The anniversary of the recovery of Sidi Ifni constitutes a major step in the heroic struggle led by the Moroccan people, under the leadership of the glorious Alaouite Throne, for the completion of national independence and the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, indicated the High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army, Mustafa El Ktiri, on Monday in Sidi Ifni.
Speaking during a meeting on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the recovery of Sidi Ifni, Mr. El Ktiri added that this event is an opportunity to remember the heroic epics of the sons of Sidi Ifni, which date back, according to historians, to the middle of the 19th century, following the Tetouan war and the signing, in 1860, of the iniquitous "Wad Rass" treaty, imposed on Morocco at the time.
The Spanish then attempted to exploit its clauses, or even distort their meaning, to establish themselves on the Atlantic coast of the Moroccan Sahara, but all their attempts failed, he explained, specifying that Spanish control of the region was only imposed by force, in a context of aggression by colonial forces against Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century.
He continued that the Spanish military forces "did not hesitate to adopt a treacherous colonial plan aimed at detaching this part of the homeland to annex it to the Spanish State, in order to control the global trade route passing off the Moroccan coast," specifying that after fierce resistance to the Spanish colonial forces at the beginning of the 20th century, the Ait Baamrane laid down their arms to spare lives and property, as part of an agreement signed between the two parties on 6 April 1934, which consolidated the fait accompli of the Spanish presence in the region.
However, the Ait Baamrane remained faithful to their homeland and their King, considering the laying down of arms not as a surrender but as a tactical measure while awaiting the opportune moment, noted the High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army.
They expressed this, in words and deeds, after the heinous act of the forced exile of the late Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Youssef, by adorning houses and vehicles with national flags and symbols, thus affirming their categorical rejection of the unjust measure taken by the French colonial authorities on 20 August 1953.
In addition to its commitment alongside the other southern provinces of the Kingdom, in the epic of the Revolution of the King and the People, this region played a pioneering role in the struggle for liberation, he noted.
The regions of Sidi Ifni and the Ait Baamrane constituted bastions for the training and supervision of the men of the resistance and liberation, ensured by heroes and iconic figures who dedicated their lives to the homeland, its freedom, its sovereignty, and the defence of its unity and the dignity of its people, he further said.
He also reflected on the uprising of 23 November 1957 against the Spanish colonial presence, during which the Ait Baamrane tribes fought fierce battles in the region, winning with their brothers from other regions of the Kingdom resounding victories that allowed Morocco to recover the province of Tarfaya in 1958, then the city of Sidi Ifni on 30 June 1969.
He stressed that the recovery of the cities of Tarfaya and Sidi Ifni was the first step in the process of liberation and territorial unity, which made the recovery of the occupied southern provinces an absolute priority, adding that 56 years after the recovery of the city of Sidi Ifni, Morocco continues its process of consolidating global, sustainable, and inclusive development in its southern provinces, to establish them as a model of advanced regionalisation, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI.
On the same occasion, the governor of the province of Sidi Ifni, Mohamed Darham, indicated that the anniversary of the recovery of the city of Sidi Ifni is an opportunity to remember a heroic epic in the struggle of the Moroccan people for the defence of their territorial integrity, considering that this event constitutes a luminous historical stage during which the sons of the Ait Baamrane tribes reaffirmed their unwavering attachment to national constants.
Several participants, for their part, indicated that this anniversary reflects the determination of the sons of this region to defend the territorial unity of the Kingdom, its sacred values, and its national constants.
At the end of this meeting, several former resistance fighters and former members of the Liberation Army of the province were honoured, in recognition of their sacrifices for the liberation of the Kingdom.
Financial aid totalling 100,000 dirhams was also granted to a number of former resistance fighters and former members of the Liberation Army as well as to widows of former resistance fighters.
Speaking during a meeting on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the recovery of Sidi Ifni, Mr. El Ktiri added that this event is an opportunity to remember the heroic epics of the sons of Sidi Ifni, which date back, according to historians, to the middle of the 19th century, following the Tetouan war and the signing, in 1860, of the iniquitous "Wad Rass" treaty, imposed on Morocco at the time.
The Spanish then attempted to exploit its clauses, or even distort their meaning, to establish themselves on the Atlantic coast of the Moroccan Sahara, but all their attempts failed, he explained, specifying that Spanish control of the region was only imposed by force, in a context of aggression by colonial forces against Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century.
He continued that the Spanish military forces "did not hesitate to adopt a treacherous colonial plan aimed at detaching this part of the homeland to annex it to the Spanish State, in order to control the global trade route passing off the Moroccan coast," specifying that after fierce resistance to the Spanish colonial forces at the beginning of the 20th century, the Ait Baamrane laid down their arms to spare lives and property, as part of an agreement signed between the two parties on 6 April 1934, which consolidated the fait accompli of the Spanish presence in the region.
However, the Ait Baamrane remained faithful to their homeland and their King, considering the laying down of arms not as a surrender but as a tactical measure while awaiting the opportune moment, noted the High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army.
They expressed this, in words and deeds, after the heinous act of the forced exile of the late Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Youssef, by adorning houses and vehicles with national flags and symbols, thus affirming their categorical rejection of the unjust measure taken by the French colonial authorities on 20 August 1953.
In addition to its commitment alongside the other southern provinces of the Kingdom, in the epic of the Revolution of the King and the People, this region played a pioneering role in the struggle for liberation, he noted.
The regions of Sidi Ifni and the Ait Baamrane constituted bastions for the training and supervision of the men of the resistance and liberation, ensured by heroes and iconic figures who dedicated their lives to the homeland, its freedom, its sovereignty, and the defence of its unity and the dignity of its people, he further said.
He also reflected on the uprising of 23 November 1957 against the Spanish colonial presence, during which the Ait Baamrane tribes fought fierce battles in the region, winning with their brothers from other regions of the Kingdom resounding victories that allowed Morocco to recover the province of Tarfaya in 1958, then the city of Sidi Ifni on 30 June 1969.
He stressed that the recovery of the cities of Tarfaya and Sidi Ifni was the first step in the process of liberation and territorial unity, which made the recovery of the occupied southern provinces an absolute priority, adding that 56 years after the recovery of the city of Sidi Ifni, Morocco continues its process of consolidating global, sustainable, and inclusive development in its southern provinces, to establish them as a model of advanced regionalisation, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI.
On the same occasion, the governor of the province of Sidi Ifni, Mohamed Darham, indicated that the anniversary of the recovery of the city of Sidi Ifni is an opportunity to remember a heroic epic in the struggle of the Moroccan people for the defence of their territorial integrity, considering that this event constitutes a luminous historical stage during which the sons of the Ait Baamrane tribes reaffirmed their unwavering attachment to national constants.
Several participants, for their part, indicated that this anniversary reflects the determination of the sons of this region to defend the territorial unity of the Kingdom, its sacred values, and its national constants.
At the end of this meeting, several former resistance fighters and former members of the Liberation Army of the province were honoured, in recognition of their sacrifices for the liberation of the Kingdom.
Financial aid totalling 100,000 dirhams was also granted to a number of former resistance fighters and former members of the Liberation Army as well as to widows of former resistance fighters.
