Originally published here:
https://beatingborders.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/migrant-death-caused-by-police-raid/
10th of October 2013, another regular morning police raid was under way in a migrant house on the outskirts of Tangier. The police broke in through the front door and stormed through the building waking everybody inside. The residents, being quite accustomed to this kind of treatment, took their time without panic.
Witnesses in the building claim that one resident, Musa Seck, was found in the bathroom washing his face before facing his authoritarian audience outside. The officer that found him told him that he should go downstairs now or he would beat him. Mr Seck replied that he would defend himself if the officer was to try to harm him, so the officer took it upon himself to start beating Mr Seck with his standard issue baton. Within a few seconds the brawl was over and sadly Mr Seck was dead. He had fallen from a fourth floor window and had died instantly. The witnesses had become afraid of the consequences when the fight had started so they hurriedly left, therefore were not exactly sure what had happened. The police claim that Mr Seck had jumped out of the window in a desperate attempt to escape. The residents on the other hand believe he was pushed.
Musa Seck, a Senegalese man in his late twenties had been living in Tangier for 4 years and had been very well respected by the people around him. Some claiming that “If it weren’t for Musa then they would have not had the hope and courage to look for a better life”.
In the 4 years that Mr Seck had been in Morocco, he had been apprehended by police numerous times and always returned. It is believed that Mr Seck had correct papers to allow him to be in Morocco.
So why would Mr Seck try to escape?
And why did Mr Seck jump out of a fourth floor window knowing that it would cause serious harm or in this case, death?
Upon his death, Mr Seck was left on the ground untouched. Although being asked for help with the proceedings, the police quickly evacuated themselves from the scene, adding further speculation that the police were more than fairly involved with Mr Seck’s death. Sadly the rest of the residents were left to deal with Mr Seck’s body.
The next day, the head of the Senegalese consulate based in Rabat, came to Tangier to inquire about the death of Mr Seck. It is said that in the past, discrimination, violence and deaths have been mostly dismissed by the Senegalese consulate, on grounds that they believed the Moroccan police would not be so brutal and the Moroccan government would not allow such atrocities. Perhaps this time they may be thinking differently?
Clandestine Morocco 