In 2002, Spain and Morocco clashed over a small island, with Morocco taking it over and Spain quickly retaking it. The real tension is over two Spanish cities on Morocco's coast, with both countries claiming them. The island incident seemed like a test of Spain's resolve to defend these cities.
Ceuta, Melilla, and Spain's Historical Ties in North Africa
In 711, the Goths ruled Spain and also had control over Ceuta. That year, Islamic armies conquered Ceuta, allied with the local Gothic commander, and used it as a base to invade Spain. It wasn't until 1415 that Ceuta came under European control again when the Portuguese established a protectorate over the city. In 1578, a decisive battle at Al-Ksar al-Kebir saw Moroccan forces defeat the Portuguese, leading to chaos in Portugal due to the death of their king and the decimation of their army. That same year, Spain annexed Portugal and took control of Ceuta. In 1581, Spain first gained control of Perejil and Ceuta after Portugal handed them over. The union between Spain and Portugal ended in 1640, but in 1663 Ceuta chose to remain under Spanish control. By 1668, Portugal and Spain signed a treaty to end the War of Restoration, with Portugal relinquishing any claims to Ceuta. Melilla became a Spanish possession in 1497, shortly after the Reconquista of Spain and before Pamplona joined the Kingdom of Castilla y Leon in 1512. Spanish territories in Morocco were relatively peaceful until 1859 when a revolt broke out in Ceuta. Spain quickly suppressed this six-month-long uprising and gained more territory due to concessions from the Moroccan Sultan. Another revolt occurred in Melilla in 1893, requiring Spain to send over 15,000 reinforcements. After losing the Spanish-American War, which severely impacted Spain, its remaining overseas territories were limited to a few places including Ceuta, Melilla, Ifni, Rio de Oro, and Equatorial Guinea. In 1909, another rebellion occurred near Melilla. This was significant as it happened soon after the Spanish-American War and was the first action seen by the post-war officer corps. Among these officers was Francisco Franco, who would become a dictator of Spain. The territory experienced various conflicts until a full-scale rebellion in 1919, leading the Spanish authorities to create the Spanish Foreign Legion in Ceuta. Franco later commanded this Legion, using it in Morocco and the Spanish Civil War, marking the start of his rise to power. The African enclaves thus have a historical significance, being the starting point for the centuries-long Muslim rule in Spain and later serving as a training ground for key figures in the Spanish Civil War.
Morocco and Spain's Territorial Disputes Post-1956
Morocco gained its independence in 1956, but Spain kept control of several territories including Melilla, Ceuta, Ifni, the Spanish Sahara, and various islands including Chafarinas, Alhucemas, Velez, la Gomera, and Perejil. Morocco considered Melilla and Ceuta as colonies, but the UN didn't list them as such because Spaniards had been living there long before Morocco's existence. Morocco started making moves into Ifni in 1957, and after some clashes, Spain handed it over to Morocco in 1969. Spain continued to hold the Spanish Sahara, exploiting its phosphate deposits found near Bou-Craa in 1945. In 1972, a group of students formed the Polisario Front, launching a guerrilla campaign against Spanish rule in Sahara with Libya's support in 1973. With Franco nearing the end of his life, Spain, more focused on its leadership transition, proposed a referendum for the colony in 1974. This move surprised Morocco's King Hassan II, who had survived coup attempts and faced guerrilla activities in the south. To prepare his army and buy time, he filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Meanwhile, Spain supported the Polisario Front. A UN mission in 1975 announced that most in the Spanish Sahara favored independence, and the ICJ ruled there was no sovereignty link between the territory and Morocco or Mauritania. Despite this, King Hassan II claimed the ICJ ruled in his favor and organized a Green March to reclaim the territory. Regarding Perejil Island, it had been under Portuguese control since 1415 as part of Ceuta. Spain took over in 1581, with Portugal recognizing Spanish sovereignty in 1668. Spain began exerting its sovereignty in 1779 with a military reconnaissance. The British occupied it during the Napoleonic Wars until 1813. In 1836, Washington expressed interest in building a coaling station there, but Spain, persuaded by Britain, rejected the idea. Rumors in 1894 suggested Morocco ceded claims to Britain, but the treaty dividing Morocco between Spain and France didn't mention the island. Spanish Foreign Legionnaires occupied it from the 1930s to the 1960s, after which it was uninhabited. Ceuta's autonomy statute doesn't mention Perejil. Morocco claims it was liberated in 1956. In 1975, Morocco presented the island and other Spanish enclaves to the UN Decolonialization Committee, but the UN has not ruled on their status.
Spanish Sahara Crisis and Spain-Morocco Relations
By October 21, 1975, over half a million Moroccans had gathered at the Spanish Sahara border. With Washington and Paris backing King Hassan, Spain, distracted by Franco's impending succession, stopped supporting the Polisario Front. Morocco had 25,000 troops ready, outnumbering Spain's 20,000. On October 21, Spain began negotiations with Morocco, and within a week, started withdrawing from the colony. On November 5, in a symbolic act called the "Green March, " around 300,000 Moroccans crossed the border with flags, pictures of the King, and the Koran. By November 8, Spain had capitulated, agreeing on November 14 to leave the colony by February 1976. During this period, Morocco also claimed Ceuta and Melilla, pushing for their control. Spain responded by sending gunboats to these ports, making it clear that any attempts to take these enclaves would be met differently than the situation in Ifini or the Spanish Sahara. The message was that Spain wouldn't withdraw from these enclaves. Franco died on November 20, 1975, leaving Spain with only Melilla, Ceuta, and a few islands, totaling 32 square kilometers and home to 120,000 Spaniards. The Spanish Sahara's transfer gave Ceuta and Melilla a break from Moroccan claims for about a decade. Morocco stopped bringing up these enclaves at the United Nations Decolonialization Committee, likely to avoid confrontation over Western Sahara's self-determination. In 1985, Spain and Morocco even conducted joint naval exercises, with Spain ironically preparing defense plans for the enclaves. The détente ended in January 1987 when King Hassan proposed to end Spain's presence in the enclaves. Spain didn't respond to this proposal. Hassan hinted that if Britain returned Gibraltar to Spain, Spain should do the same with the enclaves to Morocco. Following this, there were attempts to breach the border and violent clashes in February involving Muslims and "cristianos" (non-Arab Spaniards), injuring 22 people. In March, demonstrations demanding Moroccan identity broke out in the Spanish territories. In 1988, Morocco broke its silence at the UN. Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdelatif Filali, emphasized the need to resolve the dispute over Ceuta, Melilla, and other small islands to maintain harmony between the two nations across the Strait of Gibraltar. Relations improved in 1989 with King Hassan's visit to Spain, and in 1991, both monarchs signed a Treaty of Friendship, the first between Spain and an Arab nation. The treaty emphasized non-violence, non-intervention, peaceful dispute resolution, and respect for human rights and freedoms.