Rif War Mansour Abdel Hakim

The Moroccan Rif Revolution Against Spanish and French Occupation

By the beginning of the twentieth century, most Arab countries had fallen under the grip of

colonialism, and the Kingdom of Morocco had the misfortune of being occupied by both France and Spain. In 1906, Morocco was subjected to occupation after the Algeciras Conference under the pretext of protection. In 1912, Morocco was divided into areas under French influence, and northern Morocco under Spanish influence, while the Paris Conference decided to declare Tangier an international city in 1925. Spain faced strong opposition from Moroccans in the north and the Rif region throughout the early years of its occupation of northern Morocco, and this opposition developed into bloody battles between

the Spanish occupation armies and the mujahideen in the mountainous region led by Ahmed

Al-Raysuni, and in the Rif region led by the mujahid Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi.

The revolution of the leader Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi was catastrophic for the Spanish, as

he inflicted such heavy losses on them that they were forced to ally with the French against him. After a fierce war

in which the colonizer used all internationally prohibited weapons, almost annihilating the people of the tribes,

the end of the Rif War was the beginning of political and national activity for the independence of Morocco.

In this book, we shed light on the Moroccan Rif Revolution and the Rif wars that were

led by more than one Moroccan figure in a long history of struggle and jihad for

independence and freedom.