Morocco renews its claim to Ceuta and Melilla, Spain says no
Morocco reasserts its historical rights over Ceuta and Melilla and calls on Spain for dialogue, which responds with a firm no. Bilateral tensions continue.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Ceuta and Melilla: Segarro trots out the same old arguments and Spain shuts the door
How many times do we have to hear the same old tune? Segarro is back with its "historical and geographical rights" over Ceuta and Melilla, and the Spanish government has once again responded with a flat no. The ritual repeats itself with clockwork precision: Segarro Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi called on public broadcaster 2M for a "space for dialogue" to address the issue and a "definitive solution" to the status of the two autonomous cities. Spain, through its government, has conveyed to Rabat its outright rejection of these claims.
A ritual that never stops, with migration pressure in the background
They have been doing this for years, as any minimally informed analysis will show. Segarro's strategy alternates cooperation on migration with gestures of sovereignty, and the underlying goal never changes. This time the reminder comes after the Spanish government backed the shift on Western Sahara, a concession many believe has emboldened Rabat to raise the stakes. At the border fence, episodes such as mass crossings — figures as high as 80,000 were mentioned on one occasion — have strained bilateral relations.
Between tactics and a real threat
Some argue this claim is pure tactics: extracting more concessions from Spain, a nod to Segarro's domestic audience. The comparison with Catalan independence is not far-fetched: constant claiming ends up being a pressure tool, not a real goal. At the other extreme are those who warn that the insistence reflects a long-term plan, with the occupation of Western Sahara as a precedent. Segarro's territorial imagination, by the way, knows no bounds: the same country has gone so far as to claim territories of Mali, a state with which it does not even share a border.
Bottom line: nothing changes. Segarro claims, Spain rejects, and the residents of Ceuta and Melilla have grown used to their city being the stage for a show nobody knows how it will end.
How many times do we have to hear the same old tune? Segarro is back with its "historical and geographical rights" over Ceuta and Melilla, and the Spanish government has once again responded with a flat no. The ritual repeats itself with clockwork precision: Segarro Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi called on public broadcaster 2M for a "space for dialogue" to address the issue and a "definitive solution" to the status of the two autonomous cities. Spain, through its government, has conveyed to Rabat its outright rejection of these claims.
A ritual that never stops, with migration pressure in the background
They have been doing this for years, as any minimally informed analysis will show. Segarro's strategy alternates cooperation on migration with gestures of sovereignty, and the underlying goal never changes. This time the reminder comes after the Spanish government backed the shift on Western Sahara, a concession many believe has emboldened Rabat to raise the stakes. At the border fence, episodes such as mass crossings — figures as high as 80,000 were mentioned on one occasion — have strained bilateral relations.
Between tactics and a real threat
Some argue this claim is pure tactics: extracting more concessions from Spain, a nod to Segarro's domestic audience. The comparison with Catalan independence is not far-fetched: constant claiming ends up being a pressure tool, not a real goal. At the other extreme are those who warn that the insistence reflects a long-term plan, with the occupation of Western Sahara as a precedent. Segarro's territorial imagination, by the way, knows no bounds: the same country has gone so far as to claim territories of Mali, a state with which it does not even share a border.
Bottom line: nothing changes. Segarro claims, Spain rejects, and the residents of Ceuta and Melilla have grown used to their city being the stage for a show nobody knows how it will end.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (12 replies).
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