Somewhere, in old ages, Cain furiously turned on Abel and killed him, this is how it begun, the Murder Story, should I relate it from its inception to its ends. Well......but anyway then ...... somehow unlike the "War of Roses". The Alawi dynasty which is said to be a result of the Filali offshoot of the so-called Sharifs, pretending being descended from the Prophet Muhammad, established themselves in what is today Morocco. In an acrimonious autocracy, they arranged to have themselves Sultans of Sijilamasa in the seventeenth century. During the second half of the century, the head of the family, Mulay El-Rashid laid control over the main cities of Fez and Marrakech. His brother, Mulay Ismail, reputedly known to have maintained a Harem of 500 women, and fathered an enormous family, enrolled a slave army of 150,000 men. Yet, with this "miracle", most of Morocco fell under his control for about fifty-five years. For half a century, His many sons quarreled about the succession, immediately after Ismail's death. Beyond savagery, seven of them succeeded each other in a round of warfare, assassination and insurrections for local supremacy. Their disruptive effect of rioting caused welter and lawlessness for almost two centuries. Pressure groups and warlords controlled and vied for power in the provinces, leaving the Sultans to exercise effective control only in the towns and cities they held. Since then the Moroccan oligarchy Kings and Sultans have always been loggerheads with each other. Bloody regencies characterized centuries of their history, thus Sultan Sidi Muhammad II bin Sharif, 1636 - 1664 Sultan of Tafilalt, proclaimed on the abdication of his father 1635 was expelled from his hereditary domains in 1646. Defeated and killed in battle with his younger brother, on the 2nd August 1664. Sultan Abul Nasir Mulay Ismail as-Samin bin Sharif, 1672 - 1727, Sultan of Morocco, proclaimed as Sultan of Morocco, he made Meknes his capital in 1675 and established a slave army of 150,000 which consolidated his power through much of today Morocco. He married a large number of wives, including the tenth Mrs. Shaw, an Irishwoman, it was said he had issued thirty-two sons (but credited with 700 sons in 1721 of whom the last is reported to have been born eighteen months after his death!) some of his sons: Mulay Muhammad El-Alam bin Ismail as-Samin, son of a Georgian slave, rebelled and declared himself as Sultan, 16th September 1704. Captured and jailed, 7th July 1704. He died after his right hand and left foot were amputated on the orders of his father, at Meknes, 16th June 1706. Mulay Muhammad Zaidan bin Ismail as-Samin. Khalifa of Meknes to 1699 and Cherg 1699-1701. He was murdered by the women of his harem, at Taroudant, October 1707. Horrible chug went one in intermittent squabbles so Mulay Abdu El-Malik bin Ismail as-Samin, born 1677 as Khalifa of Draa he was killed for plotting against his father, 1696. Mulay Nasir bin Ismail as-Samin. Khalifa of Dra 1702-1703, and of Tafilalt, rebelled in 1711-1712, he was killed 1714. And in an unprecedented plunder, Mulay Ahmad bin Nasir, born at Taroudant, 6th June 1704, fled to Spain 1731, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church and baptized in Rome, 4th February 1739. Shameful demises, poor Mulay Muhammad El-Mutawakil bin Ismail as-Samin, born after 1679. He was killed, executed by his father in 1704. Mulay Muhammad El-Mutais bin Ismail as-Samin, faced the same fate, he was killed, executed by his father, 1704. The ordeal still bound up with slaughters, Mulay Hafiz bin Ismail as-Samin, born after 1680, as Khalifa of Cherg 1701-1703, and of Fez 1703-1704 was killed at Fez, March 1704. Mulay Muhammad al-Muntasir bin Ismail as-Samin was killed in 1728. Again and terribly, Sidi Muhammad Deyfi bin Ismail as-Samin, was killed, executed by his father. Mulay Muhammad El-Rashid bin Ismail as-Samin was killed in 1736, and as a result of the time being fluctuations, Mulay Maimun bin Ismail as-Samin a son of a Guinea slave became the Khalifa of Tafilalt. The inter-dynasty fight for dominance continued and became a mainstay of survival, at certain stage it sounds like flub dub such as the case of Sultan Abu Marwan Mulay Abdu El Malik, Sultan of Morocco 1728, proclaimed Sultan on the deposition of his elder half-brother 13th March 1728, deposed at Meknes 18th July 1728, fled to Fez and arrested there 23rd December 1728. He was killed (executed) at Meknes, 2nd March 1729. And Sultan Abul Abbas Mulay Ahmad Ad-Dhahabi bin Ismail as-Samin, Sultan of Morocco, appointed as Heir Apparent by his father, 1718, he was proclaimed on his death, 22nd March 1727, deposed in favor of his younger half-brother, 13th March 1728, proclaimed at Oued Beht, following the defeat and deposition of the former, 3rd April 1728. On this base of authority, Sultan Abul Hasan Mulay Ali El-Iraj bin Ismail as-Samin, Sultan of Morocco 1735 - 1736 arranged to have himself as Sultan after depositing his half-brother 28th September 1734. He entered Fez, 25th October 1734 and deposed the 14th February 1736. With a similar destiny, Sultan Abu Abdullah Sidi Muhammad II bin Arbia, Sultan of Morocco 1736 - 1738, proclaimed on the deposition of his elder half-brother, at Fez, 8th August 1736 was deposed on the 18th June 1738 and Sultan Abu Hasan Ali Mulay Zainal-Abdin bin Ismail as-Samin, Sultan of Morocco 1741, proclaimed on the deposition of his half-brother, 13th June 1741, he was deposed, 24th November 1741.

