sahara marocain” took offence and started a campaign forcing the American company to apologize and withdraw the map, thereby declaring that this map excluding Western Sahara “is wrong”. If Morocco refused, it would notice a decline in clientele.
Today the American multinational send a statement apologizing to all Moroccan citizens. “The toys contained a small map in which the borders were incorrect”, the statement read.
Brahim el-Haja of “Sahara marocain” says to be pleased with the apologies. According to el-Haja this mistake has hurt the feelings of many Moroccans.
Upset children can trade in their map for one including "the southern provinces of the kingdom”.
Africa's last colonySince 1975, three quarters of the Western Sahara territory has been illegally occupied by Morocco. The original population lives divided between those suffering human rights abuses under the Moroccan occupation and those living in exile in Algerian refugee camps. For more than 40 years, the Saharawi await the fulfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
Since 1975, three quarters of the Western Sahara territory has been illegally occupied by Morocco. The original population lives divided between those suffering human rights abuses under the Moroccan occupation and those living in exile in Algerian refugee camps. For more than 40 years, the Saharawi await the fulfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
