Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the afterlives of colonial weapons in memory practices in the Rif, Morocco. I analyze how these colonial weapons circulate in competing representations of the (post)colonial past by state and non-state actors in contemporary local and (trans)national settings.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the afterlife of colonial weapons in memory practices in the Rif region (northern Morocco). Drawing on ongoing ethnographic fieldwork, it explores how state and non-state actors use these weapons to mark and revive the memory of the Rif in the present. In the early twentieth century, the Rif was the site of intense colonial violence, with Spanish troops occupying the region, and fighting local Berber tribes in the Rif War (1920-1926). After their defeat in 1921, the Spanish colonial army resorted to aerial bombardments with chemical weapons, brought from German stockpiles, to stifle the revolting tribes. This poisoned farmland, seawater, and wells, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians. Although traces of the war were carefully erased by the Spanish, remnants still appear in construction sites, agricultural fields, and fishing waters, with toxic residues degrading the environment and public health. The legacy of this colonial violence has led to the emergence of Berber activists demanding the (inter)national recognition of the crimes committed under the Spanish protectorate. These efforts include legal battles for access to Spanish and Moroccan military archives, to study the long-term effects on public health and the environment, and to remove toxic residues from local ecosystems. The relics of colonial warfare are also tracked for display in museums, depots, or private collections, as well as becoming subjects of popular culture, such as films and music. I analyze how these colonial weapons circulate in competing narratives of the (post)colonial past in contemporary local and (trans)national settings.