MOROCCO-SPAIN | The Dispute over Ceuta and Melilla

The border dispute between Spain and Morocco over the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, as well as over a number of other smaller territories, is one of the most unusual territorial disputes in international politics. While it rarely causes serious tensions, they are a point of friction between the two countries and can sometimes flare up, as happened in May 2021. So, what is the border dispute between Spain and Morocco all about and what caused the latest bout of tensions between the two countries.
Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay. Here I take an informed look at International Relations with a focus on territorial conflicts, secession, independence movements and new countries. If you like what you see, please do subscribe. If you want more, including exclusive content and benefits, consider becoming a channel member. Many thanks!
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Since the 15th century, Spain has controlled a number of territories in North Africa. As well as Ceuta and Melilla, these include Velez de la Gomera, Alhucemas, the Chafarinas Islands and the tiny uninhabited islet of Perejil. Today, these represent the last vestiges of European territory on the continent. However, Morocco contests Spanish sovereignty, arguing that these are occupied territories and that they should be returned. Although Spain refuses to enter into negotiations, the two countries have tended to have good relations otherwise. However, occasionally tensions do flare up. This was seen when the two countries came close to war in 2002 over the tiny islet of Perejil. In May 2021, the issue again came to the forefront of international attention when when thousands of migrants made their way into Ceuta after Morocco lifted border controls in retaliation for Spain's decision to offer medical treatment to the leader of the Polisario Front, which is fighting against Morocco in Western Sahara. This marked a new development in this long-standing dispute between Madrid and Rabat over a rather strange collection of territories.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:55 Border Disputes and Enclaves
2:11 Ceuta Melilla and the other Disputed Territories
3:22 Spain's Control over Melilla and Ceuta
4:45 Tensions and the Perejil Crisis
7:15 The Migrant Crisis in Ceuta
10:34 The Border Dispute between Spain and Morocco
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Current Issues and Disputes • CURRENT ISSUES AND DIS...
Secession and Independence in Africa • AFRICA
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FURTHER READING & USEFUL SOURCES
1991 Treaty of Friendship treaties.un.org/doc/Publicati...
Morocco Foreign Ministry www.diplomatie.ma/en
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Making Morocco amzn.to/2SA1XYX
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KEYWORDS
#Morocco #Spain #Ceuta
#InternationalPolitics #CurrentAffairs #InternationalRelations
#Secession #Statehood #Independence
#InternationalLaw #InternationalHistory
#Melilla #BorderDispute #Conflict
CREDITS
Perejil from the air
Adam Cli, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Ceuta Border Fence
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[@JamesKerLindsay]

So, who is in the right and wrong? Should the territories be Spanish? Or should they be handed over to Morocco? And what about the decision to 'weaponise', as one observer has term it, the enclave of Ceuta as part of a completely separate dispute? As ever, all thoughts and comments below.

[@merxho95]

In my opinion it should be a decision by the people living there.

[@anirudhparthasarathy3387]

These exclaves should remain Spanish so long as the people so wish, in my opinion - and the Spanish claim that these cities have been a part of Spain for centuries is a reasonable argument. The weaponisation issue - I believe Morocco has long been looking for an opportunity to grab international attention to this territorial dispute and they pounced on this; whether they were right or wrong is a different debate, but I feel that guarding the border is more of Spain's job than Morocco's considering it is more in the former's interests than than the other(I am not sure of the exact technicalities of the treaty governing how the border is managed).

[@joanhibu6682]

On one hand: Do you think that the argument "that territory fits better in my map than yours regardless how much time is yours" is a valid argument? sure it fits fine to gaza and cisjordania from the point of view of Israel (even that argument of that was their territory 2000 years ago) . On the other hand, Spain goverment can't give away Spanish territories. It's simply illegal because that territory belongs to spaniards not to the goverment of Spain. Another question is: If people fly to Ceuta from Morocco: Why do not return that territory to Spain? People would be happier being european without taking risks like swimming with empty bottles. All that north Africa part fits well as Spanish map, using the same argument but, in the other way, people there would be happier than now as all of us just saw. Well, just to add that Spain has no interest in that (or increase their territory as Morocco does) I only said that as a hypotetical exercise to ilustrate how ridiculous (or dangerous) is that idea "it fits well in my map".

[@rashidhackney2431]

@@merxho95 hongkong never wanted to join China but the British did not care about hongkong resident

[@soundmind9772]

Sovereignty should belong to both countries simultaneously, just like Machias Seal Island which is simultaneously under the sovereignty of US and Canada with zero conflicts. A person born in Machias Seal Island is a dual US Canadian citizen. Disputes only become volatile when there is profit to be made.

