[6] Prince Hassan, who was then military chief of staff, promulgated a decree that put the Rif region in a state of emergency and led an army of 20,000–30,000 soldiers to contain the uprising.

This liberation army was founded on 2 October 1955 under the impetus of Abdelkrim El Khattabi, who at the time had called on several Berber warlords from the Atlas and the Rif to work together.

[7] The ALN refused to recognise this independence because France and Spain were still present in Morocco and therefore continued the armed struggle in the Rif and in the Atlas, entering into open conflict with the Istiqlal party.

The latter, led by Abdelkhalek Torres, Mehdi Ben Barka and Allal Al Fassi, committed numerous crimes (assassinations and kidnappings) against ALN sympathisers.

The Riffian population, feeling more and more marginalised and attacked by the Istiqlal party in power, decided to revolt in October 1958.

On 7 October 1958, the protesters issued a chart with a list of demands including "The immediate withdraw of all foreign forces from Morocco, and the return of Abd el-Krim and his family to the country".

The fighting was so fierce, especially in the Beni Ouriaghel and Gueznaya, that the army resorted to aviation, artillery and (French) tanks to gain the upper hand.

Moroccan newspapers, whatever their political colour, are content to reproduce the information blown to them by the authorities and to publish editorials on command crying conspiracy.

[13] The 18-point programme was submitted to Mohammed V by Sellam Ameziane and two other members of the Ait Ouriaghel (Abdel Sadaq Khattabi and Abdelkrim al-Khattabi's son, Rachid) on 11 November 1958:[12] The Moroccan army lost about a thousand men,[2] while 3,000 Riffian rebels were killed[1] and 8,420 were captured.

[citation needed] As a result, many left the Rif for Europe, returning to their ancestral towns only to build homes that they lived in during vacations or after retirement.