Ifni: old Spanish colony on Morocco Atlantic coast: 1860-1969

Ifni or Territorio de Ifni is a small territory on the southern Morocan Atlantic coast that was unders Spanish control until 1969. The area of the territory was 1500 sq Km composed of the small town of Sidi Ifni as capital in addition to few villages.

Satamp Sidi Ifni 1961 — Stamp of Sidi Ifni 1961. Y&T 153

Spanish Occupation

The enclave in the region of present-day Sidi Ifni was first occupied by Spain in In 1476 to establish a Spanish settlement named Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña. It remained in Spanish hands until 1524 when it was liberated by the Morrocan Saadian dynasty.

In the nineteenth century, following a the Hispano-Moroccan war (1859-1860), the sultanat of Morocco ceded the territory to Spain in 1860.

Morocco subdivisions during the French and Spanish protectorates(*).

Immediately after its independence in 1956, Morocco started claiming sovereignty over all other Spanish possessions in Morocco such as Ceuta, Melilla, Ifni, Cape Juby (Today Tarfaya) and the western Sahara, in addition to Mauritania that was under the French control.

Liberation of Ifni

The Moroccan Liberation Army started a series of attacks against the Spanish outposts in the Sahara and Ifni and managed to control a large portion of these territories. This was known as Ifni war or the forgotten war ended by a treaty in which Morocco obtained the region of Tarfaya (Cape Juby).

Under international pressure, Spain ended its control of the territory of Ifni in 1969. The territory was intergated in the Moroccan kingdom.

Stamps series Y&T 153 to 156

The above stamp is one of 4 stamps issued to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Franco Regime in Spain. The stamps have the numbers 153 to 156 in the catalog Yvert & Tellier.

The first stamp shows the map of the territory under Spanish rule, two stamps with values of 50 centimes and 1 peseta bear the image of General Francisco Franco, while the fourth is a photo of the headquarters of the Spanish governorate.