The Riffian independence movement is an ongoing political movement aiming for international recognition of the Rif region in Northern

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

, as a state independent from the

Kingdom of Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and t ...

. The movement is rooted in several instances of indigenous territory being colonized, ruled, and marginalized by different powers and the riots and civil disobedience resulting from it, including the 1958 Rif riots and the

Hirak Rif movement The Hirak Rif Movement or the Rif Movement (, ) is a popular resistance movement that organised mass protests in the Berber language, Berber Rif region in northern Morocco between October 2016 and June 2017. The movement was triggered by the dea ...

. While Riffian independence has been a topic of protest and organization in the past, the formal and internationally noted independence movement could technically be considered to have begun in September 2023 with the formation of the Rif Nationalist Party (PNR).

History

The Rif region is largely of

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

origin. Of the 55 Rif tribes, 47 of them are of

and/or

Arabized Berber Arabized Berbers are Berbers whose language is a local dialect of Arabic and whose culture is Arab culture, as a result of Arabization. The widespread language shift from Berber to Arabic happened, at least partially, due to the privileged stat ...

origin (although some of these tribes contain a minority of

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

sub-tribes), and only 8 Rif tribes are Arabs not of Berber origin (including the tribes of Oulad Mansour, Oulad Sghir, La'thamna, Banu Sahil, Kholout, Gharbiya, Anjara, and Oulad Stout). The fact that the Rif is a collection of indigenous tribal regions, mostly of Berber origin, provoked significant resentment against the Moroccan state among some Riffians due to the Arab government refusing to allow their region self-governance despite them having been indigenous for several centuries.

Republic of the Rif

In the summer of 1921, Rif tribal fighters defeated the Spanish army who attempted to take control over the region. The rebellion's leader, Muhammed bin ‘Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi, officially declared the independence of the Rif Republic on September 18, 1921, and established governing institutions in the form of a tribal confederal republic. In 1926, the

Republic of the Rif The Republic of the Rif ( ''Jumhūriyyatu r-Rīf'') was a confederate republic in the Rif, Morocco, that existed between 1921 and 1926. It was created in September 1921, when a coalition of Riffians and Jebala led by Abd el-Krim revolted in ...

extended over the entire territory in northern Morocco that was under the Spanish protectorate, as well as the entire regions of Iznassen fr">:fr:Iznassen_(region)">fr/small>(near

Berkane Berkane () is a city in northeastern Morocco, limited by the Mediterranean to the north, the Kis river (Moroccan-Algerian border) and Oujda Province in the east, Nador Province to the west, and Taourirt Province in the south. It is the capital o ...

), Triffa fr">:fr:Triffa">fr/small> (near

Saïdia Saïdia (; ''Ajrud''), known as the ''"Blue Pearl"'', is a coastal town in northeastern Morocco. It is located in the Berkane Province in the north of Beni Znassen region, lying in the adjacent metropolitan area of Berkane itself, along the Me ...

), and Fahs (near

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

). After a couple of years, the newly installed republic was crushed by French and British forces, and Abd al-Karim surrendered on May 26, 1926. Despite being under the French protectorate, several cities in the region cities are mentioned in the Rif Berber national anthem.

1958 riots

Rebellion sparked again between 1957 and 1958, through a popular uprising named the

Rif Revolt 1958 Rif riots, Rif Revolt or Rif uprising () took place in the northern Rif region of Morocco by tribes rebelling against the Moroccan government, motivated by the region's marginalization. The revolt, led by Sellam Amezian, had a clear set of ...

, which was violently crushed by Moroccan forces, leading to the death of 3000 Rifians. The revolt, led by Sellam Amezian, had a clear set of demands: political and social rights, the departure of foreign troops from the country, the return of the resistance leader

Abd el-Krim Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Khaṭṭābī, better known as Abd el-Krim (; 1882 or 1883 – 6 February 1963), was a Moroccan political and military leader and the president of the Republic of the Rif. He and his brother M'Hammad led a ...

from exile, the dissolution of political parties, the liberation of political prisoners, and the installation of a "people's government" (''gouvernement populaire''). The Moroccan National Liberation Army (ALN) maintained an armed struggle in the Rif and in the Atlas entering into open conflict with the Istiqlal party. The latter, led by Abdelkhalek Torres,

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 ...

, and Allal Al Fassi, committed numerous crimes (

assassinations Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

and kidnappings) against ALN sympathisers. Haddou Aqchich and Abbas Lamsaadi, fighters and emblematic figures of the ALN were assassinated. The Riffian population, feeling more and more marginalised and attacked by the Istiqlal party in power, decided to revolt in October 1958. The revolt was ignited by the closure of the Algerian border to Rif migration, leading to

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...

