My Moroccan Grandfather in the Indochina War

The history of Vietnam is linked to the struggle for independence of various countries around the world. Soon after the end of World War II, my grandfather, Ahmed Mahjar, who was born in Morocco under the French protectorate, was among those drafted from the colonies in Africa to fight in the Indochina war (1946-1954). 

However, he decided, together with other Moroccan soldiers, to be on the right side of history: He rebelled against the colonialist power and joined the Vietnamese people in their struggle for freedom and sovereignty. 

In fact, those Moroccan soldiers aspired to the very same independence for their own country. Ultimately, Morocco would achieve this officially in 1956 – two years after the end of the first Indochina War – with HM Mohammad V regaining control of the state.

Between 1956 and 1960, the Moroccan soldiers who defected from the French army built the Morocco Gate in Ba Vi district, Hanoi. The gate still serves as a monument to honor those courageous Moroccan fighters who contributed to the liberation of a fellow country from the colonialist yoke. 

More recently, in the Moroccan province of Kenitra, where my grandfather resided and several families of Vietnamese origin live, the Vietnam Gate was dedicated; it symbolizes the two countries’ shared values and common past of struggle and sacrifice, as well as the cooperation among free and equal nations.

The story of my grandfather and his fellow Moroccan soldiers teaches us that it is ideals that move peoples and nations. These young fighters cared nothing for the consequences of choosing to stand against the colonial rule and to fight for the ideal of a free world in which sovereign countries can cooperate in equal partnership and participate in global development. 

For this, they were ready to live and to die. Today, as I try to honor the memory of my grandfather, I cannot but think of Vietnam as a second home, whose people successfully, and in face of colonial aggression that caused massive damage and suffering, continue to serve as a source of inspiration with their resilience, while confidently taking their well-deserved place in the world.

Anna Mahjar-Barducci is a Moroccan-Italian researcher and author.