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Mohamed Oufkir
General Mohamed Oufkir (Arabic: محمد أوفقير, romanized: Muḥammad Ūfqīr; 16 August 1920 − 16 August 1972) was a Moroccan senior military officer who held many important governmental posts like the minister of interior and minister of defense. Throughout the 60s, he rose to become the regime's strongman having a close relationship with Hassan II of Morocco and was partly responsible for the suppression of political opposition and riots. It is believed that he was involved in the Ben Barka affair and that he was assassinated for his alleged role in the failed 1972 Moroccan coup attempt.
Mohamed Oufkir was born on 16 August 1920 in the Ait Seghrouchen village of Ain Chair, in the Tafilalt region, the stronghold of High Atlas Berbers or the Berber-speaking village of Boudenib. The name Oufkir means "the impoverished" according to his daughter Malika.
His father was Muhammad ibn Kaddur Oufkir who belonged to the Awlad Oufkir (Ait u Faqir) lineage which was the largest lineage of the larger of two clans in Ain Chair. He was the richest man in the oasis between Figuig and the Ziz valley and he sought peace with the French acting as intermediary between the French army and unsubmitted tribes. Despite being unknown in the eyes of the makhzen and lacking in power before the protectorate, Ibn Kaddur was regarded as the most important political figure in the region by Hubert Lyautey who valued his ruthlessness and loyalty to the French army. Before the protectorate, he wanted support from the French in becoming commander over Ain Chair as well as over the local tribes of Beni Guil, Awlad al-Nasir, and Ait Seghrouchen. He was unable to get this support until the start of the protectorate when he was appointed Pasha of Boudenib. He served until his death in 1936 and his sons and kinsmen continued to hold qaid-ships and other positions in the south east of Morocco until the 1970s. According to Malika Oufkir, his name was Ahmed.
Oufkir studied at the Berber College of Azrou near Meknes. In 1939, he entered the Military Academy of Dar El Beida, and in 1941, he enlisted as a reserve lieutenant in the French Army.
He enrolled in the French Army in 1939 and served during World War II in 1944 on the Italian front. In 1947, he fought in the First Indochina War in the French Far East Expeditionary Corps where his bravery was dubbed "legendary". In 1949 he was promoted captain and named to the Legion of Honour.
After WW2, in 1949, Oufkir joined the military cabinet of Raymond Duval whom he became aide-de-camp to. In 1953, he became the assistant of Augustin Guillaume who was the Resident-General of Morocco then. He was involved in the negotiations for the return of Mohammed V and had the task of putting pressure on Mohammed Ben Aarafa to abdicate. When Mohammed returned from exile, Oufkir effectively became Mohammed V's aide-de-camp and interpreter. After independence, he was appointed a high-ranking officer in the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.
During the 1958 Rif riots, Oufkir was Crown Prince Hassan's close associate and served as the head of the secret services. Both were involved with the suppression of the revolt which resulted in the collective punishment of the Rif. This included expropriation, crop-burning, rape, forced disappearances, torture, mass executions and the displacement of people. This repression identified Oufkir as "the butcher of the Rif".
Oufkir became the right-hand man of Hassan II during the 1960s and regime strongman "willing and able to employ all means necessary to repress dissent and ensure the stability and supremacy of the regime" according to historian Bruce Maddy-Weitzman. In the early years of Morocco's independence, his nominal boss was the interior minister, Ahmed Reda Guedira. He was appointed the director of the Sûreté Nationale in 1960 to control dissidents and reorganise the military. In 1964, Oufkir became the interior minister. He had a close relationship with the CIA during this period and was the main architect for relations with French intelligence and for the forging of ties between Israel and Morocco. He visited Israel in 1964 to observe the security arrangements of a papal visit which convinced him that Israel could assist him with palace security in Rabat.
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Mohamed Oufkir
General Mohamed Oufkir (Arabic: محمد أوفقير, romanized: Muḥammad Ūfqīr; 16 August 1920 − 16 August 1972) was a Moroccan senior military officer who held many important governmental posts like the minister of interior and minister of defense. Throughout the 60s, he rose to become the regime's strongman having a close relationship with Hassan II of Morocco and was partly responsible for the suppression of political opposition and riots. It is believed that he was involved in the Ben Barka affair and that he was assassinated for his alleged role in the failed 1972 Moroccan coup attempt.
Mohamed Oufkir was born on 16 August 1920 in the Ait Seghrouchen village of Ain Chair, in the Tafilalt region, the stronghold of High Atlas Berbers or the Berber-speaking village of Boudenib. The name Oufkir means "the impoverished" according to his daughter Malika.
His father was Muhammad ibn Kaddur Oufkir who belonged to the Awlad Oufkir (Ait u Faqir) lineage which was the largest lineage of the larger of two clans in Ain Chair. He was the richest man in the oasis between Figuig and the Ziz valley and he sought peace with the French acting as intermediary between the French army and unsubmitted tribes. Despite being unknown in the eyes of the makhzen and lacking in power before the protectorate, Ibn Kaddur was regarded as the most important political figure in the region by Hubert Lyautey who valued his ruthlessness and loyalty to the French army. Before the protectorate, he wanted support from the French in becoming commander over Ain Chair as well as over the local tribes of Beni Guil, Awlad al-Nasir, and Ait Seghrouchen. He was unable to get this support until the start of the protectorate when he was appointed Pasha of Boudenib. He served until his death in 1936 and his sons and kinsmen continued to hold qaid-ships and other positions in the south east of Morocco until the 1970s. According to Malika Oufkir, his name was Ahmed.
Oufkir studied at the Berber College of Azrou near Meknes. In 1939, he entered the Military Academy of Dar El Beida, and in 1941, he enlisted as a reserve lieutenant in the French Army.
He enrolled in the French Army in 1939 and served during World War II in 1944 on the Italian front. In 1947, he fought in the First Indochina War in the French Far East Expeditionary Corps where his bravery was dubbed "legendary". In 1949 he was promoted captain and named to the Legion of Honour.
After WW2, in 1949, Oufkir joined the military cabinet of Raymond Duval whom he became aide-de-camp to. In 1953, he became the assistant of Augustin Guillaume who was the Resident-General of Morocco then. He was involved in the negotiations for the return of Mohammed V and had the task of putting pressure on Mohammed Ben Aarafa to abdicate. When Mohammed returned from exile, Oufkir effectively became Mohammed V's aide-de-camp and interpreter. After independence, he was appointed a high-ranking officer in the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.
During the 1958 Rif riots, Oufkir was Crown Prince Hassan's close associate and served as the head of the secret services. Both were involved with the suppression of the revolt which resulted in the collective punishment of the Rif. This included expropriation, crop-burning, rape, forced disappearances, torture, mass executions and the displacement of people. This repression identified Oufkir as "the butcher of the Rif".
Oufkir became the right-hand man of Hassan II during the 1960s and regime strongman "willing and able to employ all means necessary to repress dissent and ensure the stability and supremacy of the regime" according to historian Bruce Maddy-Weitzman. In the early years of Morocco's independence, his nominal boss was the interior minister, Ahmed Reda Guedira. He was appointed the director of the Sûreté Nationale in 1960 to control dissidents and reorganise the military. In 1964, Oufkir became the interior minister. He had a close relationship with the CIA during this period and was the main architect for relations with French intelligence and for the forging of ties between Israel and Morocco. He visited Israel in 1964 to observe the security arrangements of a papal visit which convinced him that Israel could assist him with palace security in Rabat.
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