[@nilskue3316]

From experience Morocco is a great country I loved it ❤️❤️❤️

[@fidanmoro4499]

Welcome any time my good man, thank you 🙏🏼

[@ichthys7883]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marocchinate very good, very good

[@staytuned7518]

Thanks man 🙏 our doors are open to you and everyone who loves Morocco and wants to visit it ❤️💙💚

[@antoniobaute3740]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIDZc6aIeLRrbKs

[@Ternohul]

@@ichthys7883 that was in 1944??? That was even before morocco was freed from france you can't talk about it since i t was long ago.

[@Riflander98]

Morocco of today is not Morocco of yesterday, He will not play the role of the army in the borders of the EU

[@luzm.m.8646]

Exactly....like SPAIN

[@carmencereceda8399]

but it takes billions of euros every year from EU to protect the borders... zas!

[@EdMcF1]

I've read a claim that Ceuta actually got to vote in 1640 on whether to go with Spain or Portugal, and voted for Spain (franchise might have been rather limited), making it the only part of Spain actually to have voted to be part of it. Spain still has a border dispute with Portugal over Olivença/Olivenza, seized by Spain in the War of the Oranges in 1801. Portugal maintains its claim to this land, which Spain promised to address in the Treaty of Vienna 1817, but it never has.

[@antoniobaute3740]

Here you have to accept apparently: 1) Morocco has been filling the Canary Islands with immigrants for 1 year 2) that people are dying at sea, due to the passivity of the Moroccan government 3) who have decided to declare the Canary waters, as Moroccan 4) using a de facto occupation policy or unilateral fait accompli, as they have done in the Sahara 5) that they prohibited the canaries from fishing in the Saharan canary bank, when the Sahara is still not legally Moroccan 6) they expelled the Saharawi population from their country, using violence 7) they populated the Ursuped territories with settlers brought from Morocco 8) the king of morocco is getting richer, and is one of the largest landowners in the Sahara 9) while his population has a hard time, and his only future is to escape to Europe, at the cost of risking his life 10) While they have a GDP like Andalusia, and a per capita income of $ 2,900 a year. They have an army that eats 10 percent of GDP. At the cost of health and education. 50 percent of the population moves between comprehensive and functional illiteracy 11) He gets on badly with all his neighbors, encourages nationalism. To divert attention, on the poverty and corruption of the elites and the Royal house 12) and after Ceuta, something that the whole planet has been able to see. They have a government and a king, who does not have an iota of compassion, and uses children and their despair, as a weapon against Spain

[@Mauri7782]

Conclusion your father is moroccan

[@obama360noscope7]

It's Moroccan

[@younessmghinia5225]

Nice hearing the brit accent I love Morocco from Newcastle

[@carmencereceda8399]

if you love morocco Youness why you live in Newcastle? Better life? Better education? better job? better health care? better freedom? Better social benefits? better posibilities in life? better rights?... tell me

[@carmencereceda8399]

@Uj Ne First don´t mistake a simple question with being racist... and second I am living in Morocco, not him.. does why I ask him,

[@hamzaessamrad7547]

They want another Anwal War lmaooo

[@alaundo7594]

and I want a revenge, for the inhumanity and savagery, so that you feel the same

[@freewal]

@@alaundo7594 which inhumanity and savagery are you mentioning ? Colonisation ? Using chemical gas ?

[@mbe446]

@@alaundo7594 inhumanity and savagery against colonizers and land thieves?? LOL you're such a funny guy

[@amalhassane]

@@alaundo7594 have u heard about Spanish Inquisition?? If you haven’t I recommend to read about it

[@pedroelmaghrebi2986]

@@alaundo7594 inquisition is savagery...colonialism is inhumanity!!!!

[@ifeanyimartowski]

Love your videos and i find them really educative...cheers.

[@jorgeh.r9879]

Excellent video as always, just one thing: I don't think the Perejil crisis ever went that close to resulting in an outright full-scale war, although the diplomatic situation was pretty bad.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Yes, it does seem implausible that it would lead to war. But I think the danger is that even seemingly small and trivial events like this can rapidly spin out if control. News reports from the time certainly seemed to indicate that there was real concern about what was happening.in daft, it really reminds me of the Imia/Kardak crisis between Greece and Turkey a few years earlier. The parallels are amazing. That too was only stopped by US diplomacy.

[@kafon6368]

Hello Mr. Ker-Lindsay, I have been watching your videos for a few months now and I enjoy them! I have recently become aware of a political movement for independence that has been gaining momentum for some time now (enough to be threatened by a former Romanian president by "hanging"), the " *Székely autonomy movement* ". Since you specialize in new and emerging countries, I would like to know if you would consider making a video about this? As far as I know, these people are Hungarians that were separated from Hungary by the Allies after World War One, with the Treaty of Trianon. Regards, Kenny (from south Florida, USA!)

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much, Kenny. Great suggestion. The question of Hungarian irredentism is very interesting. You may have seen my video on Hingary’s independence and the lands it lost with the Treaty of Trianon there are a number if Hungarian areas in neighbouring states, and these are sensitive issues. In fact this partly explains why Romania and Slovakia have refused to recognise Kosovo. I will hopefully get round to taking a look at the issue. The question of Hungarian minorities is becoming more interesting as Hungary is going in a rather worrying direction. Will it attempt to radicalise these communities? I really must try to look into it.

