By Florencia Salgueiro
Friction between Spain and Morocco occurs in the context of a shared complicity against the human rights of African migrants and the self-determination of Western Sahara. The mobilization of the peoples shows the road to follow against the oppression. It is necessary to re-group the revolutionaries and move forward the development of new leftist alternatives
On June 24th, 37 people were murdered and hundreds were injured when trying to enter Spain through Melilla. The repression was carried out by the Moroccan and the Spanish State security forces. Representatives from both states justified their actions and distanced themselves from the political responsibilities they have. A new diplomatic episode opened that put three topics on the table: human rights, the status of Ceuta and Melilla and the positioning in regards to Western Sahara.
Violation of basic human rights
Regarding the repression and the massacre in Melilla, the Moroccan authorities affirmed that there was only “false information” and “organized immigrants” who acted with “unusual violence”. On the Spanish side, at the time, Minister Marlaska said: “It is clear that we are talking about an episode of violent attempt of irregular entry that is unjustifiable”. These are not words spoken at random, since the government of the “progressive coalition” PSOE-Podemos executes “hot returns” of migrants. The justifications come from the same people who violate the human rights of the Saharawi population and from those who, by their silence and inaction, endorse the repression, imprisonment and torture in the occupied territories.
On Ceuta and Melilla
The Alaouite kingdom sent a letter to the UN mentioning that Morocco “does not have land borders with Spain”, but “simple access points”, and that Melilla “remains an occupied presidio”. The Spanish President, Pedro Sanchez, responded from the Congress by reaffirming that “Ceuta and Melilla are Spain”. Later, in view of the dimension that the events took, a high-ranking official of the Moroccan Foreign Ministry backtracked and pointed out that there are also “land borders” between the two countries. The fact is that Ceuta and Melilla are the only Autonomous Cities administered by a country that is a member of the European Union, despite being located on the African continent. Moreover, the origin of their status dates back to the conquest and division of Africa by the European colonialists. The current counterpoint on sovereignty goes on with impunity while denying the sovereignty of Western Sahara.
They deny the self-determination of Western Sahara
The relationship between the kingdoms of Spain and Morocco develops with permanent frictions that appear and disappear according to the political conjunctures. However, the dominant feature between the two countries is complicity. Morocco acts as a border agent to the south of the EU and Spain compensates it with “financial aid” and commercial agreements “in the framework of a frank cooperation between two partners and friends”. With varying intensity, they take a position on Ceuta’s and Melilla’s membership while disregarding Western Sahara’s sovereignty over its own territories, pushing Mohamed VI’s autonomy plan against Saharawi self-determination. The Spanish and Moroccan regimes display an unlimited cynicism which is also expressed in the field of human rights.
Punishment to those responsible for the massacre
Even if they wash their hands, the authorities of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Spanish State have a shared complicity in the massacre in Melilla. On both sides of the fence, they guard the project of the racist and anti-immigrant “Fortress Europe”. That is why both deployed a racist and criminal operation on desperate people trying to enter Spain and, by that way, the EU. We demand an Independent Investigation Commission, formed by human rights organizations and the punishment of those politically and materially responsible for the loss of lives and injuries.
Demonstration for a Free Sahara
Against the backdrop of the stance on Western Sahara, we will continue to defend their right to self-determination, denouncing the violation of human rights, repression and persecution of the Saharawi people in the occupied territories. For this reason we support and call to participate in the demonstration that will take place on November 12 in Madrid, Spain.
For a socialist solution
In addressing the situations involving Europe and Africa, it is necessary to emphasize that it is the powerful who plunder territories, exploit workers for capitalist profits and oppress peoples to rule as they please. Only the mobilized unity of the peoples will succeed in defeating the imperialists, the bourgeois governments, the dictators and the monarchies and will be able to open the road to liberation. It is an indissoluble struggle within the framework of the strategy that the workers and socialism rule. It is necessary to turn everything around, and this requires advancing in the international re-groupment of revolutionaries and in the construction of new left alternatives in all the countries of the world.
