Le Nouvel Afrique-Asie: Spain's military action in Tourah islet will not veil islet moroccanity, Moroccan FM

Spain's attitude and its military action in the Tourah islet are only meant to stop Morocco from laying claims over the occupied cities of Sebta and Melilia, Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, told French monthly "Le Nouvel Afrique-Asie."

He went on that Spanish actions in the islet will not veil the fact that it is a Moroccan territory, as shown by documents, maps, history and geography.

Morocco is not seeking and does not want the militarization of an essentially-political issue, he said stressing that Spain perfectly knows that the islet is a Moroccan territory which has never been included in any map, including the maps drawn by the protectorate authorities, as part of Spain.

To a question on future moves Morocco intends to take regarding the issue of Sebta and Melilia, he expressed Morocco's permanent readiness to discuss the issue with neighboring Spain and recalled that he raised the issue twice at the United Nations where he proposed solutions inspired from the cases of Hong Kong and Macao.

Spain claims that its presence in the two Moroccan northern cities for three centuries entitles it to rights, but there is no anteriority in issues of sovereignty, he argued recalling that other European states have been occupying countries for years but this does not give them any sovereignty rights over these countries. He cited in this regard the case of Gibraltar claimed by Spain despite a long British presence on the Rock.

After he recalled that the late king Hassan II had suggested the creation of a "cell" to ponder on the future of the two cities, the head of the Moroccan diplomacy said it is not only "strange" but also "stupid" to pretend that the two occupied cities are part of the European Union simply because Spain, which is occupying them, considers them as such.