Morocco's independence: An epic history of the struggle of the people and the king

Morocco's independence: An epic history of the struggle of the people and the king

Today, November 18, the Kingdom of Morocco celebrates its 67th anniversary of independence, as this date consolidates the epic popular struggle to end the French protectorate over the country in 1956.

The French colonization tried in various ways to plunder Morocco, control the people, obliterate their identity and intimidate them with multiple assassinations, banish their national leaders, and make pressure over them with the harshest means, but the Moroccans resisted this colonization with great tenacity and offered thousands of martyrs for the sake of liberation. The people's demands for independence were repeated several times in different forms, and King Mohammed V, in coordination with the leaders of the national movement, presented a document demanding independence to the French protection authorities, but France tried to suppress all these attempts.

In 1953, the French occupation banished King Mohammed V and his family, which led to the uprising of the Moroccan people and the outbreak of demonstrations and protests all over Morocco in an epic image that emerged the revolution of the king and the people. The French occupation surrendered to this resistance, and King Mohammed V was returned to Morocco on November 16th, 1955, to be greeted warmly by Moroccans on a historic day.

On November 18th, 1955, Mohammed V announced the country's transition from the battle of the smaller jihad to the battle of the greater jihad, and continued determination to end the system of protection and to advent the era of independence. The struggle of the people and the king was crowned with the signing of the Independence Contract on March 2nd, 1956. November 18 was chosen to revive independence day because it is the day when Mohammad V ascended the throne in 1927, and thus this date marks the date of the accession to the throne during the rule of Ibn Yusuf.

In terms of Egyptian-Moroccan relations, Egypt was one of the most supportive countries to Morocco's independence, and Egypt hosted the leader of the resistance in the countryside in northern Morocco and one of the greatest founders of the popular resistance against occupation in contemporary world history, the leader "Abdul Karim Al-Khattabi" and he remained in Egypt for a while. Moroccans also joined the Egyptians in their struggle battles throughout history, which makes the two countries' relationship a very interdependent, coherent, and fraternal relationship between the two peoples.