Spain stands alone

Mending the great rift in relations between Spain and Morocco is certainly no easy task. But it seems counterproductive that public statements issued by various representatives of the two governments have only contributed, in recent days, to making the rift even bigger. 

Spain's Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, lashed out harshly against Morocco on Saturday during the commemoration of Armed Forces Day in Madrid. Two days earlier, it was Morocco's ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, who questioned mutual respect following a speech by the Spanish foreign minister in Congress, and stressed that Morocco had taken note and would act accordingly. The strategic interests of Spanish-Moroccan relations mean that those in charge are taking the necessary steps, discreetly and effectively, to prevent the rift from turning into a tear with a much more complicated solution. However, the public attitude of political leaders does not help. The Spanish Defence Minister had no qualms about accusing Morocco of using minors to cross borders, something she said was unacceptable from the point of view of international and humanitarian law. However, in this televised intervention, the minister did not offer her opinion on the reception in Spain of Morocco's bitter enemy, the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, who is already in Algiers after leaving Spain on Tuesday night after appearing before the Spanish justice system to answer a lawsuit for genocide and torture in the Tindouf camps, filed by a Spanish citizen of Sahrawi origin. The judge did not find sufficient evidence to impose precautionary measures or to order provisional detention. He only required an address and telephone number in Spain to be contacted if necessary.

Initially, the origin of the crisis is Ghali's reception by the Sánchez government, which was neither communicated nor explained to his Moroccan neighbour, despite the fact that he is considered a privileged partner. As a jurist, Margarita Robles might assess this delicate decision with a Ghali using a false name as a likely means of avoiding action by the Spanish National Court. Robles has refused, for budgetary reasons, an invitation to participate in a major military manoeuvre organised annually by the United States in Morocco, African Lion, with the participation of nine countries. But the true reason is that some of the manoeuvres this year were to take place in a Saharan locality, and the PSOE-UP coalition government did not want to legitimise what it considers to be an occupation of the Sahara. This is the key to the conflict: Sánchez, contrary to international reality and interests and those of the Saharawis themselves, does not recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. So much so that he allows the EU to threaten Morocco with sanctions. Spain stands alone and without political weight.