King Felipe and Queen Letizia Visit Ceuta as Sanchez Plays Down Moroccan Navy Incident
King Felipe and Queen Letizia began a visit to the North African enclave of Ceuta on October 13–14. On the eve of the visit, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addressed reports of Moroccan naval vessels entering Spanish waters, returning Ceuta to the national spotlight.
Sanchez told state broadcaster TVE on October 12 that Moroccan naval vessels had entered Spanish waters off Ceuta without permission after late July's mass migrant crossing, calling the incidents isolated and underscoring the importance of relations with Morocco. El Pais reported, citing unnamed sources, that at least one Moroccan frigate and several patrol boats sailed through Spanish sovereign waters and that a Spanish frigate intercepted them.
At the end of July, over 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, sparking a humanitarian and diplomatic crisis that remains partially unresolved and has stoked political tensions ahead of the November 29 snap election. Rabat claims sovereignty over Ceuta and Spain's other enclave, Melilla, so the royal visit could heighten sensitivities.
The Spanish government did not reply to requests for comment and Morocco's foreign ministry could not immediately be reached. Sanchez said cooperation between the two navies remains smooth despite the intense days in July.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：休达非洲广场。摄影：Diego Delso，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
