Spain has firmly rejected any discussion over the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla after Morocco’s justice minister renewed Rabat’s claims to the two Spanish-administered enclaves in North Africa.
Spanish officials said on Wednesday that the status of the territories was not open to negotiation, responding to comments by Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, who said Rabat continued to raise the issue in talks with Madrid.
Ouahbi told Asharq TV that Morocco viewed dialogue as the path toward eventually resolving the dispute over the two cities.
The comments marked Morocco’s most prominent public restatement of its sovereignty claims since a major border crisis in Ceuta in late July, when an estimated 72,000 migrants briefly crossed into the enclave. At least 96 people were killed during the mass crossing attempt.
Morocco has claimed Ceuta and Melilla since gaining independence in 1956, arguing that the territories remain under Spanish occupation and should eventually be transferred to Moroccan sovereignty.
Spain rejects that position, maintaining that Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of the country. Melilla has been under Spanish control since the late 15th century, while Ceuta came under Spanish sovereignty in the 17th century.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles strongly dismissed any suggestion that the territories could be negotiated.
“Ceuta and Melilla aren’t just Spanish; they’re super-Spanish and cannot be touched,” Robles told reporters during a visit to Ceuta.
She added that any attack on the enclaves would be considered an attack on Spain as a whole, referring to the deadly July border crisis.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry reinforced the government’s position, saying the country’s territorial integrity had never been discussed with Morocco and would not be discussed in the future.
Despite the renewed sovereignty dispute, Madrid has praised Moroccan authorities for cooperating in the return of migrants who crossed during the July crisis. Spanish officials have largely blamed people-smuggling networks for organising the mass movement toward the border.
Meanwhile, Morocco said it had increased security around the borders of both Ceuta and Melilla after online messages called for another mass crossing on August 15.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry warned that organisers and participants could face prosecution and urged people not to respond to what it described as dangerous and misleading online appeals.
The ministry also renewed calls for Spain to speed up the return of unaccompanied Moroccan minors currently in Ceuta.
Spanish Youth Minister Sira Rego said last week that Madrid would examine Morocco’s offer to receive the children, with each repatriation considered individually.