U.S. based Planet Hollywood bomb in South Africa has no link to Moroccon
Morocco-South Africa, Politics, 8/31/1998

Morocco's ambassador to South Africa, Benryane Mohamed Essaid, said press reports accusing a Moroccan national in the bomb explosion in a Cape Town restaurant were "dangerous and immature."

The Moroccan diplomat told "Cape Times" daily which reported the news that it is very dangerous and immature to specify a nationality on the basis of doubtful testimony in such a tragic and sensitive case as last Wednesday's bomb explosion.

Thursday, the daily wrote that the South African police after watching the tape recorded by a surveillance camera in "Planet Hollywood" restaurant was investigating about "a man who was standing at the bar before the bomb went off." Quoting unspecified sources, the daily said the suspect looks like a Zimbabwe-based Moroccan national who had close links with a local extremist group.

The police rejected these accusations as the tape was recorded at least one month before the attack took place.

The Moroccan diplomat wondered about the sources and motivations behind such rumors, calling this accusation "hurting at a time the Moroccan people are sharing the pain of victims of the crime."

The August 25 restaurant bomb blast killed one person and wounded 26 others.

Morocco, like South Africa, is a peace-loving nation, he stressed, expressing Morocco's sympathy with the victims and their families and support to the South African government efforts to bring the authors before justice.

Benryane who made the statement in Durban where he is attending the 12th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement expressed disappointment that Morocco was defamed but added he was certain that the South African who know very well the respectable Moroccan community will not be influenced by this sort of rumors.

Meanwhile, in a press statement, The United Ulama Council of South Africa (an umbrella body of all major Muslim theological formations of the country), said "on behalf of the Muslims of South Africa, condemn the bombing of the Planet Hollywood Restaurant at the Waterfront, Cape Town. We express our condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families affected by this act of terror."

The statement added "Islam does not condone or promote the killing and maiming of innocent people. Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and harmony and where all life is sacred and the sanctity thereof is paramount. To arrogate oneself the right to arbitrarily execute punitive measures is a violation of the above and does not bode well for a harmonious environment."

Lastly, the group urged the government to seek justice regardless of nationality or religion saying, "The bombing should be seen in light of acts of terror by faceless and corward perpetrators to keep communities at ransom. The local authorities need to take drastic measures to stop this carnage that has befallen our communities and a thorough investigation needs to be conducted before any speculation. Should the perpetrators be apprehended, irrespective of their cultural or religious persuasions, they must be taken to task and let the due process of the law take its course."

Previous Stories:
  Algeria has no evidence of Morocco's involvement in arms smuggling   (8/28/1998)
  Security Council satisfied over progress in UN settlement plan in Sahara   (8/27/1998)

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