Nador: Commemoration of the 71st Anniversary of the Launch of the First Operations of the Liberation Army in the North

Nador – The High Commission for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army organized a meeting in Nador on Sunday to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the launch of the first operations of the Liberation Army in the north of the Kingdom, an event that marks a bright page in the history of the struggle for independence and unity in Morocco.

Chaired by the High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army, Mustapha El Ktiri, and in the presence of the Secretary General of the Province of Nador, Kamal Akir, provincial officials, and members of the families of the resistance and the Liberation Army, this meeting was an opportunity to recall the enormous sacrifices made with courage and selflessness by the sons of the nation for freedom and independence, as well as for the achievement of territorial unity.

They thus embodied the noble meanings of loyalty to the homeland and the finest images of heroism and perfect symbiosis between the throne and the people, defending religious sacred values ​​and national constants, and preserving the sovereignty and unity of the Kingdom.

In his address, Mr. El Ktiri affirmed that the commemoration of this glorious event, with its profound historical connotations, recalls luminous pages in the annals of the national struggle for the defense of the country’s freedom and independence, and for the return from exile of the hero of liberation, the late King Mohammed V, may God rest his soul.

He emphasized that the Moroccan Rif, with its tribes, is a historically rich region steeped in glory and epic tales, and that it has played a major role in the building of the Moroccan state and the preservation of its unity throughout the ages. He noted that its sons have never failed to answer the call of the homeland, guided by their loyalty and bravery.

He pointed out, in this regard, that the lack of weapons and equipment never weakened their resolve, as they waged fierce battles, notably the heroic resistance led by the Sharifian fighter Mohamed Amziane (1909-1912) and the battles of Mohamed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi (1921-1926).

Mr. El Ktiri also recalled that, faced with the hesitations of the colonial administration and the proliferation of resistance cells, its treacherous hand extended to the symbol of national sovereignty by exiling His Majesty Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Youssef and the royal family on August 20, 1953, believing it could extinguish the flames of the struggle. However, the Moroccan people, attached to their sacred values, destabilized the occupier’s plans through massive demonstrations and uprisings.

In this same context, he highlighted the important role of the sons of this region in launching the first operations of the Liberation Army on the night of October 1, 1955, in Imouzzer Marmoucha and the Triangle of Death in the province of Taza, as well as in the Beni Snassen tribes in the Oriental region and in Bouzineb in the province of Al Hoceima, considering these operations the decisive turning point in the struggle against the occupying forces through innovative tactical methods designed to destabilize the colonial troops.

He also emphasized that the city of Nador served as a key transit point for supplying the Moroccan Liberation Army and its Algerian counterpart with weapons between 1953 and 1955, via the ships “Dyna,” “Fakhr Al-Bahr,” and “Annasr.” He further noted that the city was the site of a resistance bureau responsible for bringing weapons and manufacturing traditional bombs in “Al-Mahsar” in the commune of “Afso.” These bombs were then sent to Liberation Army depots located in the “Triangle of Death” and stored in centers such as Ain Zora and Midar.

Mr. El Ktiri also praised the pioneering roles of the region’s women resistance fighters, who, in addition to their daily duties, supplied the mujahideen, cared for the wounded, and boosted morale through songs and war poems.

On the other hand, Mr. El Ktiri reviewed the efforts of the High Commission for the Preservation of National Memory, highlighting the publication of over 938 high-quality works, as well as the repatriation of more than 4 million historical documents from foreign archives. He also mentioned the national network of historical memorial spaces dedicated to the resistance and liberation, which currently comprises 109 sites, including ongoing and future projects in the provinces of Nador and Driouch.

Addressing the issue of territorial integrity, he took the opportunity to commend the UN and international position supporting and endorsing the Moroccan proposal.