His father was Muhammad ibn Kaddur Oufkir who belonged to the Awlad Oufkir (Ait u Faqir) lineage which was the largest lineage of the larger of two clans in Ain Chair. He was the richest man in the oasis between Figuig and the Ziz valley and he sought peace with the French acting as intermediary between the French army and unsubmitted tribes. Despite being unknown in the eyes of the makhzen and lacking in power before the protectorate, Ibn Kaddur was regarded as the most important political figure in the region by Hubert Lyautey who valued his ruthlessness and loyalty to the French army. Before the protectorate, he wanted support from the French in becoming commander over Ain Chair as well as over the local tribes of Beni Guil, Awlad al-Nasir, and Ait Seghrouchen. He was unable to get this support until the start of the protectorate when he was appointed Pasha of Boudenib. He served until his death in 1936 and his sons and kinsmen continued to hold qaid-ships and other positions in the south east of Morocco until the 1970s.[6] According to Malika Oufkir, his name was Ahmed.[3]
Oufkir studied at the Berber College of Azrou near Meknes. In 1939, he entered the Military Academy of Dar El Beida, and in 1941, he enlisted as a reserve lieutenant in the French Army.[5]