[@kafon6368]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thank you for your reply! I think it's more content for your great KZbin channel, it's growing rapidly, and of course, work at your leisure!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@kafon6368 Thanks so much! And cheers again for the excellent suggestion. Best regards from London!

[@bettyangel7009]

Interesting how European countries were just taking Africa as it was a commodity.

[@rosameltrozo5889]

Rather ironic comment

[@joanhibu6682]

Spain owns that part since fifteen and sixteen centuries more or less. Previously, Spain was conquered by moors (and romans, greeks, phoenitians, etc, etc). These places were important to prevent further moors invasions and piracy. Interesting how people do so simply reasoning.

[@rechard30]

@@joanhibu6682 Spain stole it from Portugal. when Portugal lose the war against Morocco.

[@joanhibu6682]

@@rechard30 What? Please be informed previously to avoid totally wrong afirmations. But, let me say... it doesn't matter. Nowadays people just flee from Morocco to Spain and not the other way. There are only a few meters between those two contries but what a trip. Morocco was encouraging their own people (pawns) to risk their life to do that trip because political interests. And here you are, saying things that (not) happened centuries ago and the previous one, doing simply reasoning based on a wrong perspective.

[@Maximius38]

@@joanhibu6682 1- Immigration is a humanitarian issue caused by Economic crises, it can happened to Spain 2 you said: "people just flee from Morocco to Spain and not the other way" what is not true, between 2008 and 2011, tens of thousands of Spaniards fled the Spanish crisis to settle in Morocco illegally, and not a single Moroccan objected. half of them still live in Morocco. 2- rechard30 is write, Spain took those 2 cities from Portugal, it's you who have 2 be informed!!, and Morocco didn't encourage it own people to cross the borders to get a political interests, Spain got in it territory a Terrorist that killed more than 500 persons (between them there are Spanish, American, EU, etc), he rapped Spanish women, he is wanted for war crimes even by Spanish courts... BUT, the Spanish GOV brought him into the country in a Mafia way, passeport falsification, Changing his name to evade prosecution, preferring this criminal to harm Morocco, and sacrificing justice for its own citizens. Morocco asked Spain just one thing: not to evacuate this criminal in the same mafia manner which she brought him in, and that he be tried for his crimes in the Spanish courts... but Spanish GOV is too dumb to accept that he was caught red-handed, he continues his stubbornness under humanitarian, democracy, and European world pretexts, that no longer works in the 21st century!! even martians laugh now when they hear about occidental "Democracy" etc of sentences that follow this kind of speech's.

[@Bleach1443]

Thank you for this breakdown James. Something I’d heard about but wasn’t being explained very well in the last few weeks. Thankfully you did and am now better understanding of the issue.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much Nicholas! It is such an interesting story. I think that while a lot of people might have heard of Melilla and Ceuta, I don't think the background story is well known, or that there are a series of other territories involved. It was fascinating to look into it in more detail.

[@theattorney6072]

@@JamesKerLindsay @James Ker-Lindsay Well, you forget to talk about Key information which can influence and modify the perception of viewers. It is not fair to do that as it is cheating on your audience. Did you Say that Spain did falcify the passeport of Mr Ghali in order to make him enter secretely its territory, and also avoid submiting him to the spanish Justice where he is prosecuted for crimes ? When we do humanitarian actions, we don't need to falsify documents and act against our own judicial system behind the back of our alleged partners.

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

A James Ker-Lindsay video is the best way to start the weekend, great video BTW seems that I am the 50th person to hit the like button :-)

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much Roger. And have a great weekend!

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thank you very much and have a great weekend to you as well!

[@aritzurkijoaristizabal5325]

Ceuta and Melilla have always been Spanish, they never have been moroccan, so they cant be occupied territory. Gibraltar was conquered to Spain by the British and It is recognized like a colonial possesion by the ONU. Sáhara is occupied by the moroccans, and we must help them against the dictatorship of Mohamed VI. Viva España 🇪🇦

[@carlosportalrodriguez7438]

Ceuta y Melilla no le sirven de nada a España mas que para ocasionarnos problemas fronterizos. No tienen recursos, estratégicamente aportan poco y representan las ciudades con peor calidad de vida y peores indicadores socioeconómicos de España. Vendérselas a un buen precio sale mas rentable que mantenerlas.

