In a stormy parliamentary session about the Ceuta tragedy, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez explained that there is no convincing evidence about Morocco’s supervision of the mass storming of this occupied city, and if the opposite is proven, he will take the measures that the situation requires, while the opposition accuses him of favoring Morocco and defending the interests of this country more than defending the interests of Spain.
Hot Topics
After dozens of Spanish cities witnessed demonstrations of solidarity with Ceuta on Wednesday evening following the mass incursions carried out by between 70,000 and 80,000 people, mostly Moroccans, which left 141 people dead, a parliamentary session was scheduled for Thursday, which was broadcast by various television channels and digital newspapers.
The hearing coincides with the release this week of a police report accusing Moroccan officers from the gendarmerie, police and intelligence services of overseeing the mass raid.
Pedro Sanchez acknowledged that he understands that many citizens believe that “Rabat is behind the massive influx of migrants,” but this time he did not rule that out completely, saying, “We do not have evidence at the moment because no security agency has provided us with any conclusive information on this matter, and we are currently waiting for the progress of the security and judicial investigations.”
He stressed that investigations are still underway to try to determine why Moroccan security forces allowed the crossing into Ceuta in the afternoon hours of July 30, and promised that any results reached will be made available to the public with complete transparency.
He warned that he would not rush into a decision regarding Rabat until there was evidence confirming its involvement in the mass incursion. He emphasized, “If there is evidence of Rabat’s involvement, we will act accordingly. This government is not afraid to confront other foreign powers. But we will act based on proven facts.”
Among the important information revealed was that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had summoned the Moroccan ambassador in Madrid to present a set of questions about the Ceuta tragedy and why two ministers spoke about the Moroccan identity of Ceuta and Melilla.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Moroccan ambassador in Madrid to present a series of questions regarding the Ceuta tragedy and why two ministers spoke about the Moroccan identity of Ceuta and Melilla.
What is interesting this time is that he did not accuse either Israel or Russia of being behind the Ceuta tragedy, even though in an interview with Cadena SER radio last Monday he emphasized this accusation.
Sánchez was no longer defending Morocco as he had in the past, and that he was leaving the door open for a possible role for Moroccan security forces in the mass raid . This development is likely to raise questions about the future of relations between Madrid and Rabat.
The opposition, particularly the conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox party, responded harshly, demanding his resignation and accusing him of serving Rabat's interests to such an extent that he had become "Morocco's best ambassador in Spain." The opposition accused Morocco of orchestrating the mass intrusion and called for a transparent judicial investigation.
The National Court in Madrid, the highest criminal court, is investigating the Ceuta tragedy, proceeding from the premise that the mass incursions constitute an attack on the unity of Spain.
The judge overseeing the investigation, Maria Tardon, had ordered the police that during the investigation, neither the Interior Minister nor the police chief should be informed of the report so as not to be subject to political influence.
Tags:
europe
