Episode90: The History of El Raisuni and the Western Front Transitions

A sepia-toned composite photograph, styled as a historical collage, featuring a prominent central figure of a man with a beard wearing a white head covering and dark hooded cloak. In the background, surrounding him in a semi-circle, are several portraits of European and American military and political figures from the early 20th century, including generals in dress uniforms with medals and officials in suits. The very bottom of the image shows battle scenes with soldiers and encampments, blending into the collage.

This historical composite image juxtaposes the central figure of a bearded local leader in traditional North African attire with the portraits of various Western colonial military commanders and political leaders. It visually represents the powerful forces that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the early 20th century, particularly during conflicts such as the jeballa War.

Episode90: The History of El Raisuni and the Western Front Transitions

Introduction to the Western Front and Strategic Shifts

The historical context of the Rif War on the western front underwent profound structural transformations, particularly regarding the shifting leadership dynamics between the Spanish forces, the French military, and the local resistance factions. It is an established consensus that Spain had deeply intensified its military campaigns in the northern zone following the severe setbacks and casualties suffered by its troops, most notably during the catastrophic events surrounding the general retreat. General Berenguer, the High Commissioner who bore direct responsibility for entrenching forces into the western front quagmire, offered his formal resignation on October 7, 1922.

Following this resignation, Spain sought absolute clarity in untangling the costly entanglement that its forces had become trapped within along the western front. General Primo de Rivera subsequently assumed command as High Commissioner, inheriting an army bogged down across mountainous terrain and cutting deep communication lines with the leadership. Primo de Rivera entered into a covenant with himself, banking all his hopes on resolving the military crisis by pursuing a total withdrawal of invading troops from northern peaks across the sea back to Spain. He sought to solve the northern dilemma by pulling the troops deployed inland back toward the coast, attempting to broker a diplomatic or strategic understanding with Sherif El Raisuni under the protective umbrella of the Algeciras Peace Treaty, while rendering the General Residency powerless to guarantee safe evacuation.

The Franco-Spanish Accord and the Fate of El Raisuni

On this exact historical date, a landmark agreement was officially forged between the two powers—namely, France and Spain—marking an arrangement that aligned their colonial policies concerning northern occupation. Published in the Al-Tamis newspaper on August 8, 1925, and dated September 9, 1925 (corresponding to the 21st of Safar 1344 AH), the agreement's actual date of execution was recorded as August 9, 1925, while its official notification to the public fell on Ramadan 13, 1343 AH (April 4, 1925).

When historians analyze this Franco-Spanish agreement regarding the death of Sherif El Raisuni—which occurred four months and five days precisely after that date, on Jumada al-Akhirah 13, 1943 AH / November 4, 1925—they find it serves as an undeniable justification for the transfer of command. The French forces, whose war machine was actively engaged with the French army in the tribes of Beni Brabar on June 6-7, 1924, on the western front, had no prior agreement with Spain at that time. The war was ongoing with the French army on the western front, and the transition of command to a single leadership was yet to be fully realized.

The Military Realignment on the Western Front

As chronicled in historical records under entry number 201, "The Tragic End of the Riffian Revolution," leader El-Haj Ahmed El-Biyouchi noted in his book recounting the Riffian Revolution that after diplomatic missions failed, President Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi attempted to resolve matters through peaceful dialogue. Following failed attempts by President Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi to negotiate with French emissaries—after receiving a communication from the French newspaper Le Matin stating that Paris was negotiating with French emissaries, leading to contact with Monsieur Bremond via intermediaries Ahmed Balod al-Jazairi, who stated his government's commitment to calm in Morocco—El-Khattabi responded that calm in Morocco was conditional upon French restraint.

However, escalation returned to the Riffian tribes, prompting President Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi to declare that what awaited the mujahideen, far from subduing the revolution, was inevitable victory. Our view, shared by the Riffian leadership, was that the weapon of the tongue remained superior to any political negotiation because the silence of weapons would deal a severe blow to all fronts.

