1971 Moroccan coup attempt

Failed military coup against King Hassan II 1971 Moroccan coup d'état attempt 0 250 3 none Moroccan pro-king loyalists defending the RTM headquarters.png Moroccan pro-king loyalists detaining a rebel soldier.png Rebels in a truck after being detained by royalist forces.png From top, left to right: troops outside the Radio-Maroc headquarters; a rebel gets detained; the rebel is tossed onto a truck Rabat and Skhirat, MoroccoDoublet Pierre Le complot de Skhirat https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/afrique/le-complot-de-skhirat_482688.html L'Express 4 June 2022 fr 2 March 2006 28 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220128010329/https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/afrique/le-complot-de-skhirat_482688.html live Coup d'état failed Led to the Years of Lead 10 July 1971 Morocco Rebel cadets from Ahermoumou military school Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (elements) Supported by:Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Libya (alleged)Lamlili Nadia Palais de Skhirat au Maroc : Hassan II, un roi miraculé https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/255319/politique/palais-de-skhirat-au-maroc-hassan-ii-un-roi-miracule/ 11 August 2015 Jeune Afrique 4 June 2022 ja_s fr-FR 28 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220128001745/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/255319/politique/palais-de-skhirat-au-maroc-hassan-ii-un-roi-miracule/ live Morocco Kingdom of Morocco Royal Moroccan Armed Forces Moroccan Royal Guard Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie Morocco Gen. Mohamed Medbouh Morocco Lt.-Col. M'hamed Ababou Morocco Col. Mohamed Ababou Morocco Gen. Hamou Amahzoune Morocco Gen. Khyari Bougrine Morocco Gen. Abderrahman Habibi Morocco Gen. Mustapha Amharech Morocco Col. Laarbi Chelouati Morocco Col. Mohamed Fenniri Morocco Lt.-Col. Mohamed Bouberri Morocco Col. Ahmed Ammi Morocco Col. Lakbir Belabsir Morocco Maj. Brahim Manouzi Morocco Hassan II Morocco Maj.-Gen. Mohamed Bachir El Bouhali fr Morocco Gen. Mohamed Oufkir Morocco Col. Ahmed Dlimi Morocco Ahmed Laraki Morocco Gen. Driss Ben Omar El Alami fr Morocco Gen. Mohamed Gharbaoui Morocco Gen. Driss N'Michi Morocco Col. Bouazza Boulhimez Morocco Gen .Abdelhay Lebsir Morocco Col. Hassan Hammou 158 killed 1,081 captured 22 killed (20 soldiers, 2 policemen) 73 injured (66 soldiers, 4 gendarmes, 2 policemen, and 1 royal guard) 98 civilians killed ≈ 59 civilians injured December 2024 The 1971 Moroccan coup d'état attempt, popularly known as the Skhirat coup d'état (ar محاولة انقلاب الصخيرات; fr Coup d'état de Skhirat), was a failed effort by rebel military leaders to overthrow King Hassan II of Morocco on 10 July 1971, during his forty-second birthday party. The first of two attempted coups during Hassan's rule, it was organized by a rebel faction of the Royal Armed Forces led by Lieutenant-Colonel M'hamed Ababou and General Mohamed Medbouh. The faction attacked the king's summer palace at Skhirat, and the Radio-Maroc headquarters and offices of the Ministry of Interior in Rabat. Hassan, his immediate family, and his aides escaped and hid in a bathroom near the palace swimming pool, and the rebels were killed or captured by members of the Royal Guard. The coup attempt led to Hassan reforming the Royal Armed Forces, including installing Mohamed Oufkir as Minister of Defense. Oufkir was subsequently involved in the second coup attempt against the king in 1972. Background Mohamed Medbouh Mohamed Medbouh General Mohamed Medbouh was Inspector General of the Moroccan Royal Guard,Dalle Ignace https://www.worldcat.org/title/717787482 Hassan II: Entre tradition et absolutisme 2011 Fayard 9782213637839 Paris 219–221 fr Les deux coups d’État manqués 717787482 3 September 2022 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043801/https://www.worldcat.org/title/717787482 live and head of the Royal Military Cabinet.Howe Marvine https://books.google.com/books?id=olBTEdJ0ncIC Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges 2005 Oxford University Press 978-0-19-534698-5 109–113 Military Coup Attempts 22 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318160301/https://books.google.com/books?id=olBTEdJ0ncIC 18 March 2023 live He had previously been implicated in an assassination attempt on the king in 1963.Gellner Ernest Arabs and Berbers: from tribe to nation in North Africa; Micaud Charles A. 1972 Heath 0-669-83865-9 Lexington, Mass. 395–430 The Coup of 10 July 1971 690638 In April 1971,19 July 1979 Le Role d'Oufkir 19–22 Le Nouvel Observateur 349 http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/opinions/00016613.EDI0001/le-role-d-oufkir-ii.