Rifeños

The Rif tribes did not submit to the Spanish for long. The Berbers, eager for independence, have never looked favourably on their people being absorbed by Spain (Melilla and the Protectorate) and Morocco (the rest of the Rif). During the 19th and 20th centuries, this influence can be summed up by the following milestones:

The African War (1859-1860), which ended with the Treaty of Wad-Ras after the Battle of Tetouan.

The Margallo War (or First Rif War) (1893-1894).

The Melilla War (1909) (Barranco del Lobo Disaster). It was caused by disagreements within the Spanish Rif Mining Company.

Spanish Protectorate of Morocco (1913-1956): It was not until 1912 when France, with the support of Germany and the withdrawal of British and Italian interests, carried out the division of Morocco with Spain, assigning it a northern territory (Yebala-Rif) and a southern one (Tarfaya).

Rif War (1911-1926): The Spanish occupation collided with violent opposition from the Rif tribes led by Abd el-Krim, which materialized in the so-called Annual Disaster (1921) where the Spanish troops were defeated. Finally, Abd el-Krim lost the war after the Alhucemas Landing (1925) with the help of France (troops under the command of the later president of the republic, General Pétain). This rebellion led to a short-lived independence of the territory, the Rif Republic -1921-1926- (its first president was Abd el-Krim)