The High Command of the occupying forces in Tetouan, which had long tested the limits of endurance with the mujahideen and tribes inhabiting the great belt stretching from Wadi Lou to Maras, Tangier, Chefchaouen, and Asilah, selected Commander Ahmed Akhrir for his deep familiarity with the terrain. Akhrir was chosen because he was awaited by the tribe of Beni Salman, yet he was also an enemy to the tribe of Beni Ziyat.

The mission to descend into the western front involved organizing regular and irregular troops to avoid friction and ensure tactical fluidity. The leadership appointed Commander Ahmed Akhrir, along with Commander Omar bin Alloush and Commander Ben Qoroz, accompanied by leader Shuaib Aflah leading a force of 30 armed men, alongside another squad for security and protocol comprising 50 men and leader Mohammed Shrat, followed by poet of the Riffian revolution and writer of the High Command's divan, Mohammed bin Boufrah.

Strategic Encirclements and Clashes in the Western Sector

The military maneuvers involved setting up command outposts in Beni Ziyat, where regular units under the command of Mohammed Al-Boujiyawi were established, supported by provincial leaders who distributed forces across agricultural fields to open major engagement bases for the mujahideen.

Commander Ahmed Akhrir found himself torn between two choices: joining the Riffian revolution or remaining loyal to the crumbling tribal leadership before emerging as a tribal leader in his own right. Before ascending to leadership, tribal factions experienced internal fractures, and Akhrir sought to unify them under the banner of the Riffian resistance led by Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi.

As military columns advanced, Spanish forces found themselves compelled to abandon their fortified positions, resulting in tactical retreats across the rugged terrain. The fierce battles around Chefchaouen, Wad Laou, and surrounding strongholds tested the psychological resilience of the Riffian fighters, who utilized swift guerrilla tactics to offset Spanish artillery advantages.

Comprehensive Evolution and Tactical Deepening of the Front

The structural evolution of the western front during the Rif War represents an intricate matrix of shifting tribal allegiances, colonial desperation, and the grand military strategies orchestrated by both the Spanish protectorate forces and the burgeoning liberation movement led by Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi. As the historical documents and eyewitness accounts illustrate, the western theater was never a static battlefield; rather, it was a dynamic zone characterized by continuous negotiations, tactical redeployments, and the eventual fracturing of traditional local authorities who could no longer withstand the tidal wave of the Riffian revolution.

When reviewing the deep administrative and military shifts that occurred following General Berenguer’s resignation on October 7, 1922, one can discern the sheer magnitude of the strategic quagmire Spain had stepped into. The Spanish high command found its troops overextended, demoralized, and cut off in precarious mountain outposts. General Primo de Rivera’s accession brought a radical reassessment of Spanish military objectives. Instead of pushing deeper into hostile territory, the new strategy aimed at a managed contraction of forces, pulling troops back from the rugged interior peaks toward safer coastal perimeters. This defensive withdrawal was intended to create a buffer zone while simultaneously exploring diplomatic overtures toward powerful local figures like Sherif El Raisuni, hoping that a negotiated peace could salvage what military might could no longer guarantee.

The Franco-Spanish Accords and Geopolitical Realignment

The diplomatic architecture underpinning the final phases of the western front was heavily influenced by the shifting cooperation between France and Spain. The official agreement forged between the two European powers—formally documented and published in the Al-Tamis newspaper in August and September of 1925—marked a synchronized approach to neutralizing the remaining pockets of indigenous resistance. This pact was not merely a diplomatic formality; it was a calculated blueprint designed to synchronize military pressure from both the northern Spanish sectors and the southern French zones, effectively crushing any hope of unified regional resistance.

Historians examining this period note that the timing of this agreement closely paralleled the final months of Sherif El Raisuni's life. El Raisuni, who had long balanced his influence between competing colonial powers, local tribal politics, and his own ambitions, found himself increasingly cornered. The Franco-Spanish alignment ensured that he could no longer play one power against the other. Furthermore, the engagement of French forces with the tribes of Beni Brabar in mid-1924 demonstrated that the theater of war was rapidly expanding into a multi-front existential struggle. The traditional balances of power were crumbling, and regional leaders were forced to choose sides as the revolutionary momentum led by El-Khattabi gained unstoppable traction across the mountainous landscapes of northern Morocco.

