Madrid and Rabat hold discreet talks to find a way out of the diplomatic crisis

The King talks with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, at the reception for the diplomatic corps this Monday in Madrid.EFE/JUAN CARLOS HIDALGO (EFE)

The King made official this Monday, in his speech before the diplomatic corps, the agreement reached by Madrid and Rabat to "jointly redefine" their relations. It was the first time that Felipe VI publicly referred to a diplomatic crisis that has lasted eight months. Basing bilateral cooperation "on firmer and more solid pillars" is an ambitious goal, since the relationship between the two countries, always fraught with suspicion and mistrust, is shaken by periodic shocks: from the occupation of the islet of Perejil, in 2002, at the entry of more than 10,000 irregular immigrants in Ceuta, in May 2021

The objective of the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, is to agree on a stable framework of relations that allows differences to be encapsulated and discrepancies to be addressed without blackmail or surprises. Since taking office last July, he has had multiple talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Burita, but they have yet to meet face to face. On the two occasions they were to meet—last September, at the UN General Assembly in New York; and in November, in the Union for the Mediterranean (UPM), in Barcelona—, the meetings were frustrated due to the non-appearance of the second. Nor has Albares gone to Rabat, the usual destination of the first trip of the heads of Spanish diplomacy.

Although the saying ensures that two do not fight if one does not want to, Spain has not wanted to fight with Morocco. The proof is that it has not withdrawn its ambassador in Rabat at any time, while Morocco called its ambassador last May and has not yet returned it. In these months, the Moroccan authorities have alternated good words (such as King Mohamed VI's speech last August, in which he called for the initiation of an "unprecedented stage" in the bilateral relationship), with provocations: such as the construction of a fish farm in the waters of the Chafarinas Islands or the complaint of an alleged lack of control of those infected by covid in Spanish airports. However, according to Spanish diplomatic sources, cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration has been restored and, last Christmas,the Moroccan police prevented several assaults on the fences of Ceuta and Melilla.

The background, however, is the conflict in the Sahara. The crisis did not begin last April with the reception in a Spanish hospital of the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Gali, but months before, in December 2020, with the recognition of the Moroccan nature of the former Spanish colony by President Trump. It was then that Rabat unilaterally canceled the high-level meeting (RAN), scheduled for a week later. Since then, Morocco has not ceased to pressure Spain to "come out of the comfort zone" and support its proposal for autonomy for the Sahara, instead of the self-determination referendum. It has also done it with Germany. The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has sent a letter to Mohamed VI in which he says that the offer of autonomy can be "a good basis" to reach an agreement.It seems that this gesture could be enough for Rabat to restore its relations with Berlin, broken before it was with Madrid. But it is not clear if it would be enough to seal the reconciliation with Spain. For now, all that Albares has gone so far has been to declare that Spain would accept any agreement "within the full range of possibilities established by Security Council resolutions." In other words, autonomy, yes, but if the parties agree on it and the UN blesses it.all the far that Albares has gone has been to declare that Spain would accept any agreement “within the full range of possibilities established by the Security Council resolutions”. In other words, autonomy, yes, but if the parties agree on it and the UN blesses it.all the far that Albares has gone has been to declare that Spain would accept any agreement “within the full range of possibilities established by the Security Council resolutions”. In other words, autonomy, yes, but if the parties agree on it and the UN blesses it.