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Rabat- Thla Ouhaddou, the woman whose voice echoed across the country last week when she spoke to Alyaoum 24 about the boycotted mineral water company Sidi Ali’s monopolization near Oulmes, has appeared in a new video denying her original story.
A week ago, Ouhaddou, who lives in the rural Middle Atlas village of Tarmilat near Oulmes, fervently told Moroccan newspaper Alyaoum 24 of the suffering that she and her people endured at the hands of Sidi Ali, which she said was monopolizing the mineral waters of Oulmes for its “Oulmes” bottled soda water.
During her interview last week, Thla Ouhaddou complained of the harsh living circumstances that her family and neighbors have experienced for decades. Thirst and unemployment have plagued the region’s residents. On the verge of tears, Ouhaddou said, “We suffer from water shortage while 150 [Sidi Ali] tank trucks carry water everyday.”
Ouhaddou, who sells bread to Sidi Ali employees, showed the news agency her home, a single room she shares with her husband and four children in the heart of the region’s shantytown.
“There is not enough [water] for drinking, not enough for doing laundry, yet we pay for it monthly,” Ouhaddou said. She recounted the daily ordeals of the Oulmes population, which exceeds 9,460 people based on 2004 statistics.
Contradicting her first statements, Ouhaddou appeared in a new video posted on Friday, accusing the newspaper of taking advantage of her diabetes to pressure her into venting at Sidi Ali.
With a blank face she said, “I was troubled and pained since I suffer from diabetes, when these people [Alyaoum 24] came and told me just hold the microphone, and we will tell you what to say.”
In the first video, Ouhaddou said that authorities cut off water to the region, and Sidi Ali took over the natural mineral water of Oulmes.
She told a different story on Friday, “They told me to say that water was cut off on us, when it’s currently running day and night.” She added, “I beg the authorities to pardon me because I was pushed to say what I said.”
Now that her story has changed, Moroccan social media users have concluded her sudden change of heart stemmed from pressure and blackmail by concerned entities.
