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CREATING MALI 53balance yet. The National Istiqlâl party was divided into various political wings.No one doubted the legitimacy of the Moroccan monarchy, but just how muchpower the king should have was in question. There existed various militaryforces in the country. In the Rif Mountains, a rebellion broke out opting forindependence outside Morocco. Then there were the Royal Army and the moreor less competing Liberation Army under the control of the Istiqlâl. Many Moroccanpoliticians felt that large parts of the country were still under foreigndomination. The Istiqlâl was divided into two camps on this issue. The left wingwith Mehdi Ben Barka concentrated on political reforms within Morocco, whilethe right wing under Allal al-Fassi strived for the liberation of what it called al-Maghreb al-Aksâ: literally the ‘Far West’ and here meaning ‘Greater Morocco’.84 In July 1956, Allal al-Fassi presented a map of ‘the Moroccan SharifianKingdom in her natural and historical borders’. The map showed what theIstiqlâl considered as the liberated parts of Morocco and those it considered tobe under foreign tutelage, but part of Morocco. These ‘occupied areas’ includedthe Spanish Sahara, Mauritania, the Algerian Territoire des Oasis and SoudanFrançais from the Algerian border at Bordj Mokhtar south-eastwards, viaArouan to Néma at the Mauritanian border with Soudan Français. The claimwas not only based in historical and nationalist sentiments. The Mauritaniannorth is rich in iron ore and phosphate, riches the Moroccan Government couldwell use. Although their claims were vast, the actual dispute over territories inthe 1950s would be concentrated on Mauritania and the Spanish Sahara.All sides to the conflict – mainly France and Morocco, but also the Mauritanianpolitical elite – used diplomacy, press campaigns and military action towin the Mauritanian population and other Saharans to their side. Part of theMauritanian population, politicians and other elite agreed with the Moroccanclaims. They were headed by Horma ould Babana. As the leader of the EntenteMauritanienne party, Horma ould Babana had been elected to the Assembly ofthe Union Française in 1946. In subsequent elections however, his party becameoppositional to the Union Progressiste Mauritanienne (UPM) headed by Mokhtarould Daddah. In the conflict over the mere existence of Mauritania, disputedby Morocco, Mokhtar ould Daddah was the head of the pro-French part of theMauritanian elite. He was a very prudent politician who managed to keep hiscountry together by developing the political doctrine that Mauritania was theturning point between the Arab Berber Maghreb and ‘black Africa’. Thisdoctrine was given substance by a kind of neutrality of non-adherence to anyregional or supra regional project. Despite French pressure, ould Daddah refusedto join the OCRS, and neither did he join the Mali federation or itscounter, the Entente States. Thus he managed to keep strong pro-Moroccan and84Based on Obdeijn, H., P. De Mas & P. Hermans 1999: 150-157.