Abderrahim Bouabid (; 23 March 1922 – 8 January 1992) was a Moroccan politician, and head of the left-wing

Socialist Union of Popular Forces The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (; ; , USFP) is a social democratic political party in Morocco. It claims ideas of social justice, modernity and the fight against inequalities. History and profile The USFP was formed as a breakaway from ...

(SUPF) between 1975 and 1992.

Early life

Bouabid was born in the Medina of Salé, on 23 March 1922. He studied primary school in his hometown, before attending high school in

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

, at Moulay Youssef high school. During that time, he frequented a number of distinguished personalities who shaped the future of the country. A friend of

Mehdi Ben Barka Mehdi Ben Barka (; 1920 – disappeared 29 October 1965) was a Moroccan nationalist, Arab socialist, politician, revolutionary, anti-imperialist, head of the left-wing National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP) and secretary of the Tricontinenta ...

, the young Bouabid was introduced to the nationalist movement of the time, opposing the French presence in the country. In 1939, after graduating, he moved to Fez to become a teacher, meeting nationalist organizations.

Political engagement

Involved in politics since his youth, Bouabid became one of the youngest activists and politicians to sign the Proclamation of Independence of Morocco, a manifesto presented by the Independence party on 11 January 1944 demanding full independence from France and Spain, national reunification, and a democratic constitution. On 28 January 1944, Bouabid led a big demonstration in Salé denouncing the arrest of some influential figures of his party. He was jailed alongside a number of Istiqlal leaders before being released a year later. In 1946 he joined his friend

in France to write a report on the Moroccan situation and submit it to the United Nations. While living in France, he pursued his law studies at university and became a lawyer in 1949.Abderrahim Bouabid Biography – Al Jazeera (2014) – in Arabic.
/ref> Once Morocco was granted independence, Bouabid was named State Minister for Negotiations under

Mbarek Bekkay Mbarek Bekkay Lahbil (; April 18, 1907 – April 12, 1961) was the first Prime Minister of Morocco between December 7, 1955, and April 15, 1958. Bekkay held the rank of colonel in the French army. He was the first Prime Minister of Morocco sin ...

's government. In 1956, he became Ambassador of Morocco in Paris, and he was later appointed a Minister of National Economy. On 12 May 1958, he was in charge of the Ministry of National Economy and Agriculture in Ahmed Balafrej’s cabinet. He was Minister of Economy and Finance from December 1958 to May 1960.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouabid, Abderrahim 1922 births 1992 deaths 20th-century Moroccan lawyers Finance ministers of Morocco Agriculture ministers of Morocco Ambassadors of Morocco to France Moroccan revolutionaries Moroccan writers National Union of Popular Forces politicians People from Salé