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150723023023/http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/opinions/00016613.EDI0001/le-role-d-oufkir-ii.html 0029-4713 22 July 2015 23 July 2015 live Medbouh visited the United States for medical treatment after suffering from a mild heart attack.Hughes Stephen O. https://archive.org/details/moroccounderking0000hugh Morocco under King Hassan 2001 Ithaca Press 9780863725524 1st Reading, U.K. 159–166 The Cutthroat at SkhiratTobji Mahjoub Les officiers de sa majesté : les dérives des généraux marocains, 1956–2006 2006 Fayard 2-213-63015-1 Paris 71336816 During his visit, and under instructions from the king to investigate why the American airline Pan Am had abandoned plans to build an Intercontinental Hotel in Casablanca,Doublet Pierre 2 March 2006 Le complot de Skhirat http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/afrique/le-complot-de-skhirat_482688.html subscription 22 July 2015 L'Express fr 0245-9949 28 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220128010329/https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/afrique/le-complot-de-skhirat_482688.html live Medbouh discovered that a Moroccan businessman, Omar Benmessaoud, had asked Pan Am for a bribe, which he called a "sizable commission" in exchange for government permission to build the hotel.20 April 2020 'L'affaire' Benmessaoud https://zamane.ma/laffaire-benmessaoud/ 2022-08-16 Zamane fr-FR 18 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318160314/https://zamane.ma/laffaire-benmessaoud/ live Benmessaoud had claimed to have close links to the king and suggested that Pan Am should pay the monarch 600,000,000 1971 yes, in addition to his own "commission". Pan Am had informed the U.S. Secretary of State about the situation, leading to a noticeable deterioration in Morocco–U.S. relations. While Medbouh was interrogating Benmessaoud, he learnt of at least five other corruption cases implicating him; including a phosphate trafficking ring in Nador.Braun Frank H. 1978 Morocco: Anatomy of a Palace Revolution That Failed https://www.jstor.org/stable/162625 live International Journal of Middle East Studies 9 1 63–72 10.1017/S0020743800051692 0020-7438 162625 162315032 subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20220811214311/https://www.jstor.org/stable/162625 11 August 2022 11 August 2022 The report of his findings led King Hassan to dismiss four ministers. Medbouh considered this response insufficient, believing that the ministers should also face criminal charges. Inspired by Gamal Abdel Nasser and the 1952 Egyptian coup, Medbouh began to make plans for a forcible take-over of the government, and recruited senior officers from the Royal Armed Forces to capture the kingHassan II King of Morocco La mémoire d'un roi : entretiens avec Eric Laurent 1993 Plon Éric Laurent 2-259-02596-X Paris 28547610 and establish a "revolutionary council" to rid the country of corruption.Bachir El Bouhali Mourad Autopsie d'une trahison du putsch manqué de Skhirat 2014 La Croisée des Chemins Othman Bouabid 978-9954104255 2nd Casablanca fr 929615064 M'hamed Ababou M'hamed Ababou Mohamed AbabouLieutenant-Colonel M'hamed Ababou, the head of the Ahermoumou military school, had been planning to overthrow the king since 1968.El Azizi Abdellatif 4 November 2011 Skhirat, L'histoire du putsch revue et corrigée http://www.actuel.ma/index.php?option=com_magazines&view=detail&id=781 live https://web.archive.org/web/20221129214347/http://actuel.ma/index.php?option=com_magazines&view=detail&id=781 29 November 2022 2022-08-17 ActuelAouad Lahcen 22 May 2009 M'hamed Ababou : l'homme qui a voulu tuer Hassan II 54–61 TelQuel https://telquel.ma/sommaire/mhamed-ababou-lhomme-qui-a-voulu-tuer-hassan-ii subscription 22 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140222225249/http://www.telquel-online.com/archives/373/couverture_373.shtml 2014-02-22 2731-2062Tingitanus 1972 Au Maroc, l'histoire ne sonnera pas deux fois https://www.jstor.org/stable/24261959 live Esprit (1940–) 411 2 280–290 0014-0759 24261959 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817191115/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24261959 17 August 2022 17 August 2022 Identifying as a Nasserist, Ababou had previously expressed frustration over government corruption and abuse.5 February 1972 AU PROCES DE KÉNITRA UN DES PRINCIPAUX INCULPÉS ASSURE QU'IL A TENTÉ D'EMPÊCHER LE COUP D'ÉTAT DE SKHIRAT fr Le Monde https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1972/02/05/au-proces-de-kenitra-un-des-principaux-inculpes-assure-qu-il-a-tente-d-empecher-le-coup-d-etat-de-skhirat_3032823_1819218.html live 2022-08-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817012658/https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1972/02/05/au-proces-de-kenitra-un-des-principaux-inculpes-assure-qu-il-a-tente-d-empecher-le-coup-d-etat-de-skhirat_3032823_1819218.html 17 August 2022 0395-2037 He planned for the coup to take place on 14 May, the same day as a military parade.El Hassouni Abdelmohsin 14 June 2005 Il était une fois à Skhirat… https://aujourdhui.ma/focus/il-etait-une-fois-a-skhirat-32852 live https://web.archive.org/web/20160630173621/http://aujourdhui.ma/focus/il-etait-une-fois-a-skhirat-32852 30 June 2016 2022-08-17 Aujourd'hui Le Maroc fr-FR 1114-4807 His brother, Mohamed Ababou, was also involved in the plot, but the extent of his involvement remains unclear.Raiss Mohammed De Skhirat à Tazmamart : retour du bout de l'enfer 2002 Afrique Orient 9981-25-252-2 Maroc 53067769 Both Ababou and Medbouh were Riffians from the Gzenaya tribe. They convinced five of the Royal Armed Forces' fourteen generals, mainly apolitical reactionaries, to take part in the plot, promising that they would become part of the "revolutionary council" once the coup had succeeded.Nyrop Richard F. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001298167 Morocco, a country study Nelson Harold D. DA pam 550; 49 1978 Dept. of Defense, Dept. of the Army : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off. Washington Attack Attack in Skhirat On 10 July 1971, at 14:08 (GMT),Bertoin Jacques Au Palais de Skhirat, l'horreur https://www.jeuneafrique.com/129461/archives-thematique/au-palais-de-skhirat-l-horreur/ 2022-08-17 Jeune Afrique 5 July 2004 fr-FR 0021-6089 17 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817022105/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/129461/archives-thematique/au-palais-de-skhirat-l-horreur/ live Abitbol Michel https://www.worldcat.org/title/458764170 Histoire du Maroc Perrin 2009 978-2262023881 Paris 510–512 fr Années de plomb, années de complots 458764170 27 August 2022 27 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220827204918/https://www.worldcat.org/title/458764170 live during celebrations for King Hassan's forty-second birthday at his palace in Skhirat, a coastal city 20 km south of Rabat; up to 1,400Some sources say as many as 1,400 cadets were involved, others as low as 250.http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/13/newsid_2503000/2503093.stm On this day – 1971: Death for Moroccan rebel leaders 22 July 2015 BBC 13 July 1971 25 January 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210125071652/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/13/newsid_2503000/2503093.stm live cadets from the Ahermoumou military training academy led by Lieutenant-Colonel M'hamed Ababou, stormed the palace and attacked the guests with automatic weapons and grenades. Between 400Gregory Joseph R. 24 July 1999 Hassan II of Morocco Dies at 70; A Monarch Oriented to the West https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/24/world/hassan-ii-of-morocco-dies-at-70-a-monarch-oriented-to-the-west.html The New York Times 0362-4331 22 July 2015 3 February 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200203195120/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/24/world/hassan-ii-of-morocco-dies-at-70-a-monarch-oriented-to-the-west.html live and 800 guests were present at the palace during the attack.Wynn Wilton 26 July 1971 The World: Slaughter at the Summer Palace en-US Time https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,877021,00.html 2022-08-17 0040-781X 17 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817191115/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,877021,00.html live The cadets had been told that the king was being held captive by "subversives and trade unionists," that his life was threatened and that it was necessary to kill the alleged insurgents to save him.Sater James N. https://books.google.com/books?id=LQBdxI9ggE0C Morocco: Challenges to Tradition and Modernity 2009 Routledge 978-0-203-86409-8 22 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318160307/https://books.google.com/books?id=LQBdxI9ggE0C 18 March 2023 liveBinebine Aziz Tazmamort : récit 2009 Denoël 978-2-207-26058-6 Paris 303029096 Many of the cadets were under the influence of amphetamines and, subsequently, captured cadets were also found carrying Benzedrine. Eyewitnesses reported that the luxurious gathering had inflamed the cadets, who shouted profanities at foreign diplomats attending the reception.Miller Susan Gilson https://books.google.com/books?id=peGyku_eREkC A History of Modern Morocco 2013 Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-81070-8 22 July 2015 18 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318160351/https://books.google.com/books?id=peGyku_eREkC live Many guests were forced to lie down with their hands behind their backs during the attack.CAU Jean Jean Cau (writer) 24 July 1971 La Tragedie Marocaine 14–30 Paris Match 1159 0031-2029 Hassan, his family, and aides were able to flee and hide in a small pavilion next to the palace's swimming pool, while other guests fled to the nearby beach.Hess John L. 13 July 1971 Morocco Mutiny Still a Mystery en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/13/archives/morocco-mutiny-still-a-mystery-rebels-motive-unclear-but-failure.html live 2022-08-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817191011/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/13/archives/morocco-mutiny-still-a-mystery-rebels-motive-unclear-but-failure.html 17 August 2022 0362-4331Kerdoudi Jawad Complot de Skhirat. Témoignage d'un rescapé https://medias24.com/chronique/complot-de-skhirat-temoignage-dun-rescape/ 2022-08-17 Médias 24 fr-FR 17 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817213330/https://medias24.com/chronique/complot-de-skhirat-temoignage-dun-rescape/ live During the attack, General Medbouh discovered the king's hiding place and attempted to negotiate with him, blaming Ababou for the attack. Hassan refused to talk to him, and Medbouh ordered a soldier