Melilla president pleads government action over diplomatic Moroccan map

President of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda (PP) has requested that the Spanish Government address Morocco’s inclusion of Ceuta and Melilla on the official map of Morocco’s embassy in Spain.

Imbroda made these remarks through his social media accounts, drawing attention to a map on the official website of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Madrid. This map presents Ceuta and Melilla as part of Moroccan territory.

Last month, an ex-agent at the Spanish intelligence told Spanish media to reclaim territories including Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands.

This assertion is backed by sporadic diplomatic gestures such as border openings, immigration discussions, and fishing agreements directed at the Spanish government.

Fernando San Agustin, a former spy said Morocco’s ambitions surpass mere recognition of sovereignty over Saharan regions, driven by a perceived weakness in the Spanish government compared to countries like France, which maintain more proactive regional involvement.

While Moroccan  analysts agree that Ceuta and Melilla are fundamental to Morocco’s foreign policy and that  a solution would only be possible through diplomatic means, they refute claims that Moroco is planning to recover the two cities. Expert in Morocco-Spain relations Abdelhamid Bajouki told Hespress that such claims  are intended only to scare the Spanish people in this circumstance, at the ciritical juncture of elections.

“Morocco is moving towards strengthening its foreign relations with Spain, and this is what we must grasp in this context,” he said.

“The statements raise many question marks, coming at this particular period in which the Spanish elections are taking place. Hence, it is not an innocent or ordinary outing, but rather its aim is to restore Moroccan-Spanish relations to zero point, and to abort various avenues of cooperation, by creating this confusion that Morocco will claim Ceuta and Melilla soon.”