After Ceuta, the King of Morocco defends the “partnership” with Spain, “a sovereign choice and a voluntary commitment”

The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, defended the “partnership” with Spain on Friday but firmly rejected any attempt at “pressure” or “blackmail” following the Ceuta migration crisis at the end of July, in reference to Spanish criticism of Moroccan migration management.

“Faced with the irresponsible declarations of certain political and media circles and their blatant exploitation of the situation, we affirm that the partnership is a sovereign choice and a voluntary commitment, which cannot be the subject of any pressure or threat, nor of any blackmail,” declared the monarch before Parliament on the occasion of the new parliamentary session.

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He added, without further details, that Morocco would present “to its partners a document in which a clear and practical strategic vision will be set out, carrying a new direction aimed at promoting co-development, economic competitiveness and regional stability”.

A degraded situation in the enclave

On July 30 and 31, more than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta - the Spanish enclave in North Africa - by swimming or on foot from Morocco, a massive and unprecedented influx during which more than a hundred of them died, mainly at sea, according to authorities in Madrid and Rabat.

Since then, the vast majority of these migrants have returned to Morocco. However, several thousand of them remain in Ceuta, where the situation has since deteriorated, giving rise to violence and almost daily demonstrations by residents.