to stand guard outside the pavilion to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Two hours later, at 16:45 (GMT), the king emerged to face a rebel cadet who apologized for not recognizing him. Hassan ordered the cadet to bring forward three of his comrades and recited the first chapter of the Quran, al-Fatiha. The cadets, who believed they were raiding the palace to protect the King, joined in and shouted, "Long live the King!", marking the end of the attack in Skhirat. At about the same time, Ababou was caught in crossfire and was forced to retreat after being shot in the shoulder. Mohamed Medbouh's death General Mohamed Medbouh died in Skhirat during the attack, but there are conflicting reports as to the circumstances surrounding his death. Hassan claimed that Medbouh was accidentally killed during a scuffle over a machine gun with Dr. Fadel Benyaich. General Mohamed Oufkir, then interior minister, claimed that Medbouh was killed by loyalist troops at the Interior Ministry's offices in Rabat. The king's version is more generally accepted, as it is believed that Medbouh was already dead by the time the rebels reached Rabat. There were also rumors that M'hamed Ababou or his right-hand man, CWO Harrouch Akka,Monjib Maâti 4 December 2012 Ce qu'on sait du putsch de Skhirat https://zamane.ma/ce-quon-sait-du-putsch-de-skhirat/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220817222120/https://zamane.ma/ce-quon-sait-du-putsch-de-skhirat/#federation=archive.wikiwix.com 17 August 2022 2022-08-17 Zamane fr-FR shot Medbouh during a dispute over the coup's ultimate aims. Medbouh wanted Hassan to abdicate and agree to the establishment of a regency, whereas Ababou's ambition was for an army-led republic. Attacks in Rabat thumb|Detained rebel cadets outside of the Radio-Maroc headquarters|left At 17:45 (GMT), M'hamed Ababou hastily ordered the remaining soldiers in Skhirat to Rabat to launch a series of coordinated attacks on several strategic locations, including the Ministry of Interior, and the headquarters of the Royal Armed Forces of and Radio-Maroc.Alves Marcio Moreira 1973 Review of L'Eglise des prisons https://www.jstor.org/stable/24263700 live Esprit (1940–) 420 1 282–284 0014-0759 24263700 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817192135/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24263700 17 August 2022 17 August 2022Ziraoui Youssef Sekkouri Alaoui Mehdi Mrabet Ayla Skhirat, les minutes d'un anniversaire sanglant https://telquel.ma/sommaire/skhirat-les-minutes-dun-anniversaire-sanglant?fbrefresh=3 subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20131214204650/http://www.telquel-online.com/archives/359/couverture_359.shtml 2013-12-14 2022-08-17 TelQuel fr 2731-2062 Ababou had ordered the rebels to come to Rabat after the death of Medbouh, with the intention of overthrowing the government. Ababou first visited the Mohammed V Military Hospital, where he declined surgery and underwent palliative care to limit bleeding from his gunshot wound. At Radio-Maroc, the rebels held seventy-five people hostage, including Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez.Babas Latifa Maroc : L'histoire rocambolesque d'Abdelhalim Hafez pendant le coup d'Etat de 1971 https://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/62352/maroc-l-histoire-rocambolesque-d-abdelhalim-hafez.html 2022-08-17 Yabiladi fr 17 July 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220717101740/https://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/62352/maroc-l-histoire-rocambolesque-d-abdelhalim-hafez.html live Ababou demanded that Hafez announce the king's supposed death, but Hafez refused, angering Ababou.Al Bakli Jaafar 15 July 2020 Le coup de Skhirat, cinquante ans après. 2/2 https://www.madaniya.info/2020/07/15/le-coup-de-skhirat-cinquante-ans-apres-2-2/ 2022-08-17 Madaniya fr-FR 30 June 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220630155946/https://www.madaniya.info/2020/07/15/le-coup-de-skhirat-cinquante-ans-apres-2-2/ live In response, Ababou gave orders to the rebels at Skhirat, commanding the execution of everyone in the palace by use of a code-phrase, that "dinner be served to everyone by 7 pm".Castro-Villacanas Javier 4 August 2019 Juanita y Ascensión, las niñeras españolas que salvaron de la muerte al rey Mohamed VI https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20190804/juanita-ascension-espanolas-salvaron-muerte-mohamed-vi/418459068_0.