Ifni War

Long ago, Spain held land in Africa.

Fighting began in late 1957. Moroccan groups attacked Spanish spots. Many Spanish people had to leave.

Spanish ships brought food to the city of Ifni. This helped the people stay there. The fight lasted for many months.

In 1958, Spain and France worked together. They moved the Moroccan groups out. This helped end the fight.

A treaty was signed to make peace. Most of the land went to Morocco. It is a big part of history.

Spain held land in West Africa for a long time. One place was the city of Sidi Ifni. Spain got this land in 1860.

In 1956, Morocco became an independent country. Morocco wanted its old land back. This led to the Ifni War in late 1957. Moroccan forces attacked Spanish areas. Many Spanish soldiers had to leave. They moved to a small area around Sidi Ifni.

The city of Sidi Ifni was under siege. This means it was surrounded. The Spanish Navy brought food and supplies by sea. This helped the city hold out until June 1958.

In early 1958, Spain and France worked together. They used 150 planes in a joint mission. This effort drove Moroccan groups out of Spanish Sahara.

In April 1958, the two sides signed a peace treaty. This treaty was called the Treaty of Angra de Cintra. Most of the land went to Morocco. Spain kept Sidi Ifni for a few more years. They gave it to Morocco in 1969.

The Ifni War was a conflict in North Africa. It is sometimes called the Forgotten War in Spain. This war began in November 1957. It involved Moroccan groups fighting against Spanish rule. The fighting happened in areas of Spanish West Africa. One major place involved was the city of Sidi Ifni.

The war started because of changes in the region. Spain had held the city of Sidi Ifni since 1860. In 1956, Morocco became an independent country. Morocco wanted to claim the land Spain still held. Moroccan leaders encouraged efforts to take the land back. Violent protests against Spanish rule broke out in April 1957. By November, Moroccan forces began to attack Spanish positions.

Fighting happened in many different places. In November 1957, Moroccan soldiers occupied two villages near Sidi Ifni. They also attacked Spanish garrisons and armories. Spanish troops had to retreat to a small area. They formed a defensive perimeter around the city of Sidi Ifni. The city was under a siege for many months. The Spanish Navy supplied the city from the sea. This helped the 7,500 defenders hold the city until June 1958.

In 1958, the fighting moved to the Spanish Sahara. Moroccan units formed the Saharan Liberation Army to fight there. They attacked places like El Aaiún and Edchera. In February 1958, Spain and France launched a joint mission. This was called Operation Écouvillon. They used a fleet of 150 planes together. The Spanish had 9,000 soldiers for this mission. The French had 5,000 soldiers. This joint effort drove the Moroccan forces out of the area.

The war ended with a peace treaty. The two governments signed the Treaty of Angra de Cintra in April 1958. This treaty gave much of the land to Morocco. This included the region of Cape Juby. Spain kept control of Sidi Ifni for a longer time. They held the city until 1969. International pressure helped lead to this change. Eventually, Spain returned the territory to Morocco.

The Ifni War is a conflict that took place in North Africa during the late 1950s. In Spain, it is often called the Forgotten War, or la Guerra Olvidada. The war involved Moroccan insurgents fighting against Spanish rule in territories known as Spanish West Africa. This region included the city of Sidi Ifni and parts of the Spanish Sahara. The conflict was a struggle over land and independence following major political changes in the region.

The roots of the war reached back to the year 1860. At that time, the city of Sidi Ifni was given to the Spanish Empire after the Hispano-Moroccan War. For many years, Spain held various territories in the area. In 1956, Morocco achieved independence from France and Spain. After gaining independence, Morocco wanted to reclaim all lands it considered part of its territory. Moroccan leaders, including Sultan Mohammed V, encouraged efforts to take back these colonial possessions.

Hostilities began to grow in the spring of 1957. In April, violent demonstrations against Spanish rule broke out in Ifni. By October, Moroccan militias were gathering near the territory. The actual war began in November 1957 when Moroccan forces attacked. They occupied the villages of Goulimine and Bouizakarne near Sidi Ifni. These attacks forced Spanish troops to retreat from most of the territory. They established a defensive perimeter to protect the city of Sidi Ifni itself.

During the fighting, several specific battles and sieges occurred. In the outpost of Tiluin, local infantry struggled against Moroccan forces. To help them, Spain used CASA 2.111 bombers and CASA 352 transport planes to drop paratroopers. Another difficult situation happened at Telata, where a Spanish Legion platoon faced ambushes and ran out of food. In Sidi Ifni, the city was placed under a long siege. However, the Moroccan forces could not break the defenses. The Spanish Navy supplied the 7,500 defenders from the sea, and the siege lasted until June 1958.

The conflict also spread to the Spanish Sahara. Moroccan units reorganized themselves into the Saharan Liberation Army to fight there. They launched attacks against Spanish garrisons at El Aaiún and Edchera. At Edchera, Moroccan forces used the large sand dunes to launch a surprise attack on the 13th Legionnaire Battalion. The fighting in the Sahara was intense, but the Spanish forces managed to resist the assaults. These battles showed how widespread the fighting had become across the different colonial territories.

In February 1958, Spain and France launched a massive joint mission called Operation Écouvillon. This offensive was designed to break up the Moroccan Liberation Army. The two countries used a combined air fleet of 150 planes. The Spanish deployed 9,000 soldiers, while the French provided 5,000 soldiers. This joint force successfully drove the Moroccan units out of their strongholds. For example, they captured the mountain positions at Tan-Tan and cleared areas near Smara and Tafurdat.

The war officially ended through diplomacy in April 1958. Spain and Morocco signed the Treaty of Angra de Cintra. This treaty resulted in the transfer of Cape Juby and most of the Ifni territory to Morocco. However, the city of Sidi Ifni did not change hands immediately. Spain kept control of the city until 1969. This delay was due to international pressure from the United Nations. Eventually, Spain relinquished the city to Morocco, marking a significant shift in the colonial history of North Africa.