Spain Flexes Military Muscle in Melilla, Asserting Sovereignty Amid Moroccan Claims

Last Sunday, Spain sent the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, the largest warship built in Spain, to the waters of Melilla. Since February, the Spanish navy has deployed the patrol boat Isla Pinto (P-84) in Melilla to carry out a permanent mission of deterrence and surveillance, as well as on the islands and rocks under Spanish sovereignty and claimed by Morocco, recalls El Debate.

The president of the autonomous city, Juan José Imbroda, as well as the members of his government, were the first to swear allegiance to the Spanish flag on board the Juan Carlos 1, in the presence of the government delegate, Sabrina Moh, and the political personalities of the city, such as the deputy Sofía Acedo. In total, some 270 civilians took the oath of allegiance to Spain, thus expressing their "loyalty to the King" and their commitment to "give their lives to defend Spain."

Melilla has been under Spanish sovereignty since 1497, when it was conquered by the Duke of Medina Sidonia during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. Morocco, which gained its independence in 1956, claims the presidios of Ceuta and Melilla, considering them an integral part of its territory. But Spain has always reaffirmed the Hispanic nature of the two autonomous cities.