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Why did many Rif peoples oppose rule by the Spanish colonial government?

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Spanish soldiers operate artillery cannons in a desert landscape near Melilla, with smoke billowing as a cannon fires during a 1930s battle. — Rif War Spanish artillery firing outside Melilla during the Rif War.

The Rif peoples opposed the Spanish colonial government primarily because they were determined to preserve their local autonomy and were fundamentally against being ruled by Spanish Christians. Although these groups were nominally subject to the Moroccan sultan, they had historically maintained significant independence.1

Opposition intensified as the Spanish government moved to transition from a loose presence to active military occupation and domination of the region. This shift became clear to local leaders, such as the influential Beni Urriaguel family led by the Abd el-Krims, who realized that Spanish intentions were incompatible with their sovereignty. Consequently, the Rif peoples resisted the "pacification" efforts of the Spanish army, which sought to bring the mountainous, rural territory under direct colonial control. This resistance eventually evolved into a broader movement for liberation, led by Abd el-Krim, who rejected any agreements that failed to recognize the full independence of the Rif.12