HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zariouh
In a move described as "playing with fire" above the Mediterranean waters, the commander of the military command in the Canary Islands, General Julio Salom, decided to intrude into the diplomatic scene with an inspection visit to the occupied enclaves of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and Alhucemas.
This move, which would not have gone unnoticed, came to bring to the forefront the file of the remaining colonial enclaves, in a clear Spanish military display that disregards all the understandings of the "new phase" between the two countries. The visit was not just an inspection tour to raise morale, but turned into a platform to flex muscles through the official accounts of the Spanish army; where the general stood on the smallest details of military fortifications and the monitoring and radar systems directed towards the Moroccan coasts. This scene, which was carefully drawn behind the walls of the occupied Melilla command, carried within it a "harsh" political message meaning that Madrid is still adhering to the logic of the military fortress in the face of its Moroccan neighbor. Although these enclaves and islands, including "Leila Island" and the Jaafari Islands, are located at a distance that can be crossed by swimming from the Moroccan beaches, Spain's insistence on militarizing them turns them into "time bombs." The continued Spanish military presence in these sensitive points not only represents a daily provocation to Moroccan sovereignty, but always puts bilateral relations on the edge of a volcano that may erupt at the first field contact. The data leaked from the corridors of the Spanish military establishment confirms that Madrid views these rocks as "strategic lungs" that are indispensable for monitoring and deployment, where fighters from the elite units "Legion" and "Regulars" are stationed. This continuous logistical build-up seeks to impose a policy of "fait accompli" by force of arms, and to transform the occupied Moroccan islands into advanced listening centers that penetrate the Moroccan depth on the Mediterranean front. The timing of this move raises major questions, especially as it comes at the height of the Moroccan "sovereign awakening," and the increasing voices demanding the end of the last colonial enclaves in the African continent. The Spanish insistence on demonstrating force on the occupied Moroccan soil reflects Madrid's desire to curb Moroccan ambitions, and prevent Rabat from putting the file of "decolonization" as a priority in its upcoming diplomatic agenda. Analysts believe that these moves are a blatant expression of a state of "geopolitical panic" that dominates decision-making circles in Madrid, coinciding with the growing military and diplomatic power of Morocco. While Morocco extends its arms as a rising regional power, Spain clings to its occupied rocks, trying to regain a lost influence in an area that no longer accepts colonial guardianship, which puts the future of "good neighborliness" in jeopardy. In conclusion, the visit of General "Salom" remains a desperate attempt to draw imaginary borders over lands that Moroccans see as an integral part of their identity and geography. While Spain tries to establish its "sovereignty" with iron and fire, Rabat remains committed to its historical right to complete its territorial unity, considering that the file of the occupied enclaves is the "bleeding wound" that will not heal except with the return of rights to their owners, no matter how long the occupation lasts.
