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The Spanish government has been making attempts to calm media frustration over the ongoing delays in the reopening of customs borders between Morocco and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla
On Monday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares made a public statement about the situation, acknowledging delays in the complete reopening of customs posts in Ceuta and Melilla.
Morocco and Spain initially agreed that the reopening would be executed on January 8.
“Both countries thought that January 8 could be the day for the first official step,” as tests showed positive results.
Three pilot tests were conducted in 2023 but there is “still work to be done by both customs authorities to definitively resolve any technical problems that may exist,” he added.
Customs borders have been shut since 2018 after Morocco cited several challenges, including factors challenging its economy.
The customs shutdown also affected the enclaves, with local authorities calling on the Spanish government to tackle the situation.
In 2022, however, Spain and Morocco opened a new chapter of bilateral ties – addressing political and diplomatic challenges that had seen relations between the two countries go through a year of boycotts and delays.
Bilateral relations between the two neighbors had hit a new low in 2021 following Spain’s unilateral decision to host and hospitalize Polisario leader Brahim Ghali.
After months of consultations and dialogue, the two countries normalized and further strengthened their diplomatic relations after Madrid decided to endorse the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible political solution to the Sahara dispute.
Read also: Facts about Western Sahara Conflict that You Should Know
Prior to the announcement of this shift, Spanish media had launched a fierce campaign targeting Morocco and its migration policy. They notably accused the North African country of using “blackmailing” methods against Spain to secure support for its Western Sahara cause.
The campaign came in response to Morocco’s firm position against any move that would undermine efforts seeking to strengthen its Sahara cause.
Similar claims resurface whenever a potential disagreement or negotiations between the two countries happen – including over the customs borders in recent weeks.
On Monday, several Spanish outlets redeployed the same blackmail claims and accusations. In particular, there have been reports claiming that Morocco is demanding control over Western Sahara’s airspace as a “condition” for fully implementing the customs agreement.
Morocco “blocked” the customs operations by subjecting the only two daily trucks allowed one per enclave to extensive inspections, converging Spanish reports claimed.
Citing “diplomatic sources,” they argued that Morocco is using this situation to pressure Spain into transferring control of Western Sahara’s airspace.
Last month, Spanish media suggested that Morocco now manages 15 and 20% of the ASaara’s airspace, claiming that the North African country had made that “unilaterally.”
Albares, however, dismissed these “strange theories,” questioning them in recent comments at the Congress of Deputies.
While the current customs situation remains unresolved, there is “a clear, transparent roadmap between Spain and Morocco that is being followed,” he said.
