Moroccan Initiative Calls for UN Committee to Address Ceuta and Melilla Issue

Moroccan NGO Seeks UN Attention on Ceuta and Melilla

A Moroccan non-governmental organization named "Maroumid Initiatives" has formally requested permission from the Chair of the Fourth Committee, officially known as the Committee on Special Political and Decolonization Issues of the United Nations General Assembly, to present the case of Ceuta and Melilla, along with the occupied Jabaliyah islands, during the upcoming session scheduled from October 5 to 9. This request, which has been made available to the online newspaper Hespress, seeks to allow a delegation from Maroumid Initiatives to provide a detailed presentation before the committee, supported by relevant historical and legal documents.

The request underscores several critical considerations, notably that the Moroccan territories currently under Spanish administration, including Ceuta, Melilla, and the Jabaliyah islands, were officially submitted for review to the United Nations. This was notably highlighted in a message sent in 1975 to the Chair of the Special Committee on Decolonization, wherein Morocco requested that these territories be included in the list of non-self-governing territories, without a conclusive UN decision to finalize the matter.

Furthermore, the NGO pointed out that the Fourth Committee has previously listened to the Moroccan delegation's views on these territories multiple times, dating back to the speech delivered by Morocco's representative on October 7, 1960, and subsequent discussions in the General Assembly's 1049th meeting on November 14 of the same year. The persistence of unresolved status concerning these territories necessitates further discourse within the esteemed committee, taking into account the current developments related to the issue.

Abdallah Benhassi, the Executive Director of Maroumid Initiatives, stated that the request would be distributed to the Chair of the Fourth Committee and the four other committee members on the morning of the request. He emphasized the significance of this initiative, particularly since the case of Ceuta, Melilla, and the Jabaliyah islands has remained open since Morocco first raised the subject with the UN in 1965, through its envoy to the organization at the time, Idriss Selawi. He noted that the last discussion regarding this matter occurred in 1975.

Benhassi affirmed Morocco's ongoing claim to these territories, highlighting that the most recent publication from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry in the official Gazette refers to Ceuta and Melilla as occupied enclaves. He reiterated that Morocco's claims over these cities and the mentioned islands are not only legitimate but also a matter of asserting rightful sovereignty. He stressed the importance of reopening discussions on this topic that has not been conclusively settled but rather overlooked due to Moroccan diplomacy's primary focus on the Western Sahara issue in recent times.

As the Western Sahara issue nears its resolution, especially with international support, civil society has deemed it appropriate to reignite discussions about Ceuta and Melilla, urging the United Nations to revisit the issue and invite all parties concerned to engage in dialogue.

Maroumid Initiatives has fortified its request with an array of legal and historical references, including official UN documents, treaties, historical and diplomatic papers, as well as archival materials and geographical-administrative maps.

As reported by hespress.com.