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170616/https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20190804/juanita-ascension-espanolas-salvaron-muerte-mohamed-vi/418459068_0.html 20 September 2022 2022-09-16 El Español es 2792-730XMakhzen, mode d'emploi… Les confidences exclusives d'Abdelhak El Merini, porte-parole du Palais https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1251790/politique/maroc-makhzen-mode-demploi-les-confidences-exclusives-dabdelhak-el-merini-porte-parole-du-palais/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20220127235258/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1251790/politique/maroc-makhzen-mode-demploi-les-confidences-exclusives-dabdelhak-el-merini-porte-parole-du-palais/ 27 January 2022 2022-09-16 Jeune Afrique 27 October 2021 fr-FR 0021-6089 A composer, Abdessalam Amer, volunteered to read a speech claiming that the king was dead, that the "people's army" had taken over, and that a republic was proclaimed.Damis John 1972 The Moroccan Political Scene https://www.jstor.org/stable/4324873 The Middle East Journal 26 1 25–36 4324873 0026-3141 subscription 17 August 2022 17 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817195059/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4324873 live However, Radio Tangier dismissed the claims of Hassan's death and confirmed that the king was both alive and in control of events.Kadiri Abdeslam Il était une fois Radio Tanger https://telquel.ma/2014/07/04/radio-tanger-station-progressiste-marque-lhistoire-du-pays_141276?fbrefresh=8 live https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043746/https://telquel.ma/2014/07/04/radio-tanger-station-progressiste-marque-lhistoire-du-pays_141276?fbrefresh=8 3 September 2022 2022-09-03 TelQuel fr 2731-2062 At the same time, some foreign news agencies ran Hassan's obituary and Libyan radio broadcast support for the coup.Hess John L. 29 July 1971 Hassan Lays Arab Strife To Failure of Leadership en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/29/archives/hassan-lays-arab-strife-to-failure-of-leadership.html 2022-08-27 0362-4331 27 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220827204035/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/29/archives/hassan-lays-arab-strife-to-failure-of-leadership.html live Egypt's state-run newspaper, Al-Ahram, also celebrated Hassan's reported demise. These reports led to a diplomatic crisis between Morocco and the two countries involved. Troops loyal to the monarch, led by Maj.-Gen. Mohamed Bachir El Bouhali, attempted to detain Ababou and engaged in a shoot-out with the rebels at the headquarters of the Royal Armed Forces. M'hamed Ababou was shot in the neck during the encounter. After being wounded, Ababou reportedly asked his right-hand man, CWO Harrouch Akka, to kill him to avoid being captured alive. Akka complied, shooting Ababou point-blank in the head and killing him. Once the attack was over, loyalist troops sealed off government buildings, arrested surrendering rebels, and patrolled Rabat's streets in tanks. Casualties thumb|Maj. Gen. Mohamed Bachir El Bouhali fr of the Royal Armed Forces died in the coup attempt while trying to detain Mohamed Ababou The coup attempt led to 278 deaths, including 158 rebel cadets, 20 loyalist soldiers, two police officers, and 98 civilian guests in Skhirat.http://archive.org/details/americanaannual1972rand The Americana Annual 1972: an encyclopedia of the events of 1971 1972 Americana Corporation 978-0-7172-0203-4 785740429 Both M'hamed Ababou and Mohamed Medbouh were killed. Ten high-ranking officers of the Royal Armed Forces were executed three days after the coup. Among members of the king's entourage who died were Ahmed Wafik Maâzouzi, chargé de mission at the Royal Cabinet15 July 1971 La liste des victimes https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1971/07/15/la-liste-des-victimes_2452940_1819218.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20220505125041/https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1971/07/15/la-liste-des-victimes_2452940_1819218.html 5 May 2022 2022-08-18 Le Monde fr 0395-2037 and two doctors, Fadel Benyaich, the King's personal physician and Henri Dubois-Roquebert fr, doctor to the royal family who was executed while attempting to assist the wounded.20 November 2003 Qui est Henri Dubois-Roquebert ? https://aujourdhui.ma/special/qui-est-henri-dubois-roquebert-93248 2022-09-16 Aujourd'hui Le Maroc fr-FR 1114-4807 20 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220920164827/https://aujourdhui.ma/special/qui-est-henri-dubois-roquebert-93248 live Dignitaries who were killed included Ahmed Bahnini, the former Prime Minister of Morocco, Major-General Mohamed Bachir El Bouhali fr of the Royal Armed Forces, Marcel Dupret, Belgium's ambassador to Morocco,Zaatit Hassan 12 July 2021 Plaque à la mémoire de Marcel Dupret : 3 questions à l'Ambassadeur de Belgique au Maroc https://lnt.ma/plaque-a-la-memoire-de-marcel-dupret-3-questions-a-lambassadeur-de-belgique-au-maroc/ 2022-09-16 La Nouvelle Tribune fr-FR 12 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210712143745/https://lnt.ma/plaque-a-la-memoire-de-marcel-dupret-3-questions-a-lambassadeur-de-belgique-au-maroc/ live Omar Ghannam, director of the Moroccan Cinematographic Center,Saâd Ghannam : 'L'Etat ne veut pas nous entendre' https://aujourdhui.ma/focus/saad-ghannam-letat-ne-veut-pas-nous-entendre-32849 2022-11-07 Aujourd'hui le Maroc 14 June 2005 fr-FR 7 November 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221107115519/https://aujourdhui.ma/focus/saad-ghannam-letat-ne-veut-pas-nous-entendre-32849 live two businessmen, Charles Guetta fr and Max Magnan, CEO of Cosumar fr, and Abdelmalek Faraj, the former Moroccan health minister, who was shot in crossfire while helping a wounded man.9 April 2012 Docteur Abdelmalek Faraj : Une vocation et une passion https://lematin.ma/journal/2012/Entretien-avec-Abdelatif-Alemcani-president-du-Cercle-Faraj-_En-memoire-d-Abdelmalek-Faraj-premier-ministre-de-la-Sante-publique-fondateur-de-la-Faculte-de-medecine-de-Rabat/165085.html 2022-09-16 Le Matin fr 0851-9382 20 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170851/https://lematin.ma/journal/2012/Entretien-avec-Abdelatif-Alemcani-president-du-Cercle-Faraj-_En-memoire-d-Abdelmalek-Faraj-premier-ministre-de-la-Sante-publique-fondateur-de-la-Faculte-de-medecine-de-Rabat/165085.html live Pierre Kremer, the chef at the la Tour Hassan Palace hotel also died. Politician Mohamed Hassan Ouazzani lost his right hand during the attack, which led him to learn to become ambidextrous.7 August 2013 محمد بن الحسن الوزاني .. مقـاوم على الطريقة الفرنسية https://www.hespress.com/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%AC%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%82%D9%80%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89%E2%80%AD-136999.html 2024-03-21 Hespress – هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية ar Aftermath 1972 Moroccan coup attempt Years of Lead (Morocco) thumb|Mohamed Ababou (left), who was later imprisoned for the coup attempt, next to Hassan II at a military parade, 1962 The coup attempt ended on the day it had begun; 158 rebels were killed in cross-fire with loyalists, and 1,081 were captured.1 November 1992 Tazmamart: official silence and impunity https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde29/007/1992/en/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043750/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde29/007/1992/en/ 3 September 2022 2022-09-03 Amnesty International en The army closed the Port of Casablanca and surrounded the Libyan embassy to prevent any potential escapes.26 July 1971 Morocco: The Cracked Facade https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,877020-1,00.html live Time en-US 0040-781X https://web.archive.org/web/20220903054410/http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,877020-1,00.html 3 September 2022 2022-09-03 King Hassan initially blamed the attacks on trade unions and left-wing parties, dismissing it as a challenge to his authority. Criticizing the coup attempt as "undeveloped in the worst sense of the term" and as a "Libyan-style coup" with "childishness and imperfection",12 July 1971 Execution follows coup attempt https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=GOT19710712-01&dliv=userclipping&cliparea=1.7,61,3519,1704,1134&factor=4&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7CtxCO%7CtxTA--------0------ 2022-09-03 Golden Transcript 0746-6382 sn83005473 10199885 United Press International 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903053737/https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=GOT19710712-01&dliv=userclipping&cliparea=1.7,61,3519,1704,1134&factor=4&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7CtxCO%7CtxTA--------0------ live Hassan also sought to implicate Egypt by alleging that 600 Moroccans had attempted to renew their passports in Cairo on the day of the attack. He suggested that Medbouh had not wished him any personal harm but compared him to Charles Manson, calling him "schizoid and paranoid". Hassan allegedly told minister M'hamed Boucetta; "these people have humiliated me; they must pay, not with the blow of a revolver, that is quickly done, but slowly, like a bag of sugar in ice water".Dalle Ignace Les trois rois : la monarchie marocaine, de l'indépendance à nos jours 2004 Fayard 2-213-61746-5 Paris 56489647 The day after the coup attempt, King Hassan attended a state funeral with King Hussein of Jordan for 20 loyalist soldiers who died during the attack. On 13 July, three days after the coup attempt, ten high-ranking officers were executed without trial at El-Menzel shooting range in Rabat for their involvement in the plot.Hess John L. 14 July 1971 10 are executed by army in Rabat en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/14/archives/10-are-executed-by-army-in-rabat-4-generals-among-officers-in.html 2022-09-03 0362-4331 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043746/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/14/archives/10-are-executed-by-army-in-rabat-4-generals-among-officers-in.html live The executions were filmed and broadcast on national television, and some officers shouted "Long live the king, Glory to Hassan II!" during their execution. Members of the Royal Armed Forces gathered to spit on the officers' dead bodies.LES RESPONSABLES DE LA TUERIE DE SKHIRAT ONT ETE PASSES PAR LES ARMES https://www.maparchives.ma/fr/news/les-responsables-de-la-tuerie-de-skhirat-ont-ete-passes-par-les-armes 2022-09-03 Maghreb Arabe Presse 0851-0229 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903051608/https://www.maparchives.ma/fr/news/les-responsables-de-la-tuerie-de-skhirat-ont-ete-passes-par-les-armes live Omar Benmessaoud, the businessman involved in the Pan Am scandal, was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in jail in 1972, along with some former ministers.5 November 1971 La