Ifni War

Ifni War
Part of the decolonisation of Africa

Borders of the Ifni territory before and after the war.
Date23 October 1957 – 30 June 1958
(8 months and 1 week)
Location
Ifni, Spanish Sahara, Morocco
Result
Territorial
changes
  • Areas of Ifni annexed by Morocco
  • Cape Juby strip retroceded to Morocco by Spain
  • Sidi Ifni retained by Spain until 1969
    • Belligerents
    Commanders and leaders
    Francoist Spain Francisco Franco Morocco Ben Hammu
    Strength
    15,300 men
    • 10,300 Spanish troops
    • 5,000 French troops
    150 aircraft    		 30,000 men[7]
    Casualties and losses
    190 dead
    500 wounded
    80 missing[6]    		 800–1,000 dead[6]
    7 civilian deaths
    Part of a series on the
    Western Sahara conflict
    Background
    Regions
    Politics
    Clashes
    Issues
    Peace process

    The Ifni War, sometimes called the Forgotten War in Spain (la Guerra Olvidada), was a series of armed incursions into Spanish West Africa by Moroccan insurgents that began in October 1957 and culminated with the abortive siege of Sidi Ifni.

    The city of Sidi Ifni had been ceded to the Spanish Empire in 1860 at the end of the Hispano-Moroccan War. After Morocco achieved independence in 1956, it sought to claim Spain's remaining possessions in West Africa. Violent demonstrations against Spanish rule broke out in Ifni in April 1957, and in October Moroccan militias began converging near the territory. Moroccan forces attacked in November, forcing the Spanish to abandon most of the territory and retreat to a defensive perimeter around Ifni. Supplied by the Spanish Navy from the sea, the Spanish garrison was able to resist the siege, which lasted into June 1958. In Spanish Sahara, Moroccan units, now reorganised as the Moroccan Army of Liberation, engaged in heavy fighting with Spanish forces at El Aaiún and Edchera. By February 1958, a joint Spanish and French offensive had driven the Moroccans out of Spanish Sahara.

    Hostilities ceased in April 1958 (although small skirmishes still occurred) with the Treaty of Angra de Cintra, signed by the Spanish and Moroccan governments, by which Cape Juby and most of the Ifni territory were transferred to Morocco. The city of Sidi Ifni remained in Spanish possession until 1969, when, under international pressure, it was relinquished to Morocco.

    1. ^ Lingelbach, David. The Oligarchs' Grip: Fusing Wealth and Power. ISBN 3111029328.
    2. ^ Shillington, Kevin (2013-07-04). Encyclopedia of African History 3-Volume Set. p. 1019. ISBN 978-1135456702.
    3. ^ Anyangwe, Carlson (2022-08-08). Contemporary Wars and Conflicts Over Land and Water in Africa. p. 213. ISBN 978-1666910377.
    4. ^ H. Bowen, Wayne (2007-11-30). A Military History of Modern Spain: From the Napoleonic Era to the International War on Terror. p. 131. ISBN 978-1573567237.
    5. ^ Anyangwe, Carlson (2022-08-08). Contemporary Wars and Conflicts Over Land and Water in Africa. p. 214. ISBN 978-1666910377.
    6. ^ a b c Schwinghammer, Torsten (2018-04-24). Warfare Since the Second World War. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-28970-2.
    7. ^ La Vanguardia, Sidi Ifni, la última guerra de Franco