Spain-morocco conflict points

Spain-Morocco conflict points

   For nearly five years as political relations between Spain and Morocco are characterized by an almost permanent conflict, a matter of concern because of the importance to our country the alaui kingdom. Purely strategic reasons, a history intertwined for centuries, and the presence of hundreds of thousands of Moroccan workers in Spain are among the reasons whichneed a better and deeper understanding, which can only be reached if current positions are relaxed.
  
   The main issues that complicate these relationships are the future of the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara, non-renewal of fishing agreements, which has deprived the Spanish fleet of one of their main fishing grounds, "the continuing demand for Morocco on autonomous cities of Ceutaand Melilla and the fight against the drug cartels and illegal immigration. Its complexity predicts a difficult return to normal, would have to pass as a prerequisite for the return of the two ambassadors to Madrid and Rabat.

   26 years remains to be held in Western Sahara to self-determination referendum approved by the UN. The total opposition of the Kingdom of Morocco to the possibleindependence of this former Spanish colony that has been delayed numerous times and that may never come to take place. The Security Council recently adopted by the United Nations over a year to extend the mandate of the mission deployed in the Sahara (MINURSO).

Spanish province since 1957, the population of the Sahara began to claim independence from the 60's, following the trend seen throughoutcolonial Africa. In 1973, he is to this end the Frente Polisario and the following year Spain to the UN promised a referendum on self-determination that never took place. On November 6, 1975 came the famous Green March, a clever maneuver that took advantage of King Hassan the weakness of Spain directed by Franco dying. With it manages to be signed within days after the Madrid Agreement, by whichSpain ceded Western Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania and the Polisario left out, pushing the group to immediately start the war against them, forcing the Mauritania to abandon the conflict in 1979 and leave your party to the Moroccans. The war lasts 16 long years until 1991, when agreement is reached cease-fire brokered by the UN, followed in January next year by the promise of organizing areferendum.

Meanwhile, most of the Saharan population (approximately 180,000 people on a total of 300,000) remain displaced in refugee camps in the desert town of Tindouf in Algeria, while Morocco has occupied most of the territory through the walls built along across the border.

  For Morocco, it is beyond question the lack of integration of the Sahara in its territory. In the former Spanish colonyare very important natural resources like oil, gas, phosphates and rich fishing bank, but is also Mohamed VI has posted very strong for his Moroccan, both for reasons of political force as a nationalist appeal to a population beset by a troubling economic situation.

  This position is supported by none other than the United States, France and the UK. They argue that this solution can stabilize avery important strategic area, but no concessions to know the French and U.S. multinationals for oil and gas bags detected in the area, and the increasing influence of both governments on the Moroccan King Mohamed VI.

  Interestingly, while Morocco has strongly protested the granting of prospecting Repsol outside Spanish territorial waters, but more than a hundred miles off the Moroccan coast.By contrast, Spain, Algeria and Russia are the main supporters of the Polisario Front, though the Spanish government's position has been getting warmer over time, to stop insisting on the necessity of the referendum and limited to demand an agreement that satisfies both sides.

Two Spanish cities?

  The city of Ceuta was conquered first by the Portuguese in 1415, and there came under...