lutte contre la corruption dans tout le royaume aurait donné lieu à de nombreuses arrestations fr Le Monde https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1971/11/05/la-lutte-contre-la-corruption-dans-tout-le-royaume-aurait-donne-lieu-a-de-nombreuses-arrestations_2451620_1819218.html live 2022-08-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20220817012813/https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1971/11/05/la-lutte-contre-la-corruption-dans-tout-le-royaume-aurait-donne-lieu-a-de-nombreuses-arrestations_2451620_1819218.html 17 August 2022 0395-203729 November 1972 Le procureur du roi requiert des peines d'emprisonnement contre plusieurs anciens ministres fr Le Monde.fr https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1972/11/29/le-procureur-du-roi-requiert-des-peines-d-emprisonnement-contre-plusieurs-anciens-ministres_2396791_1819218.html 2023-04-15 Abdessalam Amer, the composer who had announced the king's alleged death during the coup, was arrested and tried. Although subsequently acquitted, his career did not recover.La lune rouge https://quid.ma/culture/la-lune-rouge 2023-04-30 Quid.ma fr Recording studios declined to work with him and his songs were later blacklisted, despite his efforts to regain the king's favour.Abdeslam Amer, ombre et lumière https://www.lavieeco.com/au-royaume/abdeslam-amer-ombre-et-lumiere-6920/ 2023-04-30 La Vie éco 4 July 2008 fr-FR In response to the attack, Hassan pledged to eradicate government corruption, bridge the wealth disparity, improve education, and ensure fair administration and equal justice. He repeated these promises throughout the late 1970s. He also instituted a reform of the Royal Armed Forces after the attack and appointed Mohamed Oufkir as Minister of Defense. Oufkir was later accused of planning another unsuccessful coup in 1972 against Hassan, which involved Northrop F-5 jets attempting to shoot down the king's aircraft. Oufkir was later alleged to have played a passive role in the Skhirat coup attempt. Families of the dead were awarded up to 600 dirham, about 60 1971 yes, by the government. In 2000, the Association des Familles des Victimes des Événements de Skhirat (AFVES, Association for the Families of Victims of the Events of Skhirat) was formed.ALM 11 December 2003 Le calvaire des familles des victimes de Skhirat https://aujourdhui.ma/societe/le-calvaire-des-familles-des-victimes-de-skhirat-3735 2023-04-30 Aujourd'hui le Maroc fr-FR In 2004, families of victims received reparations from the Equity and Reconciliation Commission, a truth commission started by Hassan's son and successor, King Mohammed VI.5 March 2010 Préservation de la mémoire: une stèle à la mémoire des événements de Skhirat https://www.cndh.org.ma/fr/bulletin-d-information/preservation-de-la-memoire-une-stele-la-memoire-des-evenements-de-skhirat 2023-05-12 Conseil National des Droits de l'Homme In 2010, the AFVES inaugurated a stele in memory of the victims of the attack at Casablanca's Chouhada cemetery, where most of the victims were buried. Trial and fate of the rebels Years of lead (Morocco) Tazmamart The rebels were tried at the Permanent Military Court of the Royal Armed Forces in Kenitra, with the trial starting on 31 January 1972. Histoire : Les procès politique du temps de Hassan II https://telquel.ma/2014/07/03/histoire-justice-selon-hassan-ii_141206?fbrefresh=4 2022-09-03 TelQuel 4 July 2014 fr 2731-2062 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043802/https://telquel.ma/2014/07/03/histoire-justice-selon-hassan-ii_141206?fbrefresh=4 live Judge Abdenbi Bouachrine presided and the prosecution was led by colonel Ramdane Benayada.Roudan Michel 1973 Justice, pouvoir et politique au Maroc: des procès pour quoi faire! 11 253–286 L'Annuaire de l'Afrique du Nord Irem Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique https://cinumed.mmsh.univ-aix.fr/idurl/1/65898 10.34847/nkl.b82a574z 3 September 2022 18 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318160349/https://cinumed.mmsh.univ-aix.fr/collection/item/65898-justice-pouvoir-et-politique-au-maroc-des-proces-pour-quoi-faire live Kravetz Marc 1 August 1973 Un procès pour humilier les vaincus et semer la crainte https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/1973/08/KRAVETZ/31657 2022-08-31 Le Monde diplomatique fr 2 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220902235519/https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/1973/08/KRAVETZ/31657 live The cadets were sentenced on 29 February 1972; 1,008 were acquitted while 64 received sentences ranging from 1 to 20 years imprisonment and fines ranging from 150 to 10,000 dirhams.L'attentat contre le roi du Maroc – un seul des accusés est condamné à mort 60 Le Soleil Agence France-Presse https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2639062 0319-0730 3 September 2022 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043745/https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2639062 live Lieutenant Mohammed Raïss was sentenced to death for having murdered Captain Boujemaâ Asli, Prince Moulay Abdallah's bodyguard, under the orders of M'hamed Ababou.Raïss Mohammed De