Spain Accuses Morocco Of An Assault On Its National Borders

Sanchez promises electricity bills will average out before end of the year

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Spain has accused Morocco of orchestrating an assault on its national borders. But Morocco says Spain broke the two countries “trust and mutual respect”.

THE accusations come as tensions continue between the two states after Spanish authorities admitted a rebel leader to the country for medical treatment and Morocco allowed thousands of migrants to enter Spain’s enclave in North Africa, Ceuta.

“It is not acceptable for a government to say that we will attack the borders, that we will open up the borders to let in 10,000 migrants in less than 48 hours because of foreign policy disagreements,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at a news conference on May 31.

“Remember that neighbourliness must be based on respect and confidence,” he added.

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry however said Madrid had broken “mutual trust and respect” and likened its own territorial problems Western Sahara to Catalonia’s bid for independence.

Tensions between Madrid and Rabat increased when Western Sahara independence movement leader, Brahim Ghali, was admitted to Spain in April for medical treatment without informing Rabat.

Ghali is the leader of Polisario which seeks independent statehood for Western Sahara. Until 1975, Spain controlled the area.

The move “revealed the hostile attitudes and harmful strategies of Spain regarding the Moroccan Sahara,” the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Spain “cannot combat separatism at home and promote it in its neighbour,” it added.

Ghali is the subject of two investigations in Spain.

He will testify by video conference today, June 1, from a hospital in Logrono where he is receiving treatment for Covid-19. A Spanish judge will decide if Ghali will be charged with war crimes or not.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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