# List of colonial governors of Spanish Sahara

The colonial governors of Spanish Sahara were the colonial administrators responsible for the territory of Spanish Sahara, an area equivalent to modern-day Western Sahara. The list covers the period from November 1884 to February 1976, when Spain announced it had transferred sovereignty to Morocco and terminated its administration of the territory.

## List

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Tenure | Portrait | Incumbent | Notes |
| Spanish suzerainty ||||
| 3 November 1884 to 10 July 1885 | | Emilio Bonelli, Commandant | |
| Royal Commissioner on the West Coast of Africa ||||
| 10 July 1885 to 6 April 1887 | | Emilio Bonelli, Royal Commissioner | Arrives in Río de Oro on 26 August 1885 |
| Political and Military Subgovernors of Río de Oro (subordinated to the captains-general of the Canary Islands) ||||
| 6 April 1887 to bf. 1902 | | Emilio Bonelli, Subgovernor | |
| 1902 to 1 December 1903 | | Ángel Villalobos, Subgovernor | |
| 1 December 1903 to 1913 | | Francisco Bens Argandoña [es], Subgovernor | |
| Delegates of the High Commissioner in the Southern Zone of the Spanish protectorate in Morocco (subordinated to Spanish high commissioners in Morocco) ||||
| 1913 to 7 November 1925 | | Francisco Bens Argandoña [es], Delegate | Occupation of Cape Juby and La Güera |
| 7 November 1925 to 19 June 1932 | | Guillermo de la Peña Cusi [es], Delegate | |
| 19 June 1932 to 30 August 1933 | | Eduardo Cañizares Navarro [es], Delegate | |
| 30 August 1933 to 1 July 1934 | | José González Deleito, Delegate | |
| 1 July 1934 to 29 August 1934 | | Benigno Martínez Portillo, Delegate | |
| Government delegates in the Sahara (subordinated to Spanish high commissioners in Morocco) ||||
| 29 August 1934 to 4 May 1936 | | Benigno Martínez Portillo, Government Delegate | |
| 4 May 1936 to 7 August 1936 | | Carlos Pedemonte Sabín [es], Government Delegate | Spanish coup of July 1936; start of the Spanish Civil War |
| 7 August 1936 to 12 March 1937 | | Rafael Gallego Sainz [es], Government Delegate | |
| 12 March 1937 to 17 May 1940 | | Antonio de Oro Pulido, Government Delegate | Founded the city of El Aaiún in 1938 |
| Politico-Military Governor of Ifni and the Sahara and Delegate of the High Commissioner in the Southern Zone of the Spanish protectorate in Morocco (subordinated to Spanish high commissioners in Morocco) ||||
| 17 May 1940 to 24 July 1946 | | José Bermejo López, Governor | |
| Governors of the Government of Spanish West Africa ||||
| 24 July 1946 to 17 August 1949 | | José Bermejo López, Governor | |
| 17 August 1949 to 29 March 1952 | | Francisco Rosaleny Burguet, Governor | |
| 29 March 1952 to 26 February 1954 | | Venancio Tutor Gil, Governor | |
| 26 February 1954 to 23 May 1957 | | Ramón Pardo de Santayana y Suárez, Governor | Apostolic Prefecture of Spanish Sahara and Ifni established on 5 July 1954, with Félix Erviti Barcelona OMI as the first apostolic prefect |
| 23 May 1957 to 10 January 1958 | | Mariano Gómez-Zamalloa y Quirce, Governor | Served at the start of the Ifni War |
| Governors-general of Spanish Sahara ||||
| 10 January 1958 to 22 July 1958 | | José Héctor Vázquez, Governor-General | Served at the end of the Ifni War |
| 27 July 1958 to 6 October 1961 | | Mariano Alonso Alonso, Governor-General | |
| 13 October 1961 to 21 February 1964 | | Pedro Latorre Alcubierre, Governor-General | |
| 6 March 1964 to 5 November 1965 | | Joaquín Agulla y Jiménez-Coronado, Governor-General | |
| 5 November 1965 to 26 November 1965 | | Adolfo Artalejo Campos, Governor-General | |
| 5 December 1965 to 2 February 1967 | | Ángel Enríquez Larrondo, Governor-General | |
| 18 February 1967 to 4 March 1971 | | José María Pérez de Lema Tejero [es], Governor-General | Served at the time of the Zemla Intifada |
| 4 March 1971 to 6 June 1974 | | Fernando de Santiago y Díaz de Mendívil, Governor-General | |
| 6 June 1974 to 6 February 1976 | | Federico Gómez de Salazar y Nieto, Governor-General | Served at the time of the Green March |
| 14 February 1976 | Spain announces it has transferred sovereignty to Morocco | Spain announces it has transferred sovereignty to Morocco | Spain announces it has transferred sovereignty to Morocco |
| 26 February 1976 | Spain terminates its administration | Spain terminates its administration | Spain terminates its administration |
| 27 February 1976 | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic proclaimed by the Polisario Front | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic proclaimed by the Polisario Front | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic proclaimed by the Polisario Front |
| 14 April 1976 | Spanish Sahara is partitioned and annexed by Morocco (claiming Southern Provinces) and Mauritania (claiming Tiris al-Gharbiyya) | Spanish Sahara is partitioned and annexed by Morocco (claiming Southern Provinces) and Mauritania (claiming Tiris al-Gharbiyya) | Spanish Sahara is partitioned and annexed by Morocco (claiming Southern Provinces) and Mauritania (claiming Tiris al-Gharbiyya) |
| 11 August 1979 | Mauritanian part of the territory annexed by Morocco | Mauritanian part of the territory annexed by Morocco | Mauritanian part of the territory annexed by Morocco |