Published in Zamane / January 2011
few months after independence, Berber Tafilalet servant stirred the french protectorate, perhaps manipulated by the monarchy, takes up arms against the government of the Istiqlal. Narrative.
By Suleiman Bencheikh
In autumn 1956, Morocco had already finished celebrating its independence. The fight for power has taken precedence over the sacred union of forces of the nation. If Mohammed Ben Youssef, who will officially take the title of king in August 1957, returned from exile in Madagascar aura of prestige, is still holding the Istiqlal in Morocco. The party of Ahmed Balafrej and Allal El Fassi (who returned from exile in Cairo in March 1956) quadrille indeed the country and filled the void left by the departure of the French administration. In fact, the Istiqlal shares power with the monarchy. The other parties, organized or not, as the PDI and the Future Movement People are afraid that the supporters of Ben Barka - El Fassi establish a dictatorship by marginalizing the King or even doing abdicate as happened in other Arab countries. We forget so often that the Istiqlal and the monarchy are not the only players in the tormented history of our independence. Maati Monjib writes in The Moroccan monarchy and the struggle for power (L'Harmattan, 1992), that " Case Addi Or Bihi highlights the attitude of third active - but hardly noticeable - on the Moroccan political scene. A third set itself the objective of preventing the Istiqlal to settle in power and thus give proof that he is able to bring order and stability. This third mystery is none other than France, or rather some poorly digested that France " abandonment of Morocco" at the hands of the "killers Istiqlal".
Lord Tafilalet
Addi Bihi Or is one of those "noble" Berber whose power is now threatened on their own land, effort by centralizing the Istiqlal. Landowners or ranchers "prevailing" Atlas for centuries, they fear they will one day robbed of their wealth by the Istiqlal, which advocates precisely extensive land reform. The "bourgeois anti-french" Fez and opposes Berber elite that the protectorate had already tried to tame. Because there has not been the Berber Dahir of 1930: The French authorities have also taken up the challenge of a major political Caids. In the 1940s, Addi Bihi and is thus a powerful caid that administers a vast region s'étallant on part of the High Atlas to the borders of the desert, right in "Morocco useless." Suffice to say that the protectorate left him complete freedom of maneuver.
But in the late 1940s, things start to go wrong for the impetuous Addi Or Bihi. His relations with the Protectorate authorities are quick to deteriorate. He resents the division of its territory in four caïdats let alone to grant her three new colleagues of the Legion of Honor that he alone was to receive. Sekou Ouilani Ali, who lived these events and relates the following anecdote is the straw that broke the camel's back " the eve of the ceremony, medals or Addi has Bihi Shepherd called her and asked her to bring him to the day after the first hour the hairiest of the dogs. On that day, he waited for the french commander is in front of him to go to the dog's neck the ribbon of the Legion of Honor . Addi Or Bihi is obviously relieved of his duties as caid, and even interned for a time Psychiatric Hospital Berrechid.
But something evil is good: this quarrel with the French authorities and the detention that followed may have avoided Addi Or Bihi to be among the signatories of the document requesting the removal and deportation of Mohammed Ben Youssef. Addi Bihi Or is it one of the few Caids protectorate in refusing to support the puppet Sultan Mohammed Ben Arafa. As a result, gained independence, it's almost like a reward and to repair a mistake, he was appointed governor by Mohammed Tafilalet V.
The revolt of a feudal
Initially, Relations Addi Bihi Or with the central government of newly independent Morocco were more than cordial. The Interior Ministry is occupied by one of his relatives, Lahcen Lyoussi, also originally from the Berber and Tafilalet. But the dismissal of Lyoussi and substituting the Istiqlal Driss M'Hammed change the situation: "Addi closed to receive any orders from anyone; to Tafilalet, he is at home and hears not see its power diminished by the missives of a minister who is in Rabat, ultimate sin, a member of the Istiqlal "wrote Maati Monjib. Therefore, Addi Bihi Or is hiding in his province and it establishes an order imprisoning anti-Istiqlal party members to Allal El Fassi in the region.
Tension rises another notch at the end of 1956. Lyoussi, the fallen minister, organize rallies anti-Istiqlal in the Middle Atlas. Encouraged by him and reassured by the presence of leaders of the Party for Democracy and Independence (PDI, a rival of the Istiqlal), Addi Or Bihi crossed the Rubicon and decided to boycott Rabat. It draws up road blocks leading to his stronghold and stops even the judge and the Commissioner of Police for him, these two personalities have no reason to be in Tafilalet since it can take care of yourself Order of the province.
In fact, says Monjib Maati, " rebellion of Addi, which became public in January 1957, is only part of a plan of insurrection against Istiqlal-developed by the former Minister Interior Lyoussi and supported by the Higher Command of the French military forces stationed in Morocco . Because it is the French army rebels who provides weapons and ammunition. General Divary, commander of French troops stationed in the region of Fez, even participate in rallies organized by anti-Istiqlal Lyoussi. Moreover, during his trial, Addi Or recognize Bihi have had several conversations with Divary.
The end of a caid
Regionalist Revolt Addi Or Bihi, which originated in both the pre-colonial Morocco divided into corn and wheat Siba Makhzen in policy of the protectorate, fizzled. Ignace Dalle, author of Three Kings, the Moroccan monarchy of Independence to today (Fayard, 2004), writes: " Dropped by troops infuriated by his brutal methods, the revolt of Addi Or Bihi running short. In 48 hours, the Royal Armed Forces, commanded by Moulay Hassan, put down the rebellion. In the major cities Tafilalet, Berbers come cheer the prince movements accompanied the Ministers of Defence Mohammed Zeghari and Interior Driss M'Hammed, the Information Minister, Ahmed Reda Guédira and Lahcen Lyoussi and the Director General of Police, Mohammed Laghzaoui .
The role played by the monarchy in the revolt Addi Bihi Or is just more ambiguous. Mohammed probably neither V nor the crown prince did they openly supported the rebellion of Addi. Nevertheless, the events benefit the monarchy saw an opportunity here to recall that it is the only national cement and the only legitimate power, able to restore order. Moreover, once king, Hassan II seems to have a memory Or rather positive Addi Bihi. The challenge in , he writes: "Or Addi Bihi was an old and brave fighter, cunning and devious, that the French had arrested and deported. Claims and exactions of extremist tendency of the Istiqlal had exasperated. He had rebelled, he was assertive, so that the royal authority was respected .
Defeated, Addi Bihi Or is tried and convicted. He died in prison a few years later. Some of his supporters still claim he was poisoned, but in all likelihood, his conditions of detention have been rather "pleasant". The failure of the revolt Addi Or Bihi finally closes the chapter of the feudal lords and heralds the advent of a centralized and modern Morocco. Belarbi Colonel takes over Addi Or Bihi after his arrest moreover aware of the new chapter opens. In his speech to heads of tribes and local notables present at the ceremony of taking office, he said: "Gentlemen understand that the days of guns that you know is gone. The rifle of our time is the pen! . The page is turned feudal, bourgeois intellectuals now places the Istiqlal!
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