Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi reiterated Rabat’s longstanding claim to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, describing them as Moroccan lands and stressing that the issue remains on the table in all bilateral talks with Spain.
In an interview with Asharq News, Ouahbi said “this matter remains on the table and every time we meet with the Spanish, we raise the question.”
“We continue to hold on to our lands” and “We continue to claim our territories.” Ouahbi framed the dispute as one requiring patience and a long-term approach.
“We have our own policy to address this issue with patience and in the long term,” he said.
“There are Moroccans and Spaniards inside Ceuta and Melilla, and we continue to cling to our lands. This requires a long-term view and we want to resolve the problem through dialogue,” he said.
Morocco has consistently viewed Ceuta and Melilla as the last remnants of Spanish colonial presence in its north.
Rabat maintains that the enclaves form an integral part of Moroccan territory and should return to Moroccan sovereignty, a position it has advanced since independence in 1956.
In the same interview, the justice minister addressed the recent migration surge denying that Morocco uses irregular migration as a pressure tool against Spain and calling for the return of unaccompanied Moroccan minors currently in the enclave.
