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CREATING MALI 55the means to stop them. Second, the Spanish were said to have struck a dealwith the Istiqlâl to let the ALM into Mauritania unhindered in exchange for thedropping of Moroccan claims on Sidi Ifni, Villa Cisneros, Ceuta and Mellila,Spanish enclaves in Morocco and West Sahara. The ALM forces were drivenoff, mostly through the military assistance of local Bidân tribes hostile to theRgaybat, including other Rgaybat clans hostile to the Lgouacem clan, headedby retired army Colonel Borricand. The French escape was narrow as the ALMforces had superior equipment. Only timely air support called in from Algeriasaved the French forces on the ground. In June 1957, a large number of RgaybatLgouacem defected from the ALM and surrendered to France. The Frenchaccepted their surrender, gave them cloth and tea in recognition, and assignedthem pastures in the Adrar, which was exactly what the Rgaybat had comelooking for. Their transhumance cycle, rather than their political sentiments,had led them to the Adrar in June. Thus the ALM forces were depleted. But inSeptember 1957, a new ALM force stood ready for invasion. This time theirgoal was the Spanish Sahara, the territory of their former silent allies. It came toheavy fighting over the main Spanish enclaves at the coast, Sidi Ifni, Villa Cisnerosand Cap Juby. The ALM managed to capture Tentane and Smara from theSpanish troops. In threat of escalation, elements of the Spanish fleet patrolledthe coast below Agadir. In retaliation to the ALM incursions, the Spanish andFrench armies jointly launched a counter offensive in February 1958 under thename Opération Ecouvillon, involving 10,000 men. 86 The main front of thisoperation was situated in the Spanish Sahara. The French forces involved weredrawn from Mauritania, and Algerian Tindouf, who joined the Spanish forces inthe Spanish Sahara. By the end of February, the ALM forces were driven fromthe Spanish Sahara into Morocco. After the battles of early 1958, the last Rgaybat,about 3,000, left the ALM, and surrendered to France. The recuperation andrequisition of part of their herds and pastures in Mauritania by the French aspart of Opération Ecouvillon were probably decisive in their new and temporarychoice of allegiance. The heavy bombing of their herds and camps in theSpanish Sahara was another. The most violent phase of the Moroccan aspirationswas over, but sporadic violence in the form of assassinations and bombattempts inspired by the Moroccan services, and razzias from southern Moroccoeffected by Rgaybat, occurred until well into the 1960s. 87 The Moroccan claimsover Mauritania did not subside until the 1970s, when both countries dividedthe Spanish Sahara between them, to the detriment of Rgaybat and other8687There is some uncertainty about the name of this operation. Guillemin gives Ouragan.De Boisboissel and most other documents state Ecouvillon, while in a fewcases the name Ecouvillon-Ouragan is given.Guillemin, J. 1982; Lavroff, D.G., ed., 1979: 417; Ould Daddah, M. 2003: 210-215.