June 17, 1981: Two Moroccan delegates to the Organisation of African Union Unity (OAU) Council of Ministers and a Polisario representative are detained by police after a brawl at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC). Fists started flying after the delegates objected to the Polisario representative distributing a Press release attacking Morocco’s King Hassan II. The fight took place on the first floor of KICC when the Ministerial Council was discussing the OAU Liberation Committee’s report in a closed-door session, It started when two members of the Moroccan delegation walked over to where the Polisario representative was distributing the Press release and told him he had no right to be in the building. The Moroccans told the Polisario representative Said Ahmed, the organisation’s man in Benin: “You are a mercenary, you have no right to be here” . The Polisario man responded: “Morocco is occupying my country, and we are fighting to liberate it.” A fist fight then broke out. Other Moroccan delegation members who were present claimed the fight was provoked by the Polisario official. But Polisario sources later claimed it had been sparked by the Moroccan officials. As the two Moroccans exchanged blows with the Polisario man, police quickly arrived at the scene and tried to break up the fight. They were separated. But a few seconds later, one of the Moroccans grabbed the Polisario official by his collar and tried to punch him in the face. Police again intervened onlookers, including delegates and members of the local and foreign Press started shouting for the brawlers to be arrested. Here, Kenya police takes away Polisario representative Said Ahmed who is holding an anti-Moroccan Press release.

Photo|Nation Syndication