Honoring Moroccan heroes : 85th anniversary of the Battle of Gembloux in Belgium
Ceremonies commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Gembloux were held on Sunday in the towns of Gembloux and Chastre, Belgium, highlighting the heroism and sacrifices of Moroccan soldiers who fell in the line of duty for the liberation of Europe from Nazi and fascist oppression during World War II.
A tribute was paid to these soldiers who died for freedom during these ceremonies, held at the site of the IV Army Corps obelisk in Gembloux, as well as at the French military necropolis in Chastre (40 km south of Brussels), where hundreds of Moroccan soldiers rest. The events were attended by numerous civilian and military figures, including the High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army, Mustapha El Ktiri, Brigadier General Youssef El Mehdi, head of the Military History Directorate of the Royal Armed Forces, and the Moroccan ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Mohamed Ameur, along with several members of the Moroccan community.
In a statement to MAP, El Ktiri emphasized that the Battle of Gembloux is an epic that symbolizes the courage and heroism demonstrated by the valiant Moroccan soldiers, in response to the call of the late Mohammed V to support the Allies against fascism and Nazism and to defend the right of peoples to existence and freedom.
For his part, Belgian State Minister André Flahaut highlighted the importance of remembering the sacrifices made for freedom in Europe and honoring the memory of soldiers who fell on the battlefield, especially the foreign soldiers who came from afar and sacrificed themselves to defend Belgium and Europe against the Nazi invasion.
On May 14, 1940, soldiers of the Seventh Regiment of Moroccan Tirailleurs arrived at the front after two days of marching and immediately faced Nazi troops. The Moroccan Division bore the brunt of the German advance and resisted despite heavy losses.
The French high command planned to order a retreat to avoid encirclement, but the Moroccan soldiers managed to push back the Nazis at the cost of hundreds of lives, whose remains now rest on the battlefield at Chastre.
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