Morocco gained independence from France and Spain in 1956, after a colonial experience that had lasted 44 years. The new state was a kingdom, ruled by the Alawi dynasty, which came into power in the 17th century and governed Morocco until the creation of the Franco-Spanish protectorate in 1912. The King derives his legitimacy from the double role he plays, on one hand as a temporal leader and on the other as, commander of the faithful (amir al-muminin)".    

A joint Franco-Moroccan declaration of 2 March 1956 stated that the protectorate agreement of 1912 was obsolete. At the same time, a protocol covered the transitional phase. Following independence, Spain retained control of the two presidios Ceuta and Melilla and of the enclave of Ifni on the southern Atlantic Coast. In 1969 Ifni was returned to Morocco. The Kingdom also has claimed other parts of the Maghreb, on the grounds that they had formed parts of the pre-colonial Alawi empire. For this, in 1963 Morocco and Algeria went to war. The territorial claims to Mauritania and parts of Algeria were effectively dropped in 1969-72.    

However, the claim to the Western Sahara remained and became the focus of big diplomatic and popular mobilisation, which lead to the Green March into the disputed territory in 1975 and armed interventions during the following months. In February 1976, Spain withdrew from the Western Sahara. Then, this territory was partitioned by Morocco and Mauritania. Ever since, Morocco has faught against the nationalist movement, the Polisario Front.     

In 1981, the King agreed to accept the principle of a referendum of the Western Sahara population. At the same year, in August, Morocco accepted a peace plan, developed by the UN. The deadline of the referendum has been extended many times, most actually in January 1996. Morocco has now held two general elections which included voting in the Western Sahara.