Morocco's revived claim to Ceuta and Melilla is not a demand for decolonisation
Morocco's revived claim to Ceuta and Melilla is not a demand for decolonisation Submitted by Joseph Massad on Mon, 08/31/2026 - 12:36 Rabat's territorial ambitions serve its grudge against Madrid over Western Sahara while aligning with US and Israeli hostility towards Spain over its stance on Gaza A Spanish police officer stands guard as migrants wait to be registered in the Loma Colmenar…
Morocco has recently reasserted its claim to the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla, not as a demand for decolonization but rather as a response to grievances against Spain over Western Sahara and alignment with US and Israeli opposition to Spain's stance on Gaza. Both Ceuta and Melilla, known as Sabtah and Maliliah in Arabic, have been under Spanish control since the 18th century.
However, repeated Moroccan attempts to reclaim them from the 18th to the 20th century have been unsuccessful. Their strategic significance as free ports and fortified cities has made them valuable to Spain.
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