The Moroccan claims that worry Spain

The current dynamic around the Sahara issue is prompting Rabat to broaden its claims, worries La Razòn. The priority issue concerns the airspace over the Sahara, the technical management of which has been ensured by Spain since the Canary Islands. This situation stems from a mandate from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) established in 1976, when Madrid withdrew from the territory. The Spanish government has recently declared itself open to discussions to transfer this competence, thus aligning the air management with the administrative reality on the ground.

The maritime aspect is the second point of friction. In 2020, the Moroccan Parliament adopted laws defining its maritime borders with Spain and Mauritania. These delimitations encompass the waters adjacent to the Sahara and create an overlap with the exclusive economic zone of the Canary Islands. At the heart of this area is the Tropic mountain, an underwater mountain rich in strategic minerals (tellurium, cobalt) essential for green technologies, which Morocco intends to integrate under its jurisdiction.

In the background, the "Committee for the Defense of Morocco’s Affairs" continues to carry historical claims on the Spanish sovereign territories in North Africa. The Perejil, Chafarinas and Alhucemas islets, the Vélez de la Gomera rock, as well as the cities of Ceuta and Melilla are cited. Although these files were not officially addressed at the last bilateral summit, they remain constants in Moroccan nationalist rhetoric.