The Maghreb connections of Alain Savary, French Secretary of State for Moroccan and Tunisian affairs in 1956

When socialist Alain Savary, born in Algers in April 1918, became Secretary of State for Moroccan and Tunisian affairs for the first time, he had alre ady had much experience of the North African situation, thanks to the netwo rks of friends and information he had built up within both territories and France during his childhood and the Second World War. Aware of these advant ages, Pierre Mendes France called upon Savary's diplomatic competence in 19 54 when he successfully led discussions on internal autonomy for Tunisia wi th Habid Bourguiba. Numerous were the converging ideas shared by Savary, ce rtain Christian intellectuals and those members of the MRP he encountered i n the "Assemblee de l'Union francaise" and the Franco-Maghreb Committe in 1 953. Together they denounced the chain of violence and repression, advocati ng a policy of useful dialogue, the respect of Human Rights and keeping of promises. They found support amongst high placed civil servants such as Leo n Marchal or Pierre Chatenet. The negotiations which resulted in the independence of Morocco and Tunisia in the spring of 1956 can be explained by the military situation within the areas. France was in no position to quash a rebellion which would spread t hroughout Northern Africa and the contagion of the Algerian crisis was inte nsifying. In these difficult conditions, Savary and his colleagues neverthe less tried to give a new dimension to the tense relations which continued t o link France to her former colonies, this being done notably by means of a project for technical assistance. However, the Algerian situation paralyse d his action and Savary resigned from the Government in October 1956 to pro test against French soldiers arresting the main leaders of the Algerian FLN as they were leaving for Tunis. Through this act, he refused all forceful "fait accompli" policies.