Diplomatic Initiatives and the Role of the Riffian High Command

In the face of relentless military escalations, the Riffian leadership, under the guidance of President Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi, consistently sought to pair political initiatives with military action. As recorded in historical accounts such as leader El-Haj Ahmed El-Biyouchi's chronicle of the Riffian Revolution, numerous diplomatic channels were tested. Attempts were made to negotiate with foreign emissaries, including exchanges involving French intermediaries like Monsieur Bremond and Algerian figures such as Ahmed Balod. These communications reflected an ongoing dialogue regarding the conditions for regional pacification and the limits of colonial occupation.

However, these diplomatic overtures frequently collided with the harsh realities on the ground. When European newspapers or intermediaries proposed terms, the Riffian leadership maintained that true peace could only be achieved through the complete cessation of colonial aggression and the recognition of indigenous sovereignty. Consequently, when negotiations stalled, the burden fell back onto the military apparatus. The High Command in Tetouan, recognizing the strategic importance of securing the great belt stretching from Wadi Lou to Tangier and Chefchaouen, mobilized its most trusted commanders to restructure the front lines.

Operational Deployments and Internal Tribal Dynamics

The operational execution of deploying forces into the western theater required meticulous planning to avoid internal tribal friction and ensure operational security. Commanders such as Ahmed Akhrir, Omar bin Alloush, and Shuaib Aflah were tasked with leading columns into sensitive regions like Beni Ziyat and Beni Salman. These movements were not simple military marches; they involved delicate political maneuvering to unite fractured tribal elements under the banner of the liberation movement, overcoming historical rivalries and personal ambitions that had long plagued the region.

Commander Ahmed Akhrir’s mission, in particular, highlights the intricate challenges faced by local leaders. Caught between loyalty to traditional tribal structures and the revolutionary zeal of the Riffian movement, Akhrir had to navigate a landscape filled with both potential allies and entrenched adversaries. The establishment of command posts in Beni Ziyat and the reorganization of regular and irregular units under leaders like Mohammed Al-Boujiyawi demonstrated a high level of military sophistication. These forces worked tirelessly to secure supply lines, fortify defensive positions, and launch coordinated counter-offensives against occupying outposts.

Psychological Warfare and the Ultimate Resistance

Beyond the physical clash of arms, the western front was a theater of intense psychological warfare. The Riffian fighters, operating in familiar terrain, utilized mobility and tactical surprise to neutralize the technological superiority of the Spanish forces. The memories of severe engagements around Chefchaouen, Wad Laou, and surrounding strongholds underscored the relentless endurance of the local population.

At the same time, the colonial powers attempted to subvert this resistance through political engineering, exploiting tribal divisions and attempting to turn local factions against one another. Yet, the resilience of the liberation movement, fueled by a deep sense of religious and national identity, repeatedly disrupted these colonial strategies. The transition of leadership and the realignment of forces along the western front ultimately laid the groundwork for the final, dramatic chapters of the Rif War, where every valley, ridge, and village became a testament to the struggle for autonomy against overwhelming imperial ambitions.

The Final Operations and the Legacy of the Western Front

As the operations along the western front reached their critical juncture, the friction between local loyalties and the overarching strategy of the Riffian liberation movement came to a head. The meticulous coordination between regular military units and irregular volunteers ensured that the pressure on the occupying forces remained relentless. The transition of leadership and the integration of key tribal zones into the revolutionary fold signaled a profound shift in the balance of power across northern Morocco. Every movement of troops, every fortified outpost established in regions like Beni Ziyat and Beni Salman, and every strategic negotiation reflected the immense resilience and adaptability of the fighters under the guidance of President Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim El-Khattabi.

The historical accounts meticulously preserved in these records demonstrate that the struggle was not merely military, but a complex socio-political transformation. Despite the challenges posed by colonial maneuvering, the unwavering commitment of the mujahideen altered the course of history in the region. The events captured in these chapters leave an indelible mark on the historical memory of the Rif War, setting the stage for the subsequent developments that would continue to shape the destiny of the local population and their enduring quest for freedom and autonomy.

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أرشيف الطاهر اللهيوي | الذاكرة التاريخية Taher Lhioui Archive | Historical Memory