Morocco Renews Claim to Ceuta and Melilla; Spain Says They Will “Never Be Handed Over”

The long-running dispute between Spain and Morocco over Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves in North Africa, has returned to the headlines. Madrid said today (Wednesday) that the status of the two cities as part of Spanish territory is not open to negotiation, after Morocco’s justice minister, Abdellatif Ouahbi, publicly restated his country’s sovereignty claim over them.<\/p>

Ouahbi said yesterday in an interview with Asharq TV that Morocco regularly raises the question of Ceuta and Melilla’s status in talks with Spain. According to him, Morocco’s long-term goal is to reach a resolution through dialogue.<\/p>

Since gaining independence in 1956, Morocco has viewed Ceuta and Melilla as territories under Spanish occupation and has argued that sovereignty over them should eventually be transferred to Morocco. Spain rejects that position and considers the two enclaves an inseparable part of its territory. Madrid maintains that Melilla has been under Spanish control since the 15th century and Ceuta since the 17th century.<\/p>

Spain’s defense minister, Margarita Robles, who visited Ceuta, responded sharply to the Moroccan minister’s comments: “Ceuta and Melilla are not merely Spanish; they are super-Spanish, and they cannot be touched.” She added: “Any attack on Ceuta and Melilla is an attack on all of Spain. This must not happen again.”<\/p>

Robles was referring to the border crisis at the end of July, during which an estimated 72,000 migrants briefly crossed into Ceuta. At least 96 people were killed during the mass rush at the border. Ouahbi’s remarks this week mark the first time since that crisis that Rabat has publicly raised the sensitive issue of sovereignty over the two cities again.<\/p>

Spain’s Foreign Ministry echoed the strong message, stating separately that the country’s territorial integrity “was not, and never will be, a matter for discussion with anyone.”<\/p>

Alongside the diplomatic dispute, Morocco is preparing for the possibility of another incident at the enclaves’ borders. Morocco’s Interior Ministry announced today that security near the borders with Ceuta and Melilla has been reinforced following online calls for another mass crossing attempt on August 15. Authorities warned that the organizers and participants could face prosecution.<\/p>

The statement said: “The ministry calls on everyone to exercise vigilance and responsibility, and not to be drawn in by such suspicious and misleading calls, given the risks they may pose to human lives.” At the same time, Rabat called on Spain to speed up the return of unaccompanied Moroccan minors staying in Ceuta.<\/p>