Moroccan Navy Vessels Entered Spanish Waters During Ceuta Crisis, Sanchez Says
The disclosure adds a military dimension to the migration crisis, with Spanish officials saying the incursions nearly caused collisions and prompted a naval deployment.
- On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged that Moroccan naval vessels entered Spanish waters off Ceuta without permission during late July's migrant crisis, ending 74 days of government silence.
- Tensions stem from Rabat's longstanding sovereignty claims over Ceuta, which complicated maritime enforcement when over 72,000 migrants crossed into the North African enclave during late July, triggering a humanitarian crisis.
- Spanish daily El País reported that Moroccan frigates and patrol boats sailed through sovereign waters without authorization, forcing a Spanish frigate to intercept and repel them, described by sources as an "intentional and repeated violation."
- King Felipe and Queen Letizia are scheduled to visit Ceuta on Tuesday and Wednesday, an event that could exacerbate bilateral tensions as opposition leaders condemn the government's secrecy.
- Approaching the November 29 general election, the revelation adds political pressure, while the European Parliament previously labeled the migration surge as 'hybrid warfare' against the European Union's only land border in Africa.
105 Articles
105 Articles
The late summer migrant rush to Ceuta was just one front in Morocco's alleged hybrid war. Now Spain has had enough, and the message behind King Felipe's recent visit to the exclave is clear: Don't get off to a bad start.
Spanish military authorities intercepted direct orders from the Royal Moroccan Navy instructing fishing vessels flying the Moroccan flag to violate Spain’s territorial waters, the ABC newspaper reported
According to the newspaper, upon learning this, the Spanish Defense Ministry immediately responded by deploying naval forces, including the Rayo patrol ship and two frigates, to the area to maintain a show of force and deterrence until Morocco...
Africa’s 6th most powerful military sends warships into European waters without permission as Ceuta crisis escalates
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that Moroccan naval vessels entered Spanish sovereign waters off Ceuta without permission following a mass border crossing in late July.
Morocco cut the shipment of diesel to Spain in August, while our country continued with the massive dispatch of natural gas to the Alaui kingdom, while thousands of immigrants continue in the streets of Ceuta after the invasion of more than 80,000 Moroccan citizens into the autonomous city on July 30 and 31. All right ... Continue reading "Morocco cut the shipment of diesel to Spain in August but received 785 GWh of natural gas in full invasion …
After informal discussions with journalists, the Spanish head of state admitted a military incursion into Ceutí waters by the Moroccan navy.
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