, in addition to the total lack of Rif political representation in the Moroccan government. On 25 October 1958, the Istiqlal Party offices in Imzoûrene were stormed and government soldiers were overpowered. It was here that the uprising took the form of a real revolt. On 26 December, a harka (a punitive expedition) was decided against the Rif, with the monarchy imposing a media blackout. Journalists, especially foreigners, were banned from the region. The events escalated quickly, and weapons started to be used by both the protesters and the army. The uprising was fiercely oppressed by the army, even using aircraft flown by French pilots. Hundreds were killed and thousands were arrested and wounded. Abd El-Karim estimated the number of detainees in the wake of the Rif uprising at 8,420. The region was subsequently declared a

military zone A military exclusion zone (MEZ) is an area in the immediate vicinity of a military action established by a country to prevent the unauthorized entry of civilian personnel/equipment for their own safety or to protect natural assets already in place ...

. The brutal repression left the region with a lasting memory of injustice that translated into distrust for the state. Since then, Rifians felt politically, economically and culturally marginalized and discriminated against. Central authorities began to invest in the region only after an

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

in 2004 caused great damages. Despite this renewed interest, the Rif still suffered from high

unemployment rates This is a list of countries by unemployment rate. Methods of calculation and presentation of unemployment rate vary from country to country. Some countries count insured unemployed only, some count those in receipt of welfare benefit only, some co ...

, exceeding 20 percent of the labor force, which represents twice the national average, while the informal economy prevails. Most households relied on the financial support of family members living in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, mainly in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. The region also lacked education: 43.8% of the population does not have any diploma, compared to 36.9% nationally.

Hirak Rif movement

The Hirak Rif Movement or the Rif Movement (, ) organized mass protests in the

Rif The Rif (, ), also called Rif Mountains, is a geographic region in northern Morocco. It is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea and Spain and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and is the homeland of the Rifians and the Jebala people ...

region in northern

between October 2016 and June 2017. The movement was triggered by the death of Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger who was crushed to death after jumping in the back of a

garbage truck A garbage truck is a truck specially designed to collect municipal solid waste and transport it to a list of solid waste treatment technologies, solid waste treatment facility, such as a landfill, materials recovery facility, recycling center ...

attempting to retrieve his allegedly illegal fish merchandise confiscated by local authorities. The movement's leader

Nasser Zefzafi Nasser Zefzafi (Berber language, Tamazight: Naṣer Ezzefzafi, born on November 4, 1979, in Al Hoceima) is a Moroccan political activist and human rights activist. Known as the "Moroccan Gandhi" or "Moroccan Pasionaria" for his nonviolent protest ...

was arrested for the obstruction of freedom of worship, and was flown in a military helicopter directly to

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

(500 km away), where he is being held and was tried by a court of law for charges of

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...

and

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

as of 10 March 2018, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Moroccan authorities chose to detain him away from his native city and his popular base to defuse the protests. On 26 June 2017, day of celebration of Eid el-Fitr, the police and gendarmerie launched a vast crackdown in

Al Hoceima Al Hoceima () is a city in the north of Morocco, on the northern edge of the Rif Mountains and on the Mediterranean coast. It is the capital city of the Al Hoceima Province. The city is a known tourist destination despite its small size. It has ...

and surrounding areas, to disband a planned march in solidarity with the detainees. Officially 60 people were arrested, while many others were unaccounted for, and many injuries were reported by independent journalists. The government official press then published various stories in its media claiming that 39 members of police were injured. Over 400 arrests were made in the aftermath of the protests, more than a quarter of which were minors.

Separatist movements

Many Rif activists have been imprisoned by the

Moroccan government Politics of Morocco take place in a framework of an official parliamentary semi-constitutional islamic monarchy, whereby the prime minister of Morocco is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the ...

for demanding the independence of the Rif region from the Moroccan state. The Rif Nationalist Party (PNR) was formed in September 2023 as a result of persistent marginalization and suppression of civil unrest by separatists. In March 2024,

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

allowed the separatist party to open a representation office in the capital of

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

. While at a press briefing in the office, party officials requested help from the

Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...

separatist

Polisario Front The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...

"to confront the Moroccan occupation", and also expressed intent to open up more diplomatic offices in

Tindouf Tindouf () is the main town, and a Communes of Algeria, commune in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Algeria–Mauritania border, Mauritanian, Algeria–Western Sahara border, Western Saharan and Algeria–Morocco border, Moroccan borders. Th ...

and in more countries. In response, the Polisario expressed interest in establishing ties with the party and helping its members learn how to use military weapons. The Rif Nationalist Party also requested for Algeria to host its military bases and to treat them "like other liberation movements". The actions by the Rif Nationalist Party and Algeria's response, which included funding the party, were significant in heightening tensions between it and Morocco. In April 2024, a PNR delegation meet with

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

representatives in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

with hope of achieving support for separatism from Morocco and to provide a platform for the Rif people to speak to the rest of the world and advocate for their needs and rights.

References

{{Reflist Berber history Berber separatism in North Africa 2023 establishments in Africa Rebellions in Morocco Protests in Morocco Rif 2023 in Morocco 2024 in Morocco Algeria–Morocco relations 2024 in Algeria