[@jesusdavis2941]

And Gibraltar's original population was expelled and repopulated by brits and other people's under their influence, not quite the same

[@itcalledfootball600]

Free Catalonia from Spanish dictatorship

[@speentje6268]

And we should help Catalonians from becomming independant viva Morocco

[@TheBouyaOmar]

8:15 Main important thing is missing ! Morocco's current outrage is not because Ghali was welcomed by Spain for humanitarian reason. It is because he was welcomed under FALSE PASSPORT & FAKE IDENTITY so it would be done without knowledge of Morocco and of Spanish Justice. Ghali having several complains against him in Spain from Sahraouis & Spanish residents. This is this attempt of hiding his coming which is the main reason for Morocco reaction. Spanish media succeeded lately to erase this important detail so Morocco appear exaggerating . European media in blind solidarity followed them . Proof of media war too.

[@mouadaz9110]

dont mind him hes a hypocrite person , keep finding excuses for colonialism

[@JamesKerLindsay]

You clearly haven't watched many of my videos!

[@TheBouyaOmar]

@@JamesKerLindsay I hope your reply is not about my comment.

[@moesyzlak5854]

@@JamesKerLindsay We have seen your videos. You lied when I quoted the ICJ in favor of Moroccan Sahara. You are lying again here by hiding important facts : *Spain protects and hides the (unelected) leader of the separatist polisario Ghali who is wanted by spanish justice for GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, RAPE (for "humanitarian reason"???)* 🔴 Sahara: Khadijatou Mahmoud, the woman who accused Brahim Ghali of rape 🔴 Wall Street Journal : The Polisario is a Marxist group linked to regional terrorism 🔴Polisario killed more than 200 fishermen 🔴 European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report reveals diversions of EU Aids to Western Sahara by polisario and Algeria

[@medkasrawi7972]

@@JamesKerLindsay فاك اوف ..

[@luissanchezroma1010]

Why Istambul is turkish? Because turkish muslim colonialism?

[@abdelhafid2568]

La Deferencia es que España abandonará esas ciudades tiempo al tiempo tik tak Rif Sahara Larache ifni tik tak

[@MariusHistoricus]

​@@abdelhafid2568 No

[@pdfg]

@@abdelhafid2568 Tienes razón. Incluso diría que el campo también es cada vez más de Marruecos, ya que vienen muchos a trabajar. España está en declive. Perfectamente podéis aprovechar para quedaros con Ceuta y Melilla, y después con más partes de España. Os lo digo yo que vivo en ella

[@pdfg]

@@abdelhafid2568 Tal vez no tan rápido como en el año 711, pero sí

[@pdfg]

@@abdelhafid2568 A parte, nuestro gobierno está a los pies del vuestro. Podéis aprovechar eso también

[@hassaneghilmane8593]

You forgot to mention a very important fact is that Ibrahim Gali entered Spain with an Algerian diplomatic passport with a different name. If Spain is claiming that they agreed to host him for purely humanitarian reasons then why he got in Spain under a different name

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Seriously, I keep hearing this. But no one can tell me why it is important. It makes no difference. Spain has said they knew he was coming. Whether he came on a passport with his name or an alias is really irrelevant. It’s like everyone in a Morocco has been told it is really significant, and that they should be upset about it, but the government hasn’t told them why. So, please, help me. Why does this change anything in what I have said?

[@moesyzlak5854]

@@JamesKerLindsay Imagine if Belgium hided Puidgemont with a fake passport to hide him from justice. It is NOT the same as admitting publicly Puidgemont... It shows how far a "democracy" took risks for a separatist and how far they neglected justice, human rights and victim's rights to help a separatist. But Spain shouldn't be "upset"? It makes "no difference"? It is ridiculous... Keep hiding the crimes of your lovely polisario, it is really helping the Sahrauis... I remember when you lied when I quoted the ICJ in favor of Morocco about Western Sahara... *Spain protects and hides the (unelected) leader of the separatist polisario Ghali who is wanted by spanish justice for GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, RAPE (for "humanitarian reason"???)* 🔴 Sahara: Khadijatou Mahmoud, the woman who accused Brahim Ghali of rape 🔴 Wall Street Journal : The Polisario is a Marxist group linked to regional terrorism 🔴Polisario killed more than 200 fishermen 🔴 European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report reveals diversions of EU Aids to Western Sahara by polisario and Algeria

[@marouaneh175]

@@JamesKerLindsay It's important for three reasons: Ghali is wanted in Spain for allegations of torture, rape, murder, and other crimes that amount to crimes against humanity. By allowing him to enter under a false name, Spain wanted to shield him for the Spanish legal system, which is not a small favor. The Spanish court knew about Ghali's existence in Spain by reading Moroccan news papers. This also shows a form of racism, if his victims where "real" White Spanish, not Brown people with a Spanish nationality, Spain would have given them the right to have their allegations sorted out in a court of law. More importantly Morocco and Spain have an agreement to fight terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking among other things, representatives of both countries talk daily to exchange information, Morocco has put its full web of informants that infiltrated many terror groups at the disposal of the Spanish, which allowed them to avoid many terror attacks. Spain however hides information about the movements of Morocco's number one enemy, this is violation of previously made agreements. For context, the Polisario recently started to claim that they are in active war with Morocco (while Morocco says the peace treaty is active), threatening guerilla warfare, and in recent months, they made attempt after attempt to infiltrate Moroccan territory to kill civilians and military personnel, some attempts resulting in Polisario personnel dying to drones, artillery and missiles. Spain basically denied Morocco critical information about the leader of the guys actively trying to kill Moroccans, and expect Morocco to exchange every bit of information he has on people trying to kill the Spanish. Thirdly, Spain was caught red handed, and if it wasn't for Morocco's network of spies, Ghali would have left unnoticed, which rises the question to whether Morocco can trust Spain to not backstab him again, how do we know that Spain doesn't hold frequent meetings with Ghali, or doesn't provide the Polisario with other forms of secret support?

