Former Spanish ambassador to Morocco Jorge Dezcallar said Morocco has not abandoned its claims to Ceuta and Melilla, arguing that the dispute over the two cities is among the important factors underlying the latest migration crisis in Ceuta, which has brought the territorial issue back to the forefront of political debate in Spain and Europe.
Dezcallar, who also previously headed Spain's intelligence service CNI, told European outlet Euractiv that Rabat has "never abandoned" its claims over Ceuta and Melilla, arguing that tensions surrounding the status of the two cities formed part of the backdrop to the wave of migration that hit Ceuta and overwhelmed the city with large numbers of arrivals.
According to the Spanish diplomat, Morocco is currently "testing the waters", amid what he described as its perception that there is a "weak government in Madrid", particularly given the political pressure facing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over corruption cases involving senior government officials and members of his inner circle, as well as disagreements surrounding his positions on migration and foreign policy.
Dezcallar, who represented Spain in Morocco between 1997 and 2001, said relations between the two countries are "more passionate than rational", describing their trajectory as "saw-toothed". He nevertheless stressed that Madrid and Rabat are closely bound by economic and security ties, particularly on migration, counterterrorism and regional security.
According to Euractiv, the former Spanish ambassador's remarks came after Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi told Asharq News that the issue of Ceuta and Melilla "is still on the table". He stressed that Morocco raises the issue "every time" it meets with the Spanish side and that the matter should be resolved "through negotiation and with patience".
The dispute over Ceuta and Melilla is rooted in a long history of European expansion in North Africa. Portugal captured Ceuta in 1415, when King John I led a military campaign to seize the city, marking the beginning of Portuguese expansion in North Africa. Ceuta later passed to the Spanish Crown, with its incorporation into Spain confirmed under the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668.
Melilla, meanwhile, was seized by forces of the Spanish Crown in 1497, after the city had been part of Morocco's political sphere at various points in history. Since then, Melilla has remained one of Spain's permanent footholds on the North African coast.
Following Morocco's independence in 1956, Rabat did not recognise Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla and has continued to regard the two cities as territories under Spanish occupation, while Madrid maintains that they are part of Spanish territory. The divergence between the two positions remains one of the unresolved sovereignty issues in Moroccan-Spanish relations.
Throughout history, Morocco has made military attempts to recover the two cities or challenge European presence in northern Morocco. Ceuta, in particular, was the target of repeated military operations and sieges, including the siege imposed by Sultan Moulay Ismail in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
Moulay Ismail's siege of Ceuta is regarded as one of Morocco's most prominent attempts to recover the city. It began in 1694 and continued, with intermittent periods, until 1727. While some historical sources differ over how the duration of the siege should be calculated because of interruptions in military operations, historical accounts confirm that it lasted for decades and was among the longest sieges in the city's history.
Morocco's attempts under Moulay Ismail were not limited to Ceuta, with confrontations also extending to Melilla. Historical sources indicate that the city was subjected to Moroccan sieges, including one in 1687 that lasted 52 days, followed by renewed attempts to exert military pressure on the city in the late 17th century.
Efforts to recover the coastal enclaves under European control in northern Morocco continued at different stages of history. Morocco succeeded in recovering a number of coastal positions that had been controlled by European powers, while Ceuta and Melilla remained outside Moroccan control.
Today, Rabat and Madrid continue to hold opposing positions over the legal and sovereign status of the two cities. While Spain considers Ceuta and Melilla an integral part of its territory and rejects placing its sovereignty over them on the negotiating table, Morocco continues to affirm that the issue remains unresolved.
