The Spanish government has been promoting an African film festival in Tangier for three years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides 60,000 euros each year to support this festival, which has already had two editions in 2020 and 2021. In total, 191,000 euros have been spent on the event during this period.
The significant influx of passengers on the first ferries heading to Morocco from Spanish ports suggests an Marhaba Operation that will be exceptional this summer, after two years of closure of maritime borders.
President Pedro Sanchez welcomed the resumption of the relationship with Morocco, which follows the change in position on the Sahara. This "historic" turnaround should lead to the rapid reopening of the border crossings of Ceuta and Melilla, which is nevertheless slow to materialize.
Carlos Patricio B. M., of Spanish origin, has admitted to killing the Moroccan Younes Bilal in Mazarrón (Murcia) last June. The murder weapon was found at his home.
NGOs like CGT Ceuta Social Action have denounced the arrests and immediate expulsions of Moroccan migrants in irregular situations in several cities in Spain.
Motorhome enthusiasts have mixed views on the resumption of maritime traffic between Morocco and Spain, which was formalized after the reconciliation between the two countries.
The working group in charge of delimiting the territorial waters between Morocco and Spain will meet in the coming days, in accordance with the agreement reached during Pedro Sanchez’s visit to Rabat on April 7. The issue of the waters of the Sahara remains unresolved.
Spain’s change of position on the Moroccan Sahara has prompted Algeria to threaten to break its contract with its partner, who intends to reopen the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline in the opposite direction to transport gas to Morocco via the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME) as part of a new trade agreement with the kingdom. Revelations have been made about the relaunch of the GME, which highlight the hypocrisy of the Algerian authorities.
For the "first time", Morocco will buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the international market and transport it to its territory via the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME) in the opposite direction, after having it transformed in a regasification plant in Spain. The operation should generate a profit of 10 million euros for Spain.
The Melilla section of the Vox party has asked the Spanish authorities to terminate the good neighborliness agreement with Morocco. At issue are Moroccan babies born in the autonomous city and fraudulently registered as Spanish on the civil registry.
The government of Ceuta and the government delegation have described as "wise" the decision to keep the border with Morocco closed for another fifteen days. A period that will be used to prepare for the reopening under good conditions.
The Court of First Instance of Moguer (Huelva) has finally authorized the repatriation to Morocco of the body of Taofik Belassal, the Moroccan seasonal worker who died on December 14, 2019 in a fire that broke out in a shantytown in Huelva.