The Spanish army chief arrives in Melilla and Ceuta amid crisis with Morocco

Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, chief of staff of the Spanish Defence Staff (JEMAD), travelled to Melilla on Thursday, 3 September. He was accompanied by the commander of operations and several senior military officials.

According to the Spanish Defence Staff, the admiral wished to “personally thank” the members of the armed forces assigned to the city. He also met with the president of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda, the representative of the Spanish government, Sabrina Moh, as well as the main local military commanders.

On Bladi.net : 72,000 crossings into Sebta: Spanish police accuse Morocco of organizing everything

Officially, this visit is linked neither to any particular alert nor to the crisis with Morocco. But its timing gives it an obvious political and military significance, InfoDefensa points out.

It comes just over a month after the 72,000 crossings recorded in Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. Pedro Sánchez has since acknowledged that Moroccan forces had allowed migrants to pass for ten hours, while refusing to accuse Rabat of organising this mass arrival.

After Melilla, onward to Ceuta

The trip did not stop in Melilla. On Friday, 4 September, Teodoro López Calderón also travelled to Ceuta to meet with civilian and military officials and show his support for the soldiers mobilised since the border crisis.

Around 3,200 military personnel are assigned to Melilla, mainly within the Comandancia General de Melilla. The city is notably home to units of the Legion, the Regulares, cavalry, artillery and engineering. These forces also ensure the Spanish presence on the islands and rocky outcrops off the northern coast of Morocco.

In Ceuta, more than 2,500 military personnel were mobilised as part of the reinforced deployment set up after the July events. Ground units are maintaining an increased presence near the border and in several sensitive areas, in support of the Spanish security forces.

During the mass crossings in July, the troops based in Melilla had also been placed on alert for fear of a similar movement. The Spanish Defence Staff nevertheless does not present the current tour as a reinforcement operation or a direct response to Morocco.

On Bladi.net : Spanish Military Chief: Morocco Not a Threat to Ceuta and Melilla

The symbolism remains strong: in 2021, this same Teodoro López Calderón stated that Morocco did not constitute a threat to Ceuta and Melilla. Five years later, he is personally visiting the garrisons in both cities, at a time when their security and future are once again fuelling tensions between Madrid and Rabat.

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