Moroccan Dagger?

[Jim McDougall]

Keep in mind that the regions in North Africa which include largely Morocco and Algeria are known collectively as 'the Maghreb', and that trade routes, nomadic tribes movement and interaction make geographic distinction with these weapons daunting at best.

Many weapons from these regions are often categorized as Moroccan, or Algerian often interchangeably. Tunisian weapons often come into the mix via these same dynamics.

As the Rif War between Spain and insurgences of the Berber tribes of the mountainous regions of N. Morocco primarily 1921-1926 was noted, I wanted to add some context which might describe the historic interest here.

Earlier in the century Great Britain insisted on creating a buffer between their strategic Meditteranean post at Gibraltar and French North Africa. In compliance the French authorized Spanish occupation in Morocco, in these Rif regions. The Berber tribes as Muslim of course resisted this infiltration of Christian Spaniards leading to this war which was one of the most notable colonial wars of the 20th c.

The sword attached is a machete from Cuban/Mexican regions of mid to latter 19th c. however in the early years of being properly identified (90s) was always seen as a 'Berber' sword, and from the Rif.

Actually these came into these regions during the insurgencies leading up to this war with Spain bringing conscripted forces from Cuba with units of the Cuban army, and these weapons were brought in at those times.
Naturally these weapons for tropical climes were not particularly useful and many ended up circulating in Moroccan regions, ending up being regarded as 'Moroccan'.