[@eleli5263]

@@JamesKerLindsay simply because THAT IS THE CORE of the problem. Morocco is not seeking the return of the 2 enclaves, not yet. It wants to be treated at eye level in the so called strategic partnership with Spain. You can't expect us to do our part by guarding the spanish borders for the spaniards, fully cooperating on the fight against organized crime and terrorism, offering Spain the first dip on multi millions/billions projects in Morocco and at the same same time you go help the enemy behind our back. By the way, Spain never disclosed Ghali's presence in Spain. It was the moroccan intelligence that found out after he was admitted into the hospital. When asked for clarification, Spain replied: "for humanitarian reasons and we have nothing to add to that" basically suck it up butter cup! This is Spain, your old colonial bully, remember? The moroccans then abondened their border posts and now your story begins... James, try to view the problem from a southern point of view and definatly not from a pragmatic one!

[@abdelmounaimdaoudi8936]

@@JamesKerLindsay I wouldn't accept a question like that from someone who makes videos on issues pertaining to international relations.. You either truly don't know or are following the Spanish narrative on the matter.

[@Atlantjan]

The fluidity of the border between the Iberian and North African-"hegemonic" areas is very interesting. Over the course of history, various Maghreb-centred states have held differently sized parts of Iberia (at times even all of it), or Iberians have held on to pieces of the Maghreb (again, at times all of it together with other Latin Europeans). Yet, the situation on the ground for most of history has been that of a wild mix of people, and Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar are the last relics of that time period.

[@maroc7889]

Don't be fooled as the one in the video about what Spain turned the real question to a border/colonisation Immigrants situation!! Spain get in it territory a Terrorist that killed more than 500 persons (between them there are Spanish, American, EU, etc), he rapped Spanish women, he is wanted for war crimes even by Spanish courts... BUT, the Spanish GOV brought him into the country in a Mafia way, passeport falsification, Changing his name to evade prosecution, preferring this criminal to harm Morocco, and sacrificing justice for its own citizens. Morocco asked Spain just one thing: not to evacuate this criminal in the same mafia manner which she brought him in, and that he be tried for his crimes in the Spanish courts... but Spanish GOV is too dumb to accept that he was caught red-handed, he continues his stubbornness under humanitarian, democracy, and European world pretexts, that no longer works; in the 21 st century.

[@videogames1926]

@@confianzasinmiedo8874 those were French Soldiers from Moroccan origins (i.e loyal to France and in the French army) , and they were given orders from French leaders! While you at reading history, look up the Spanish inquisition, the Massacres of Jews and Muslims in christian Europe, the genocide committed by the Spanish against the Native Americans and so on

[@MegaFarkh]

It's totally true with a little difference, the Spanish presence in Morocco was bloody and the so called reconquista was a human disaster with Spanish Muslims being burned alive and killed and driven away from their homes because of their religion, some old Spanish families here in Morocco still have the keys of their homes as heritage. The Spanish regime used the chemical weapons against civilians especially bombing markets and dense populated cities with lethal chemicals bombs. You won't find such crualty and cowardness from the moroccan side.

[@geertwilders5798]

@@MegaFarkh You've spoken nothing but the truth.

[@ultragamer4960]

@@MegaFarkh oh geez I wonder how the Muslim moors treated the Spaniards and Portuguese during the time when the moors controlled most of Iberia. Paying a higher tax because you weren’t Muslim, being treated harshly because you weren’t Muslim, having to wear different clothes because you weren’t Muslim, the courts always sided with the Muslim, you were also tortured because you weren’t Muslim.

[@killerpotato5445]

Thanks for explaining this. I wanted to ask you Why you think European countries are suddenly apologizing and acknowledging their past deeds eg France and germany in recent times

[@thedarkside102]

That's a good remark!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Good question. I think that it is because there is a growing realisation that a lot of European countries committed a lot of atrocities and injustices in their past that really should be acknowledged. For example, the growing outrage about slavery is something that really does need to be recognised. This was a horrific act. We need to have these discussions about how it fits into our national narratives. But the thing is that many other countries have done bad things as well. I think we would probably be in a much better situation if more countries acknowledged the injustices committed against other countries or their own citizens. Also, I think that it can lead to major breakthroughs in relations between countries. For example, I have long argued that Turkey should acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. I know many in Turkey get really upset about this, but trying to pretend that it didn't happen, or by trying to relativise it, is actually doing more and more harm to Turkey. I am still incredibly proud that the UK was eventually able to admit the injustice of the Irish famine in the nineteenth century. This also did a lot to help build relations between Britain and Ireland.

