Morocco Removes Border Barriers, Sparking Speculation on Spain-Morocco Reopening

22 September 2021 – byPrince@Bladi · 1 min read

Morocco has removed the concrete barriers at the Beni-Enzar border, on the Moroccan side, a few hours before the telephone exchange between Albares and Bourita. A video of the operation, which went viral on social media, has fueled rumors about an imminent reopening of the borders.

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, had a telephone conversation on Tuesday with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. The two men announced an upcoming physical meeting, which will mark an important step in the ongoing restoration of relations between Spain and Morocco, according to Spanish diplomatic sources at Melilla Hoy.

To read: Spain’s New Foreign Minister Prioritizes Strengthening Ties with Morocco

The virtual meeting between Albares and Bourita, initiated by the head of Spanish diplomacy, aims to "consolidate" relations between Spain and Morocco and promote "mutual respect", the same sources said.

Spain hosted in May the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, causing a serious diplomatic crisis with Morocco. Minister Arancha González Laya, harshly criticized by Morocco, was ousted from the government by President Sanchez following a reshuffle in mid-July.