Mohamed Bensaid Ait Idder


Mohamed Bensaid Ait Idder is a Moroccan politician and activist, and is considered one of Morocco's leftist symbols. Ait Idder started his activism first against French Protectorate in Morocco, and was one of the founders and leaders of the Moroccan Army of Liberation. After Morocco's independence, Ait Idder opposed the system in place, especially the king Hassan II.
Bensaid Ait Idder was co-founder of several leftist political movements and parties in the independent Morocco, including:National Union of Popular Forces, Harakat 23 Mars, Organization for the Popular Democratic Action and the Unified Socialist Party.

Early life

Mohamed Bensaid Ait Idder was born in 1925 in Tin Mansour, in the Berber-speaking province of Chtouka Aït Baha, in Sous, Morocco. After finishing his primary studies, he moved to Marrakesh in 1945 to start university studies. There, he adopted nationalistic ideas and worked together with anti-colonial activists in Marrakesh, including Abdallah Ibrahim and Mohamed Basri.

Political Activism

In 2001, Mohamed Bensaid Ait Idder published a book entitled Epic pages of the Liberation Army in the Moroccan South, relating his experience with the Moroccan Liberation Army between 1955 and 1958.