Madrid Conference Revives International Debate on Rif Self-Determination Ahead of Rif War Centenary

BY Dr. Hana Saada

A high-level international conference on the Rif people’s struggle for self-determination opened Friday in Madrid, bringing together academics, legal experts, political analysts and former security officials to examine the historical and legal dimensions of the Rif question ahead of the centenary of the end of the Rif War in 1926.

Organised by the National Rif Party under the theme “1926–2026: One Hundred Years of the Rif Cause,” the gathering comes amid renewed scrutiny of unresolved self-determination disputes across North Africa and the Mediterranean region.

Held under the slogan “Where Spain and the Rif Meet to Build Dialogue, Justice and the Future,” the conference seeks to reposition the Rif issue within European academic, political and legal debate while expanding international engagement with the region’s historical and political claims.

Discussions focused on the legacy of the Rif following its incorporation into Morocco in 1956, against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical dynamics and broader debates surrounding regional identity, autonomy and historical memory.

The conference features three principal sessions examining the historical trajectory of the Rif issue, its legal foundations under international law, and Spain’s potential role in future political dialogue surrounding the region.

Former Spanish military intelligence colonel Diego Camacho addressed the historical and security dimensions of the conflict, while researcher Guillermo Rocafort examined the societal and cultural foundations of Rif identity.

A second panel focused on legal arguments surrounding self-determination. National Rif Party leader Redouane Ossama presented the movement’s political and legal position, while international jurist Pedro Pinto Leite, Secretary-General of the International Platform of Jurists for East Timor, examined the issue through the lens of international law and decolonisation principles.

The final session explored the geopolitical implications of the Rif question and Spain’s diplomatic approach to the file. International legal expert Ana Quiroga discussed the issue’s potential impact on Mediterranean stability, while analyst Koldo Salazar examined Madrid’s evolving posture toward the region.

Participants also included Yuba El Ghadoui, Vice President of the National Rif Party, political analyst Badr Laidoudi, and Fernando Novo, President of the Hispano-Algerian Cultural Association.

The Madrid gathering reflects broader efforts by Rif political networks to internationalise debate surrounding the region’s political status and place it within wider European discussions on historical accountability, identity politics and self-determination in North Africa.