The hunger for ascendancy took the shape of strange series, like Sultan Mulay Muhammad El-Mustadi bin Ismail as-Samin story, Sultan of Morocco, was proclaimed on the deposition of his half-brother 19th June 1738. He entered Fez, 24th July 1738, deposed February 1740. Restored 3rd February 1742 but deposed again May 1743. Restored for the third time in July 1747, and again deposed October 1747. And Sultan Abu Abbas Mulay Abdullah bin Ismail as-Samin, sultan of Morocco, proclaimed on the deposition of his half-brother 5th March and entered Fez 31st March 1729, deposed at Meknes, 28th September 1734. Restored 14th February or 23rd May 1736 and deposed once more 8th August 1736. Restored February 1740, and deposed again 13th June 1741. Restored 24th November 1741 and deposed 3rd February 1742. Restored May 1743 and deposed 1747, was restored for the last time, October 1748.

New times made no significant changes, Sultan El-Alawi Sidi Muhammad III bin Abdullah, 1757 - 1790, became the first foreign sovereign to recognize the United States in 1777, he issued twenty-one sons and several daughters. His eleventh son Mulay Umar bin Muhammad was killed 1822 and Sultan Mulay El-Yazid bin Muhammad, Sultan of Morocco 1790 - 1792, second son of Sultan El-Alawi Sidi Muhammad III bin Abdullah, Sultan of Morocco, by his second wife, Lalla Sargetta, an English or Irish lady, rebelled against his father in 1769, 1771 and 1775 but was pardoned each time, proclaimed on his death, 11th April 1790. He was a cruel and ruthless ruler who caused a fruitless war with Spain and persecuted his brother's followers without mercy. He was killed in battle with his half-brother Mulay Hisham, at Marrakech, 23rd February 1792. The ploy raged bloodily again when Sultan Mulay Hisham Bin Muhammad, Sultan of Morocco 1790 - 1797, proclaimed in rebellion to his elder half-brother, 10th December 1790. Defeated and killed him in battle, at Marrakech, 23rd February 1792, abdicated in favor of his younger brother, January 1795. Proclaimed for a second time, October 1795 and abdicated again, 29th November 1797. The throne remained a vexation and a permanent source of concern, so the Sultan Abu Zaid Mulay Abdu El-Rahman Bin Hisham, Sultan of Morocco 1822 - 1859. Appointed as Heir apparent by his father, he was supplanted by his uncle, on his father's death 11th August 1799, proclaimed after the death of his uncle, 30th November 1822 he was enthroned at the Dar El-Makhzin, Marrakech, 11th December 1822. He opened trade with the European powers in order to improve treasury revenues; He signed trade agreements with Britain, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. He cowardly made great concessions to France after they invaded the country in 1844. The British demanded equality and threatened to withdraw recognition of his government if he refused. In 1858, the Spanish invaded, withdrawing only after securing the cession of a territory, a favorable trade agreement and a heavy qui-pro-quo of 100 million Pesetas. On the eve of his reign decline, trade had brought him little revenue and he went empty-handed. Sidi Muhammad bin Hasan, rebelled and proclaimed as Sultan in the Haouz of Marrakech 1895, and at Zair 1908. He later served as Khalifa of Fez, just like Mulay Zain El-Abidin bin Hasan, rebelled and proclaimed Sultan by the tribes of Zair, Zayan and Chararda 1911 and in Meknes April 1911; he finally served as Khalifa of Tiznit 1912-1936.