[@simayiya4421]

Because they are afraid of being occupied by billions of chinese, of indian and of africain and even by russian as a retaliation in the next centurie as a revenge of the european bloodly colonisations the century ago.

[@oussamaboumhaout3619]

Cause they want their influence back on the continent, seeing that China and russia are now getting to Africa. Ain't nothing good about European states but genocides

[@ashaadana9295]

Germany is great country.

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

Another excellent video. I recommend watching a video about "Europe's most fortified border" on the channel Vox. It talks about this very issue. I really enjoyed this one James keep up the good work!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank LE. I really appreciate the recommendation! It is such an interesting situation, and far more complicated that it seems at first. While I think that people might have known about Melilla and Ceuta, the other territories are far less well known.

[@maroc7889]

Don't be fooled as the one in the video about what Spain turned the real question to a border/colonisation Immigrants situation!! Spain get in it territory a Terrorist that killed more than 500 persons (between them there are Spanish, American, EU, etc), he rapped Spanish women, he is wanted for war crimes even by Spanish courts... BUT, the Spanish GOV brought him into the country in a Mafia way, passeport falsification, Changing his name to evade prosecution, preferring this criminal to harm Morocco, and sacrificing justice for its own citizens. Morocco asked Spain just one thing: not to evacuate this criminal in the same mafia manner which she brought him in, and that he be tried for his crimes in the Spanish courts... but Spanish GOV is too dumb to accept that he was caught red-handed, he continues his stubbornness under humanitarian, democracy, and European world pretexts, that no longer works; in the 21 st century.

[@maroc7889]

@J C he is very picking and biased though. In all the videos in which he tackled Morocco. Read the rest of the comments. Cheers

[@jblondon1327]

Btw, you can't compare Gibraltar to Ceuta. The english pirates took Gibraltar by force when Spain was the country it is today. This is the main difference. The UN class Gibraltar as a british colony still to decolonize unlike Ceuta and Melilla. You need to see the particulars of each case

[@morocco_020fc7]

Spain gave Gibraltar to the UK in the Treaty of Utrecht. The UN doesn't in fact they know it is British and see it as an non-self governing territory. Sbta and Melilia which are in fact it's real names coming from Tamazight an Moroccan language were Moroccan from the begin taken from Morocco by Portugal during an other Moroccan dynasty. Melilia was taken by force. Morocco was already an nation but not under the same ruling class. The cases are not the same while Spain gave them their territory Morocco was being colonized and still is also its quit dumb saying Morocco never was an nation considered Gibraltar literally is an Arab Moroccan sentence "Jebel Tariq" Meaning mountain of Tariq but oke

[@bbtfan4617]

Thay argument is an example of MAASSIVE hypocrisy on the part of Spain. But go ahead. Pretend Spain never invaded other countries or annexed territory by force.

[@Mufasa66]

@@bbtfan4617 But that territories are now from other countries. United Kingdom have: -Gibraltar (come back to Spain) -Malvinas (come back to Argentina) -Big part of Antartic (no one should be territory here) -Acrotiri and Dhekelia (territories from Cyprus) -The north of Ireland -Diego Garcia (this island should come back to Mauritius and The international court of justice said the same but the pirates continued in that Island) -Theee brothers (the same situation of before) -Egmont islands (the same...) -Pero Banhos And thousands of island who legitimate property is waiting. The most hypocrite country in the world have a name....and is not Spain 😘

[@j_3009]

España 505.990 km² United kingdom 243.610 km² No hay más preguntas señoria

[@j_3009]

Gibraltar 6,8 km² Ceuta 18,5 km² Melilla 12,3 km² + islas canarias, islas baleares…… Spain>>>> uK

[@waiylkarim]

Glad to have discovered your channel. You stated facts with such neutrality and put the headline disputes on the spotlight. However, you have forgotten to mention that Ibrahim Ghali, a war criminal, have entered Spain territory with a fake Algerian passport. You deserve a like and a subscribe. Wish to see a video soon about the dispute over the Moroccan Saraha. But I have a question if you'd be so kind to think about and answer: Why would the EU accepts that its borders be extended to Africa out of the European continent?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much.

[@Strikefence]

I think the EU generally understands its borders to be the borders of its consistent nations, which must at least in part be within Europe. That's why a) French Guyana is in the EU (That's where they run most of their space program) and b) why Turkey would theoretically be allowed in the EU, despite most of its territory being outside Europe.

