Abd el-Krim

Abd el-Krim
عبد الكريم
Abd el-Krim in 1922
President of the Republic of the Rif
In office
18 September 1921  27 May 1926
Prime MinisterHajj Hatmi
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Bornc.1882 (1882)
Ajdir, Morocco
DiedFebruary 6, 1963(1963-02-06) (aged 80–81)
Cairo, Egypt
SpouseLalla Mimouna Boujibar
Alma materUniversity of al-Qarawiyyin
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Republic of the Rif
Years of service1921–1926
Battles/warsRif War

Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Khaṭṭābī, better known as Abd el-Krim (Arabic: عبد الكريم; 1882 or 1883 – 6 February 1963), was a Moroccan political and military leader and the president of the Republic of the Rif. He and his brother M'Hammad led a large-scale revolt by a coalition of Riffian tribes against the Spanish and French Protectorates of the Rif and the rest of Morocco. His guerrilla tactics, which included the first-ever use of tunneling as a technique of modern warfare, directly influenced Ho Chi Minh, Mao Zedong and Che Guevara. He also became one of the major figures of Arab nationalism, which he actively supported.