As an unsuccessful attempt, Sultan Mulay Abdu El-Aziz bin Hasan, 1894 - 1908, Sultan of Fez, Tafilalt, Marrakech and Sus, desperately, to help turn things around for him, he appealed to the European powers for a huge loan, he signed the Act of Algeciras, leading to the foreign control over large parts of the economy, the military and financial administration to France, Spain, and other countries. This alienated many of his subjects further, and he was forced to abdicate in favor of his elder half-brother, after a year of turmoil and insurgences, 12th August 1908, he thereafter resided in the international enclave at Tangiers. Further more, in similar temptation, Sultan Mulay Abdu El-Hafiz bin Hasan, Sultan of Morocco 1908 - 1912, Sultan of Fez, Tafilalt, Marrakech and Sus, proceeded with exactly the same issues as his predecessor, continuing revolt in the regions and lack of funds. This time, France and Spain had dispatched large numbers of their troops to protect their citizens. As a consequence, and as a means of quelling continuing unrest, he yielded and signed the Treaty of Fez establishing a French trusteeship over Morocco on 30th March 1912. Forced to abdicate in favor of his younger half-brother, 12th August 1912, he went into exile in Barcelona 1914 and later to France. He died in exile at Enghien-les-Bains, France.

Sidi Muhammad V, King of Morocco 1927-1953 and back to the throne1955-1961 through a negotiated independence with France. Benefiting only of suzerainty, Morocco became a Manchukuo in North Africa. In his reign, the Greater Morocco Project was revealed. His successor Hasan II, King of Morocco, materialized the authoritarian regime and hardly survived many serious attempts to topple him from the throne. He terribly plunged Morocco into a horrid turmoil and whirlpool of murders and forced disappearances. In an inimical aggressive act he preyed on neighboring Algeria just on the eve of independence and usurped Western Sahara through a shameful agreement with Spain and mercilessly perpetrated genocides with Napalm and white phosphorus against the helpless Saharawi people, caused great havoc and exile for more than 200'000 and divided their country by 2000 Km wall. Also famous with referendum outright lies and evasive peace, promising the international community for a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara, he never respected his words and the promised referendum never took place either.

The Moroccan king, Mohammed VI, the well-off young king turned to be a real philistine, in a typical version of his daddy. The new king, media hyped nickname as the king of the poors, instead of eking out, cynically, according to the palace budget, he spends£ 3.6 million a month on staff wages, £ 97,000 on car repairs and almost £ 53,000 on animal feed. The king costs Moroccan taxpayers £ 144.6 million a year, 18 times more than Queen Elizabeth II. The palace spends £ 632,000 on electricity and water, £ 600,000 on telephones and £ 355,000 on petrol and fuel. The monthly clothes bill comes to £ 121,000; while stationery alone costs £ 61,000.The Moroccan royal family's private wealth is estimated at as high as $20 billion. Besides, he alike his predecessors, benefits of a hand kiss a bow down and a double-kiss cheek.

The Saharawis, in the occupied territory, suffer oppression torture and segregation and a new apartheid is imposed on them, however, freedom of expression and movement are still a sacred heritage of the monarch. Worse, with obnoxious bigotry, he ruled out the plebiscite, thus undermining any hope for peace in Western Sahara. Like his offshoots, the murder is always on the brink. Blood odor reigns everywhere and I ask the new sinners, just as I began, Cain, where is your brother Abel?

By: Nafaa M.S.

Polisario Office. Stockholm.07/03/2005.