Khelli Henna Ould Rachid
Encyclopedia
Khelli Henna Ould Rachid ' onMouseout='HidePop("13905")' href="/topics/Arabic_language">Arabic
as Khali Hina Uld Errachid, Khalihenna Wald Rasheed, and other variations) is the Sahrawi chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs
(CORCAS), a Moroccan
government body active in the disputed region of Western Sahara
.
in the Reguibat
tribe
, Khelli Henna was appointed by the Spanish
government to head the Sahrawi National Union Party
(PUNS) in 1974. The PUNS, which had been created with the approval of the Spanish authorities, was the only legal political party
in Spanish Sahara
(also in the whole Spain, except the ruling Falange
movement) in the 1974-75 period, had been created to counter the territorial claims from neighbours Morocco
and Mauritania
, as well as the indigenous
independence
movement headed by the Polisario Front
, created in 1973. It initially advocated autonomy
for the territory under continued Spanish colonial rule, but, as the Spanish position evolved, the party and its leader, Khelli Henna, started demanding independence "in association" with Spain, proclaiming themselves completely opposed to Moroccan and Mauritanian designs on the territory.
In April 1975, during a press conference in Paris
, Rachid stated:
in May–June 1975, and before the Madrid Agreement
, Khelli Henna fled from El Aaiún to Las Palmas, and then take another plane to Morocco. Few days after, on May 19, he declared his allegiance to the King of Morocco in Fez
. Under King Hassan II, he was appointed in 1977 as Minister of Saharan Affairs, and later as mayor (President of the Municipal Council) of El-Aaiun from 1983 until 2006, when he was succeeded by his brother, Hamdi Ould Rachid.
He was viewed as very close to the King's right hand man, the minister of interior Driss Basri
,http://www.lejournal-hebdo.com/article.php3?id_article=7778 who held responsibility for the Saharan territories, where a guerrilla war
against Polisario continued until the 1991 cease-fire
(still in effect, pending final resolution of the conflict). Following the death of Hassan in 1999, and the dismissal of Basri by the new king Muhammad VI
a few years later, Khelli Henna’s political career seemed to be over.http://sahara-watch.blogspot.com/2006/08/rabats-man-in-laayoune.htmltransl.
that was agreed in the Settlement Plan
. As head of the government-appointed organ, Khelli Henna made a public comeback, and has featured prominently in Moroccan diplomacy
. He is seen by the Moroccan government as an independent Sahrawi leader opposed to the Algeria
-based Polisario independence movement, and its longtime leader Mohamed Abdelaziz
.
He considers the Polisario Front as an obstacle to a peaceful solution due to its deep dependency on Algeria. The Polisario refuses to deal with him .
In 2008, the Casablanca
-based newspaper "Al Yarida Al Ula" publisher the transcription of 2005 Rachid's declaration to the Equity and Reconciliation Commission
:
.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
as Khali Hina Uld Errachid, Khalihenna Wald Rasheed, and other variations) is the Sahrawi chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs
Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs
The Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs or Corcas, from the French abbreviation of Conseil royal consultatif pour les affaires sahariennes, is an advisory committee to the Moroccan government on the Western Sahara. It was originally devised by King Hassan II in the 1970s , but allowed to...
(CORCAS), a Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
government body active in the disputed region of Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
.
Under Spain
A member of an influential familyFamily
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
in the Reguibat
Reguibat
The Reguibat is a Sahrawi tribe of mainly Hassani Arab origins, although a number of Arab tribes have merged with the Reguibat during the last two centuries. They speak Hassaniya Arabic, and are Arabicised in culture...
tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
, Khelli Henna was appointed by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
government to head the Sahrawi National Union Party
Sahrawi National Union Party
Partido de Unión Nacional Saharaui was a short-lived political party set up by Spain to rally support in its rebellious Spanish Sahara colony .- Creation of PUNS:...
(PUNS) in 1974. The PUNS, which had been created with the approval of the Spanish authorities, was the only legal political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975...
