First Round in Morocco
The deposition of the Sultan Sidi Mohammed V and the substitution of Sidi Mohammed ben Moulay Arafa on the throne of Morocco represent a victory for local French officials and their interested backers, as well as for El Glaoui and his Berber tribesmen. The Sultan's supporters inside the French Cabinet have evidently been induced to make the best of a bad job, and partisans of a strong hand in North Africa must be congratulating themselves on a neat piece of skullduggery. However, their troubles are not over yet. They may evade the Arab-Asian demand for the intervention of the Security Council, but world opinion will remain disturbed. The State Department, with one eye on its five NATO bases in Morocco, has " viewed with deep concern " the events leading to the deposition of the Sultan, while indicating that no formal protest has been made. It is also unlikely that the new Sultan will be recognised in Spanish territory. Meanwhile French rule now reposes on the support of tribal chiefs and their followers. Against them are ranged the Moroccan nationalists (Istiqlal) who are mostly drawn from the towns and represent the most modern elements of the country. They will certainly not be appeased by General Guillaume's reforms—especially if these imply the acceptance by the Sultan of " co-sovereignty." Moreover, El Glaoui him- self may not prove so tradable now that his protégé is on the throne. In this game the settlers and the business men may have won the first round. It is certain that France has lost.
Previous page