Skhirat à Tazmamart : retour du bout de l'enfer 2002 Afrique Orient 9981-25-252-2 Casablanca 53067769 His sentence was later reduced to life imprisonmentSmith Stephen Des vies de revenants https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2000/10/05/des-vies-de-revenants_339598/ 2022-09-03 Libération fr 0335-1793 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043746/https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2000/10/05/des-vies-de-revenants_339598/ live and he was freed in September 1992 by royal pardon.Smith Stephen https://calmann-levy.fr/livre/oufkir-un-destin-marocain-9782702129388 Oufkir: un destin marocain 1999 Calmann-Lévy 2-7021-2938-2 Paris fr 42849861 27 August 2022 27 August 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220827205313/https://calmann-levy.fr/livre/oufkir-un-destin-marocain-9782702129388 live http://archive.org/details/countryreportson1992unit Country reports on human rights practices United States Government Publishing Office U.S. Dept. of State 1992 Washington, D.C. 1057 Captain Mohamed Chellat, CWO Harrouch Akka, and Sergeant Ghani Achour were sentenced to life in prison. Achour was freed in November 1992. Colonel Mohamed Ababou was sentenced to 20 years in prison while Officer cadet Ahmed M'zireg was sentenced to 15 years.19 July 1975 QUATRE MILITAIRES CONDAMNES APRÈS L'AFFAIRE DE SKHIRAT S'ÉVADENT – Trois sont repris fr Le Monde https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1975/07/19/quatre-militaires-condamnes-apres-l-affaire-de-skhirat-s-evadent-trois-sont-repris_3099870_1819218.html 2022-09-03 0395-2037 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043746/https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1975/07/19/quatre-militaires-condamnes-apres-l-affaire-de-skhirat-s-evadent-trois-sont-repris_3099870_1819218.html live On 12 July 1975, four rebels, including Mohamed Ababou, escaped from a secret prison in Rabat, codenamed PF3, with a group of prisoners.ALM 10 July 2006 PF3 : A la mémoire des victimes https://aujourdhui.ma/actualite/pf3-a-la-memoire-des-victimes-42836 2023-04-30 Aujourd'hui le Maroc fr-FR They were recaptured by members of the Royal Gendarmerie and disappeared shortly thereafter."Je ne pardonnerai jamais à Hassan II" https://telquel.ma/2012/02/21/je-ne-pardonnerai-jamais-a-hassan-ii_1273?fbrefresh=6 2023-04-30 Telquel.ma fr In 1976, a death certificate was issued for Mohamed Ababou in Er-Rich, a town near Errachida.31 March 1993 Morocco: The "disappeared" in Morocco: case studies https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde29/004/1993/en/ 2022-09-03 Amnesty International en 3 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220903043748/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde29/004/1993/en/ live Many of the rebels had been transferred from Kenitra Central Prison to a new secret prison in Tazmamart, near Er-Rich, which was built between 1972 and 1973 and which became a symbol for political repression during Morocco's "Years of Lead".Marzouki Ahmed Tazmamart: Cellule 10 2000 Tarik 2-84272-092-X Paris & Casablanca 46470245Ex-prisoners demand Morocco trials http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/962191.stm BBC 12 May 2023 8 October 2000https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/15/tazmamart-by-aziz-binebine-review-life-in-a-secret-prison Toby Lichtig Tazmamart by Aziz BineBine review – Life in a secret prison The Guardian 15 May 2020 12 May 2023 See also 1972 Moroccan coup d'état attempt History of Morocco Years of lead Tazmamart Further reading Hughes Stephen O. Morocco under King Hassan 2001 Ithaca Press Reading, U.K. 9780863725524 1st https://archive.org/details/moroccounderking0000hugh none Braun Frank H. 1978 Morocco: Anatomy of a Palace Revolution That Failed https://www.jstor.org/stable/162625 International Journal of Middle East Studies 9 1 63–72 10.1017/S0020743800051692 162625 162315032 0020-7438 subscription none Bachir El Bouhali Mourad Autopsie d'une trahison du putsch manqué de Skhirat 2014 La Croisée des Chemins Othman Bouabid 978-9954104255 2nd Casablanca fr 929615064 none Pédron François https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3352021g Échec au roi : du coup d'État de Skhirat au suicide d'Oufkir 1972 La Table Ronde 2710312271 Paris fr ocm00631492 none References Notes Citations External links "Bloody Birthday", TIME Magazine, Vol. 98, No. 3, 19 July 1971 "Slaughter at the Summer Palace", TIME Magazine, Vol. 98, No. 4, 26 July 1971 "The Cracked Facade", Time Magazine, Vol. 98, No. 4, 26 July 1971 Hassan's Military Proves Untrustworthy, US State Department Intelligence Memo "Le rôle d'Oufkir", le Nouvel Observateur, No. 349, 19 July 1971 fr Category:1970s coups d'état Category:1971 in Morocco Category:Attempted coups d'état in Morocco Category:Failed regicides Category:Republicanism in Morocco Category:Military history of Morocco Category:July 1971 in Africa Category:Arab rebellions Category:1971 mass murders Category:20th-century mass murders in Morocco Category:Anti-union sentiment Category:1971 in politics Category:1971 in military history Category:People executed by Morocco by firing squad