The Leader of Rif National Party: Makhzen is a system created to serve colonial powers, and we have never recognised its sovereignty
ALGIERS – Youba al-Ghadioui, the leader of the Rif National Party, said on Saturday that the Rif people have never recognised the sovereignty of the functional entity called Morocco, emphasising that they do not seek separation from it because they do not consider themselves part of it in the first place.
Speaking at the first session of the “Rif Day” conference in Algiers, attended by African and Algerian political figures supportive of the Riffian cause, al-Ghadioui noted that Algeria has always been a stronghold for movements striving for freedom and independence.
In his opening statement, Youba al-Ghadioui highlighted the repression by the Makhzen regime against the Rif people through blocking their access to the Rif region and imprisoning those who share these convictions. He reiterated that the Rif people will one day return to the region “once it is liberated from the curse of the Alawites,” a dream he believes will be realised, just as their ancestors achieved in 1921.
Al-Ghadioui affirmed that the demand for the restoration of the Rif Republic’s independence reflects the fact that it was once a sovereign entity before being forcefully taken away. This highlights the legal legitimacy of the Rif people’s demand to reclaim their lost sovereignty. He explained that the Rif Republic, established in 1921 by Muhammad Abdelkrim al-Khattabi, was the first republic in North Africa. However, its independence was short-lived, ending in 1926 due to international conspiracies and internal betrayals that led to its suppression by colonial powers and later Moroccan control.
He emphasised that the call for the Rif’s independence is a legitimate right, not a separatist attempt, and that the Rif people have continually demanded this right through armed resistance in the past and political struggle today. He clarified that they are not seeking to separate from Morocco because separation implies they were ever part of this functional entity called Morocco.
In this context, Al-Ghadioui added that “Morocco is an entity created within the African body to serve the interests of colonial powers.” He pointed out that the Rif people have never recognised the sovereignty of the Moroccan regime, saying, “How can we recognise a regime created by French colonialism through agreements of enslavement, most notably the Treaty of Protectorate signed in 1912, under which the Alawites handed over the Sultanate of Marrakesh to France in exchange for remaining in power as a pliable tool of the occupier.”
“This entity continues to serve foreign agendas at the expense of the peoples it claims to represent, as evidenced by its repression of the people of the Rif and Western Sahara,” Al-Ghadioui added.
Youba al-Ghadioui referenced historical facts, including those documented by Al-Idrissi, which shed light on the treason of the Makhzen regime towards the principles of liberation and dignity. He stated that “Morocco and its Alawite king have never been on the side of free peoples or the Rif people, who were defending their land and independence,” and that “Makhzen Sultan Yusuf al-Alawi mobilised 400,000 Alawites to fight against the Rif people.”
Al-Ghadioui also said, “If we are truly Moroccans, as they claim, why does the Makhzen consider the Rif people a threat to its existence?” He made a heartfelt appeal to the political figures at “Rif Day,” including Algerian and African parties, urging them to stand with the Riffian people, who are suffering from systematic genocide carried out by the Moroccan regime, amid an international silence.
The Riffian leader called for adopting a stance that considers Western Sahara and the Rif as the last colonies in Africa, saying, “Our cause is your cause and part of the African continent’s struggle against colonialism and its tools. The Rif and Western Sahara are two wounds in Africa’s body that will only heal through independence.”