[@mrstarbuck9212]

He already did a video about the "Moroccan Sahara" and he was clear against Morocco because of his "Trump derangement syndrome". kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn_IlWypd8-Yd6c If Trump says Ceuta is Moroccan, that EU guy will say it's 100% Spanish.

[@maltesseres9563]

Yes he stated Spain is older than Morocco which is false. In terms of names, Morocco is not a recent country neither nor is without history to come to say such embarassing and wrong conclusion.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@maltesseres9563 Stop this. I clearly state that this is Spain’s position. I have told you this already.

[@agustinluengo3323]

As interesting as always 😁

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you!

[@soniasonadora860]

@@JamesKerLindsay you look for the Anglo-Saxon interest, it is not impartial

[@123joanjosep]

Very well explained and from an absolutely neutral point of view. I agree that Spain is not consistent when claiming Gibraltar, which was ceded to Great Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht. Greetings from Spain.

[@wonjubhoy]

Not consistent over Olivenca either. Olivenca is Portuguese.

[@jaumeriera6195]

It was ceded because of a war. Also, united nations says gibraltar is a territory that has to be returned to spain

[@aritzurkijoaristizabal5325]

Gibraltar is Spain

[@woozyz2769]

Long live Morocco! 🇲🇦

[@kf9346]

Thank you for pointing out the Gibraltar irony I always found Span's contradictory arguments between the two situations brow raising.

[@killerx5]

Morocco also had his explanation, the Polisario leader was condemned for multiple war crimes cases, not to mention several cases of assault and torture of Spanish citizens.

[@omineol9897]

Its not like he was gonna mention this After all we need to show that Morocco is the bad one because any one who not europeen is in the bad automatically

[@westernsaharacampaignnz2657]

None of that has been in front of a court nor proven. They remain mere allegations. Remember that.

[@fluffycoffee3465]

It's called Bias , and europeans love it🙃 🤷

[@user-fr3mu1on3d]

@@westernsaharacampaignnz2657 The fact that they host him with fake Id and falsified passport prove that they know he is guilty and they're trying to cover him up to get away from the justice. This is a very serious test to see if the Spanish judiciary are independent or not, what the Spanish government did looks like mafia behaviour, and all Europe should be carful from such actions of sheltering criminals.

[@westernsaharacampaignnz2657]

@@user-fr3mu1on3d They remain mere allegations. Remember that.

[@anirudhparthasarathy3387]

Thanks for the explanation - these semi-exclaves were always aroused my curiosity when I looked at the atlas during my younger days. Considering this is not a real border dispute that caused the crisis - do you think that these kind of external territories of the European Union could be used to engineer migrant crises to destabilise the bloc ? (like Canary Islands, Guyane française, La Réunion or Mayotte ? )

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I think this is obviously a real concern. Spain clearly intends to make sure that they aren’t seen as a gateway. Hence its heavy handed response. But I suspect that this is a problem that is going to get worse in the decades ahead. It was interesting to see how a lot of the migration into territory is effectively controlled by Morocco, and when it loses patience it can cause all sorts of mayhem.

[@jonayz8655]

@@JamesKerLindsay Heavy handed??? There were Spanish Guardia Civil and soldiers, rescuing babies, youngsters, children and mothers and no Moroccan security forces at sight. They send to death their own people, we rescue then and still we are evil. Of course you are not biassed at all.... May be we should try this technique in Gibraltar to see how you like it, or even send all the migrants to your country to see how humanitarian you are. This was a direct threat to our sovereignty. We give millions of euros every year (so does the EU) for Morocco to protect its own frontiers, something any country should do without having to be paid by its neighboors I think. Every time the king of Morocco is unhappy about any random thing or simply wants more money for being able to pay more weapons or his expensive lifestyle in Paris, opens the gates either in Ceuta or the Canary Islands. You really need to see how the Moroccan police treates their own people and then you'll really learn what "heavy handed" means.

[@carmencereceda8399]

@@JamesKerLindsay and the most disgusting of it is the millions of EUROS that morocco put in his pocket from Europe every single year to control the border!! Hope the EU and NATO take action soon

[@animalia5554]

Do you plan to do a video on Machias Seal Island and North Rock?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Ah, the good old Canada-US border dispute! In fact, it would be really interesting to look into how the border was delineated and what problems arose. Great suggestion.

[@MrTeniguafez]

The people there are Spanish, they've been part of Spain for hundreds of years, they have full rights in Spain, and Spanish sovereignty was recognized by Morocco. I don't see how Morocco has a case here beyond rank irredentism.

[@jmundi2002]

Not even irredentism, since ceuta and melillas's population are peninsular spaniards but that went there, mostly in the xix century ( the cities were more like militray bases before that century)

[@Ideophagous]

@@jmundi2002 The majority of the population of Ceuta speak Darija (Moroccan Arabic) in addition to Spanish (spoken also in Melilla, but not sure about the percentage), so it's not just pure Spaniards from mainland Spain who live there. But of course, they're free to choose which country they want to belong to.

