Independence Manifesto Day 2026

The Independence Manifesto: history and significance

On January 11, 1944, the leaders of the Moroccan nationalist movement presented Sultan Mohammed V with the Independence Manifesto (وثيقة المطالبة بالاستقلال), a historic document formally demanding Morocco's independence from the French Protectorate established in 1912.

Historical context

The Manifesto was drafted amid a favourable international climate: World War II was drawing to a close and the Atlantic Charter (1941) proclaimed the right of peoples to self-determination. The Istiqlal Party (Independence Party), officially founded that same day, delivered the document signed by 66 nationalist figures.

• Allal el-Fassi: intellectual and ideological leader of the nationalist movement
• Ahmed Balafrej: secretary-general of the Istiqlal Party
• Sultan Mohammed V: tacit supporter of the nationalist cause
• 66 signatories: prominent figures from across Moroccan society

French repression and its aftermath

The French authorities' reaction was swift. By late January 1944, several nationalist leaders, including Balafrej, were arrested. Protests erupted in Fès, Salé and other cities, met with violent repression. Far from crushing the independence movement, this reinforced popular determination to achieve freedom.

Independence Manifesto Day 2026, 2027, 2028

• 2026: Sunday January 11
• 2027: Monday January 11
• 2028: Tuesday January 11