In November 1975, Spain withdrew from Western Sahara. Seizing the opportunity, Morocco and Mauritania illegally divided the land, in blatant violation of international law and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. The Sahrawis became the first victims: bombed with napalm and phosphorus, massacred, and buried in mass graves beneath the desert sands.
True to its revolutionary mission and the principles of November 1954, Algeria stood firm with the Sahrawi people. In January 1976, more than 2,000 Sahrawi civilians found refuge in Amgala, a vital water point in the desert, where the 41st Algerian Infantry Battalion, specialized in logistics and humanitarian support, was stationed. Their mission: to protect refugees, provide food, and deliver aid.
But the Moroccan monarchy — the Makhzen — chose to reveal its true face.
Amgala I (21–29 January 1976): Algerian Blood Spilled for Justice
21 January 1976
Polisario fighters struck a Mauritanian garrison in Dakhla, killing 60 soldiers. Morocco responded by sending two F-5 fighter jets. One was shot down by Sahrawi air defense, and its pilot was captured.
22 January 1976
Morocco then turned toward Amgala. Six heavily armed Moroccan battalions advanced from Smara to surround the lightly equipped Algerian 41st battalion — a unit designed for humanitarian logistics, not combat. Despite the overwhelming imbalance, the Algerians refused to surrender.
Captain Lounès Arib, son of Algeria’s revolutionary spirit, fell on the battlefield, immortalizing the Algerian army’s loyalty to a just cause.
29 January 1976
After seven days of heroic resistance, the Algerian battalion was finally overwhelmed. 102 Algerian soldiers were captured. Dozens were killed. This was not a Moroccan “victory,” but a crime — for Rabat had attacked not a combat force, but a humanitarian mission protecting civilians.
Amgala I thus became the first open armed confrontation between Algeria and Morocco: one fighting for justice, the other blinded by expansionism and treachery.
Amgala II (14 February 1976): The Night of the Sharp Knives
After Amgala I, Moroccan propaganda celebrated, portraying Algeria as the aggressor. Hassan II sought to use the battle as a diplomatic weapon to win support for Morocco’s occupation project.
But in Algiers, President Houari Boumediene refused humiliation. With the clarity of a revolutionary leader, he declared: "For every Algerian prisoner, two Moroccans will be taken."
Preparation
- The best Algerian commandos were handpicked.
- They underwent 15 days of intensive training.
- Boumediene, with brilliant political foresight, departed to Libya the day before the operation, ensuring Morocco could not accuse Algeria directly on the diplomatic stage.
14 February 1976: The Algerian Riposte
In the dead of night, Algerian commandos struck a Moroccan camp near Amgala.
- Guards and patrols were silently eliminated with knives.
- Then the assault erupted: 420 Moroccan soldiers were killed, and 1,613 were captured.
The operation lasted barely an hour and a half, but its impact echoed for decades. Known as “The Night of the Sharp Knives,” it demonstrated Algeria’s tactical superiority and the iron will of its soldiers.
Consequences and Legacy
The crushing defeat sent shockwaves through Morocco. King Hassan II, shaken, wrote to Boumediene demanding either an end to hostilities or a declaration of open war. Boumediene responded not with words, but with disdain: he simply published the letter in Algeria’s national press for the world to read.
The Moroccan prisoners remained in Algerian custody until 1987, when a prisoner exchange was finally arranged under international mediation. The Algerian soldiers of Amgala I returned home as heroes, honored and compensated by their nation — unlike the Moroccan captives, abandoned and forgotten by their monarchy.
Conclusion: Algeria Never Betrays Its Mission
Amgala is more than a battle. It is a testimony to the unbridgeable divide between revolutionary Algeria and the Makhzen’s Morocco. Algeria fought for principle — for the Sahrawi people’s right to freedom. Morocco fought for expansion, deception, and illegitimate conquest.
At Amgala I, Algerian blood watered the desert sands in the name of justice. At Amgala II, Algeria struck back with a force that Morocco will never forget.
Amgala remains proof that Algeria, heir of November 1954, does not bow, does not betray, and never abandons the oppressed.
By Belgacem Merbah
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