Rif War - French-Moroccan Machine Gun post in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. The Rif War was an armed conflict fought during the first half of the 1920s between the colonial power Spain (later joined by France) and the Berber tribes of the Rif mountainous region, led by Abd el-Krim. After France's entry into the conflict (which provides a good date for this photograph) and the major landing of Spanish troops at Al Hoceima, Abd el-Krim surrendered to the French and was taken into exile.