(also in the whole Spain, except the ruling Falange
Falange
The Spanish Phalanx of the Assemblies of the National Syndicalist Offensive , known simply as the Falange, is the name assigned to several political movements and parties dating from the 1930s, most particularly the original fascist movement in Spain. The word means phalanx formation in Spanish....
movement) in the 1974-75 period, had been created to counter the territorial claims from neighbours Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, as well as the indigenous
Indigenous peoples of Africa
The indigenous people of Africa are those people of Africa whose way of life, attachment or claims to particular lands, and social and political standing in relation to other more dominant groups have resulted in their substantial marginalisation within modern African states The indigenous people...
independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
movement headed by the Polisario Front
Polisario Front
The POLISARIO, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco...
, created in 1973. It initially advocated autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
for the territory under continued Spanish colonial rule, but, as the Spanish position evolved, the party and its leader, Khelli Henna, started demanding independence "in association" with Spain, proclaiming themselves completely opposed to Moroccan and Mauritanian designs on the territory.
In April 1975, during a press conference in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rachid stated:
Under Hassan II
During the United Nations visiting mission to Spanish SaharaUnited Nations visiting mission to Spanish Sahara
To assist in the decolonization process of the Spanish Sahara , a colony in North Africa, the United Nations General Assembly in 1975 dispatched a visiting mission to the territory and the surrounding countries, in accordance with its resolution 3292 .- Purpose of the visiting mission :The mission...
in May–June 1975, and before the Madrid Agreement
Madrid Accords
The Madrid Accords, also called Madrid Agreement or Madrid Pact, was a treaty between Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania to end the Spanish presence in the territory of Spanish Sahara, which was until the Madrid Accords' inception a Spanish province and former colony. It was signed in Madrid on...
, Khelli Henna fled from El Aaiún to Las Palmas, and then take another plane to Morocco. Few days after, on May 19, he declared his allegiance to the King of Morocco in Fez
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
. Under King Hassan II, he was appointed in 1977 as Minister of Saharan Affairs, and later as mayor (President of the Municipal Council) of El-Aaiun from 1983 until 2006, when he was succeeded by his brother, Hamdi Ould Rachid.
He was viewed as very close to the King's right hand man, the minister of interior Driss Basri
Driss Basri
Driss Basri was a Moroccan politician who served as Interior Minister from 1979 to 1999. After General Oufkir's death in 1972, and then Ahmed Dlimi's death in 1983, Driss Basri became Hassan II's right-hand man and number two of the regime from the beginning of the 1980s to the end of the 1990s...
,http://www.lejournal-hebdo.com/article.php3?id_article=7778 who held responsibility for the Saharan territories, where a guerrilla war
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
against Polisario continued until the 1991 cease-fire
Settlement Plan
The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the kingdom of Morocco...
(still in effect, pending final resolution of the conflict). Following the death of Hassan in 1999, and the dismissal of Basri by the new king Muhammad VI
Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI is the present King of Morocco and Amir al-Mu'minin . He ascended to the throne on 23 July 1999 upon the death of his father.-Education:...
a few years later, Khelli Henna’s political career seemed to be over.http://sahara-watch.blogspot.com/2006/08/rabats-man-in-laayoune.htmltransl.
Under Mohammad VI
In 2005, the Moroccan government created the CORCAS to promote autonomy as an alternative to the referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
that was agreed in the Settlement Plan
Settlement Plan
The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the kingdom of Morocco...
. As head of the government-appointed organ, Khelli Henna made a public comeback, and has featured prominently in Moroccan diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. He is seen by the Moroccan government as an independent Sahrawi leader opposed to the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
-based Polisario independence movement, and its longtime leader Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz is the 3rd and current Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 1976...
.
He considers the Polisario Front as an obstacle to a peaceful solution due to its deep dependency on Algeria. The Polisario refuses to deal with him .
In 2008, the Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
-based newspaper "Al Yarida Al Ula" publisher the transcription of 2005 Rachid's declaration to the Equity and Reconciliation Commission
Equity and Reconciliation Commission
The Equity and Reconciliation Commission is a Moroccan human rights and truth commission created on January 7, 2004 by King Mohammed VI in order to reconcile victims of human rights abuses, such as torture and atrocities committed by Makhzen during the Years of lead, with the State.IER is...
:
.
External links
Further reading
- Hodges, Tony (1983), Western Sahara: The Roots of a Desert War, Lawrence Hill Books (ISBN 0-88208-152-7)
- Pazzanita, Anthony G. and Hodges, Tony (1994), Historical Dictionary of Western Sahara, Scarecrow Press (ISBN 0-8108-2661-5)