The Spanish government categorically rejected Morocco's proposal to open negotiations over the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla, after Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi called for a bilateral dialogue mechanism to decide the future of both cities.
In an interview with Moroccan public broadcaster 2M, Ouahbi defended what he called Morocco's "historical and geographical" rights over Ceuta and Melilla, and proposed working toward what he described as a "definitive solution," a process he said would end with the integration of both cities into Morocco.
Sources at Spain's Foreign Ministry conveyed to Morocco their "categorical rejection" of these claims and reiterated that Ceuta and Melilla form part of Spain's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and therefore of the territory of the European Union. The official position rules out any negotiation over the status of the two autonomous cities.
Morocco's claim is not new. Rabat has maintained its territorial aspirations over Ceuta and Melilla since its independence in 1956, while Spain has consistently rejected any challenge to its sovereignty over both territories.
The exchange comes at a tense moment between the two countries, weeks after tens of thousands of people crossed the border into Ceuta in late July in a migration crisis that left several people dead and overwhelmed the city's reception capacity. Defence Minister Margarita Robles had previously described both cities as "super Spanish," saying they "cannot be touched."