Spain just got flooded in its own African cities while Morocco calls them occupied

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“Yes, the core historical claims in the post are accurate.

20minutos.es

Ceuta and Melilla have been under continuous Spanish (or Portuguese, then Spanish) control for centuries—far longer than the modern independent state of Morocco has existed.Melilla: Conquered by Spanish forces (under the Duke of Medina Sidonia, with support from the Catholic Monarchs) in 1497. It has remained Spanish ever since.

en.wikipedia.org

Ceuta: Conquered by Portugal in 1415. It passed to Spain during the Iberian Union (1580). When Portugal regained independence in 1640, Ceuta chose to stay with Spain; this was formalized by the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668.

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These were held as Spanish plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty) long before the Spanish and French protectorates over Morocco were established in 1912. When Morocco gained independence in 1956, Spain retained them on the grounds that they predated the protectorate and were never part of it.

en.wikipedia.org

The modern Kingdom of Morocco (as a fully independent, internationally recognized state in its current form) dates to 1956. Earlier Moroccan polities and dynasties existed (Idrisids from the late 8th century onward, followed by others), but the post did not claim those never existed—it specifically referred to the modern state of Morocco.

roughguides.com

Morocco has claimed Ceuta and Melilla as “occupied” or “Moroccan territory” since independence and continues to do so. Spain rejects this, viewing them as integral parts of its national territory (now autonomous cities), not colonies. The UN does not list them as non-self-governing territories awaiting decolonization (unlike Gibraltar or Western Sahara). International recognition of Spanish sovereignty is widespread in practice, even if Morocco disputes it.

bbc.co.uk

The post’s distinction between Spain’s long history and a temporary government, and its rejection of the “occupied territory” framing, aligns with the Spanish historical and legal position, which is well-supported by the timeline of control.”

 

h/t dr0id

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