Sánchez defends Morocco ties and denies any bargaining over the Sahara
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Yabiladi
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended relations with Morocco, saying they are based on economic, cultural and security interdependence, and denying any “bargaining” over the Sahara. He also said Madrid is continuing investigations into the causes of the Ceuta crisis, according to an interview on the “Memorias de Pez” podcast.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his country's policy towards Morocco and denied any bargaining over the Sahara in an interview on the “Memorias de Pez” podcast published on Sunday. He described relations with Rabat as based on social, cultural and economic interdependence, investment, and security and migration cooperation, and rejected relying on “assumptions to redefine bilateral relations with a neighbouring country”.
Sánchez was responding to a question about reports attributed to Spain's National Police, reported by Spanish media last week, concerning the role of “Moroccan security elements” in facilitating migrants' access to the Ceuta border fence. The head of government said he had requested six reports and conducted intelligence analyses to establish the origin of the events in summer 2026, while refusing to put them on the same footing as the 2021 Ceuta crisis. “Border control, particularly in Ceuta, becomes much more difficult without Moroccan cooperation on the other side,” he said.
Sánchez maintained Spain's position on the status of the two cities, saying sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla had not been discussed with Morocco, and described sovereignty and territorial integrity as a “red line”.
The remarks come after his statements on 8 November on Spanish support for autonomy in the Sahara and his stated intention on 25 October to avoid a diplomatic escalation with Morocco.
