Morocco was not behind the massive arrival of migrants in Sebta at the end of July, Nasser Bourita reportedly assured José Manuel Albares. The Spanish foreign minister also revealed that Rabat had promised to immediately mobilize its resources to stop the flow.
Nasser Bourita reportedly assured his Spanish counterpart that the recent statements by Moroccan ministers regarding Ceuta and Melilla do not reflect Morocco’s official position. José Manuel Albares nevertheless says he is not satisfied with this explanation.
The Spanish government urgently removed a map from its new public housing portal. The document showed Ceuta and Melilla with dotted borders, used for disputed territories, while Western Sahara appeared integrated into Morocco.
The Spanish judiciary has taken a new step in the Ceuta crisis. Judge María Tardón has formally decided to open a criminal investigation into the mass crossings at the end of July, citing a serious threat to Spain’s territorial integrity and a possible scenario of “hybrid warfare.”
New calls are circulating in Morocco for a mobilization on September 20 around Ceuta and Melilla. The National Police, Guardia Civil, CNI and Spanish military intelligence are monitoring the campaign, although a march toward the border has not yet been confirmed.
Aragon is scrapping the Arabic Language and Moroccan Culture Programme in the ten institutions that still offered it, starting this school year. The measure, announced Sunday by regional vice-president Alejandro Nolasco, takes effect immediately.
A Guardia Civil general allegedly ordered all references to Morocco removed from a report intended for the judge investigating the mass entries into Ceuta. Internal sources claim that the document initially contained evidence implicating Moroccan officers.
The Ceuta crisis has triggered a new institutional conflict in Spain. The Senate is preparing to bring a case before the Constitutional Court against three ministers in Pedro Sánchez’s government, accused by the PP of refusing to appear before the upper chamber to explain themselves.
Madrid is hardening its discourse toward Rabat once again. Spain’s Foreign Ministry now believes that the repeated claims by Moroccan ministers regarding Sebta and Melilla “degrade” bilateral relations and insists that Spanish sovereignty will never be discussed with Morocco.
Donald Trump has openly attacked Spain over its border. His message comes as Madrid continues to struggle to emerge from the migration crisis in Ceuta, triggered by the massive arrivals from Morocco at the end of July.
Podemos leader Ione Belarra accuses the Spanish government of being “afraid” of Morocco. She insinuates that Rabat may possess sensitive information about Pedro Sánchez, without providing the slightest evidence to support the accusation.
As Ceuta and Melilla once again become the focus of tensions between Rabat and Madrid, an old Moroccan Official Bulletin states the Kingdom’s position without beating around the bush: Moroccan territories, Spanish occupation and the desire to recover them.