Ifni war
Spanish possessions in the Sahara (1912)
| date | October 23, 1957 to June 3, 1958 |
|---|---|
| place | Western Sahara , Ifni |
| output | Victory of Spain and France |
| Territorial changes | Tarfaya on Morocco |
| Peace treaty | Angra de Cintra Agreement |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
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The Ifni War , also known as the Forgotten War ( Spanish la Guerra Olvidada ) in Spain , was a series of armed incursions into the colony of Spanish West Africa by Moroccan insurgents and local Sahrawi people . The war began in October 1957 and culminated with the siege of Sidi Ifni .
The conflict is part of the decolonization that Africa went through in the second half of the 20th century. The Moroccan "Sahara Liberation Army" was mainly involved in the fighting and, after the conflict with France ended, was able to use all of its resources to conquer Spanish territory.
prehistory
The city of Sidi Ifni was incorporated into the Spanish colonial empire in 1860 . In the decades that followed, the Spanish protectorate was expanded south of the city and Spanish rule was internationally recognized at the Congo Conference in 1884. In 1946 the various colonies were combined as Spanish West Africa.
Immediately after independence from France in 1956, Morocco began to raise a Greater Moroccan claim to the Spanish territories, on the grounds that these areas were historically and geographically part of Morocco. The Moroccan Sultan Mohammed V supported these efforts and personally supported anti-Spanish conspirators in Ifni.
course
Outbreak of fighting
On April 10, 1957, violent demonstrations against foreign rule broke out in Ifni, followed by strikes and the murder of those loyal to Spain. General Franco had two battalions of the Spanish Legion transferred to El Aaiún in June .
In response to the Spanish mobilization, the Moroccan army rallied near Ifni and on October 23, 1957 the two villages outside Sidi Ifni, Goulimine and Bou Izarguen, were occupied by 1,500 Moroccan soldiers ( Moukhahidine ). This started the encirclement of Ifni. Two more Legion battalions reached the Spanish Sahara before fighting began.
The storm on Ifni
On November 21, the Spanish secret service reported that an attack by the Moroccans from Tafraoute was imminent. Two days later, Spanish communications were cut off and 2000 Moroccan soldiers stormed Spanish garrisons and armories in and around Ifni.
Although the Moroccans got as far as Sidi Ifni, they were repulsed. Two Spanish outposts were abandoned and many others were besieged.
Tiluin
Sixty tiradores (Spanish and local militia members) fought against an overwhelming force of hundreds of Moroccans in Tiluin . A rescue operation was launched on November 25th. A squadron of five CASA 2.111 bombers (Spanish version of the Heinkel He 111 ) bombed the enemy positions, while another five CASA 352 transport machines (Spanish version of the Junkers Ju 52 / 3m ) dropped 75 paratroopers over the outpost. On December 3rd, soldiers of the 6th Battalion of the Spanish Legion reached Tiluin, broke through the siege ring and captured the airport. All military and civilian personnel were evacuated to Sidi Ifni by land.
Telata
However, the liberation of Teleta was less successful. On November 24, a company of paratroopers of the Spanish Legion under the command of Commander Ortiz left Sidi Ifni on several old trucks. The troops were ambushed several times by Moroccan people and the next day several Spaniards were wounded and forced to leave the road. On November 26th, food ran out and ammunition was running out. The Spanish found themselves forced to dig in after renewed attacks. Food was dropped by plane, but casualties rose and Commander Ortiz was also killed. On December 2, an infantry unit and the defenders of Telata broke through the Moroccan lines, repelling the enemy. The survivors of the paratrooper company reached Sidi Ifni again on December 5th. They had two dead and fourteen injured.
Siege of Sidi Ifni
In the beginning, the Moroccan attacks were mostly successful. Within two weeks, the Moroccans and tribes allied with them succeeded in gaining control of most of Ifni and isolating Spanish troops that were inland from the capital. Simultaneous attacks were carried out throughout the Spanish Sahara, and Spanish garrisons were overrun and convoys and patrols were ambushed. The Moroccan units were eager to march on Ifni, as it was assumed that a popular uprising would begin. But the Moroccans underestimate the strength of the Spanish defenders. This was supplied from the sea by the Spanish Navy and had built trenches and a myriad of outposts for miles. On December 9th there were 7,500 defenders in the city. The siege lasted until June 1958 and was relatively bloodless, as Spain and Morocco tended to focus on the fighting in the Spanish Sahara.
Battle of Edchera
In January 1958 Morocco intensified its efforts in the fight against Spain and reorganized all army units into the "Sahara Liberation Army".
On January 12, a division of the Sahara Liberation Army attacked the Spanish garrison at El Aaiún. The attack was repulsed and the Moroccans had to withdraw. On January 13, Moroccan units met two companies of the 13th battalion of the Spanish Legion near Edchera and attacked them. After heavy battles that were costly for both sides, the Moroccans withdrew.
Recapture
At the beginning of February 1958 Spain launched a massive offensive against the Moroccan Liberation Army. The 150 Spanish and French warplanes guaranteed perfect air sovereignty.
The Moroccan mountain fortress Tan-Tan was the first to fall victim to the bombing and the ground attack. The Moroccan army lost 150 soldiers and had to give up the facility. On February 10, the 4th, 9th and 13th battalions were combined into a motorized combat group and pushed the Moroccans out of Edchera and pushed through Tafurdat and Smara. On February 21, the Spanish army , with the support of French forces from Fort Gouraud near El Aaiún, attacked the Moroccans and destroyed the Moroccan army between Bir Nazaran and Ausert .
consequences
On April 2, 1958, the governments of Spain and Morocco signed the Angra de Cintra Agreement . Morocco received the region of Tarfaya ( Cape Juby Colony), between the Draa River and the latitude of 27 ° 40 ′, and Spain retained Sidi Ifni and Spanish West Africa.
After international pressure (UN resolution 2072 of 1965) Spain had to cede Ifni to Morocco in 1969.
literature
- Santamaria, Ramiro: Ifni-Sahara, la guerra ignorada. Dyrsa Madrid. 1984.
- Casas de la Vega, Rafael: La última guerra de Africa, Servicio de Publicaciones del Estado Mayor del Ejército. Madrid. 1985.
- Marinas Romero, Gerardo: La Legión española en la guerra de Ifni-Sahara. in Defensa nº 117 (1988).
- Belles Gasulla, José: Cabo Jubi-58. Memorias de un teniente de infantería en la campaña Ifni-Sahara. Servicio de Publicaciones del Estado Mayor del Ejército. Madrid 1990.
- Aguirre Diego, José Ramón .: “Ifni, la última guerra colonial española” en Historia 16 nº 167 (1990).
- Aguirre Diego, José Ramón. La última guerra colonial de España: Ifni-Sahara, 1957–1958, Algazara, Málaga. 1993.
- Simon Contreras, Miguel: Ifni y Sahara, hoy. in Ejército nº 633 (1992).