Morocco's Legal Position on Ceuta's Waters
The ongoing discussions surrounding the collective incursion into the occupied city of Ceuta are gaining attention, particularly with Morocco asserting that the waters surrounding this area are part of its territorial claims. A report sent to the United Nations in the 1970s supports this assertion, indicating that Morocco has long considered the waters of Ceuta to fall within its jurisdiction. This claim comes at a time when the Spanish intelligence services have presented a report to the judiciary, accusing Morocco of laxity regarding the recent mass incursion. Such developments signify a precarious phase in the diplomatic relations between Madrid and Rabat, marked by a silent yet dangerous tension.
Recent Developments and Political Ramifications
In a recent publication, the Spanish newspaper "La Razón" highlighted Morocco's belief that the entry of its warships into what they deem the waters of Ceuta during the mass incursion on July 30 and 31 was not a violation of international law. Morocco points to a notification sent to the United Nations on July 21, 1975, which outlined its territorial waters, asserting that the Bay of Ceuta is part of Morocco’s internal waters. Consequently, Morocco has dismissed claims made by the newspaper "El País" regarding the illegal entry of Moroccan warships as unfounded under its legal framework. The legal basis for Morocco's claims rests on a royal decree issued on March 2, 1973, which delineates Moroccan territorial waters, including areas that Spain contests but Morocco asserts as its own.
This royal decree, identified as Dahir No. 2-75-311, serves as the cornerstone of Morocco’s argument to classify the bays of Ceuta as Moroccan internal waters and to establish its maritime boundaries accordingly. Spain does not recognize this delineation, maintaining its own maritime rights over Ceuta. Typically, Morocco and Spain avoid public disputes over territorial waters relating to Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands, allowing for a degree of navigational leniency. However, this current crisis has thrust the issue of Ceuta's waters into the political spotlight, with right-wing factions in Spain leveraging the situation to rally voter support. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a leader from the right, has called for the Spanish ambassador in Rabat to be summoned and for an official protest against Morocco, alongside a call for the deployment of warships in the waters of Ceuta.
In a further escalation, the Spanish intelligence service recently submitted a report to Judge María Tardón in Madrid, who is investigating the mass incursion as an affront to Spain's territorial integrity. This report suggests that Moroccan authorities were aware in advance of the extraordinary situation developing, with serious attempts being made to coordinate the mass incursion into Ceuta, which saw approximately 80,000 people entering the occupied city. The intelligence report indicated that Spain had sent urgent communications to Morocco's primary intelligence agencies, the General Directorate for Studies and Documentation (DGED) and the Civil Intelligence DGST, regarding social media groups inciting the incursion. While the report hints at Morocco's relative complicity for not taking adequate measures to prevent the incursion, it stops short of the more severe accusations outlined in a separate Spanish police report that implicated Moroccan officers in organizing the mass entry.
As Spain approaches its early legislative elections set for the end of November, the right-wing opposition is intensifying its focus on the Ceuta incursion as a pivotal issue to galvanize voter support.
As reported by alquds.co.uk.
