Morocco’s naval exercises in the Sahara worry Spain

In a letter addressed to Minister Albares, Fernando Clavijo expressed his fears about the naval exercises that Morocco is preparing to conduct in the waters of the Sahara, off the Canary Islands, reports Europa Press.

These naval maneuvers will take place in four zones, from March 29 to June 28. During these three months, these zones will be closed to fishing, as indicated in a note dated March 19 by the maritime fisheries delegations of the cities of Laâyoune and Dakhla.

The Royal Moroccan Navy will launch this naval exercise next Friday, which aims to reaffirm Morocco’s sovereignty over the waters of the Sahara. The operation comes a week after the request made last Thursday by the Advocate General before the EU Court of Justice, Tamara Capeta, to annul the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement including the waters of the Sahara.

The EU Court of Justice will deliver its final verdict at the end of June, a period that will coincide with the end of the Moroccan naval maneuvers. It will have to confirm or annul the decision of the EU court which had ruled in September 2021 to annul the said fisheries agreement.