A paramilitary gendarmerie, known as the "Mehal-la Jalifianas" and modelled on the French goumieres, was employed within the Spanish Zone.

The Royal Armed Forces were created on 14 May 1956, after the Franco-Spanish Protectorate was dissolved in 1955. 140,000 Moroccan personnel from the French protectoral army and 90,000 from the Spanish protectoral army Forces transferred into the newly formed armed forces, this number was augmented by approximately 15,000 former guerrillas from the "Army of Liberation",