[@jmundi2002]

@@Ideophagous no dude… im spaniard, ive been to ceuta and melilla. And yes, vast majority of people speak spanish. And, dude, moroccams in ceuta are literally there just because they left morocco, they’re inmigrants, do you think they migrated just to wanna be part of morocco? Are you stupid? Thats like saying that mexicams in texas want texas to be mexican,nthey literally dont want to be in mexico bc they literally moved out. So stop talking nonsense dude.

[@pdfg]

@@jmundi2002 I live in Spain. Morrocan people are increasing all over the country because there are no births and incentives to migrants. That includes, even with more intensity because of the geographycal proximity, Ceuta and Melilla. Morrocans might be a great deal of the people there (I don't know if the majority now). They prefer to stay in Spain since it's supposingly better in services and quality of life, being in the EU, etc...

[@deusexaethera]

Imagine being such a crappy place to live that you can engage in unconventional warfare with your enemy by simply letting your own citizens try to escape to your enemy's territory.

[@specialone3209]

It's a Moroccan territory read some history

[@AhmedMohamed-vq5le]

Imagine occupying your enemy's territory and yet waiting from your " enemy" to protect your colony

[@deusexaethera]

@@specialone3209 : It's a Berber territory. Read more history.

[@specialone3209]

@@deusexaethera the majority of berber are Moroccan so ?

[@specialone3209]

And it's called amazigh not berber

[@mohamedbenhadda9686]

I'm impressed by the amount of research you have done very few youtubers get all of their facts right

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. It’s so nice to hear positive responses. I really appreciate it! I love delving into the background of the cases I cover. It is always a lot of work, especially as I always try to be as accurate as I possibly can and I try to cross reference treaties and documents, but I also learn so much from making them.

[@moesyzlak5854]

He forgot one "detail" : *Spain protects and hides with a fake passport the (unelected) leader of the separatist polisario Ghali who is wanted by spanish justice for GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, RAPE (for "humanitarian reason"???)* 🔴 Sahara: Khadijatou Mahmoud, the woman who accused Brahim Ghali of rape 🔴 Wall Street Journal : The Polisario is a Marxist group linked to regional terrorism 🔴Polisario killed more than 200 fishermen 🔴 European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report reveals diversions of EU Aids to Western Sahara by polisario and Algeria

[@yaseenfiaz4195]

At this moment of time is it still possible to cross the border from Morocco to Melilla if you have a British passport? Are they letting anyone through?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Sorry. I don’t know. The best thing to is check with the British Embassy in Madrid or Rabat or with the Spanish Embassy in either place.

[@alvaro6587]

Any British citizen can enter Spain at Will at the moment

[@carmencereceda8399]

no, borders are close since march 2020.. I am spanish in morocco

[@benimazigh5631]

As a North African myself, my opinion is, that the Moroccan royal rulers and regime are expired, we need a regime change. Not only in Morocco, also in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.

[@azraau2559]

go live in Tindouf

[@abderrahimelhilali4561]

shut up poor algerian

[@videogames1926]

Just mind your business, Moroccan regime is a monarchy and it should stay like that!

[@indonesiansasquatch4926]

Thank you so much!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks!

[@Larzh220469]

Ceuta and Melilla are intensely Spanish cities, and I think the Moroccan government is well aware that they will remain so - both in the cultural and political sense. On the other hand, maintaining a formal claim to the territories gives Morocco some potentially good cards in negotiations about the future of Western Sahara - and Western Sahara is clearly the elephant in the room here. What I don't understand is why Spain insists on holding on to those silly little rocks just off the Moroccan coast. It was only when I visited the region that I realised how absurd this situation is. Some of the Alhoceimas Islands are literally only a short swim from a beach on the outskirts of the city of Alhoceima. I assume that Spain will accept any asylum-seeking swimmer who makes it there, and process any application in line with international conventions and Spanish law? Of course they won't! The situation of Perejil Island is equally absurd, especially in view of the fact that it almost lead to violent conflict at one point.

[@Spacemongerr]

My guess is they are keeping them because for legal reasons they cannot keep the claim to the two cities if they give up the islands.

[@nazeem8680]

by intensely spanish you mean that half the population of ceuta and melilla are moroccans and speak arabic and berber as first languages?

[@jesusdavis2941]

​@@nazeem8680 according to the last reports, slightly over 40% of the population of both cities where Muslim, from those, roughly 5,000 in each city were Moroccan citizens, the rest were Spanish citizens (that these were of Berber ancestry is another thing)

[@nazeem8680]

@@jesusdavis2941 i have been to ceuta like 15 times in my life. Everybody i saw apart from huge number of spanish soldiers and police was a moroccan or berber. its not an "intensely" spanish city at all. The moroccan influence, no matter how much the spanish come and shout online, becuase it hurts their national ego, is everywhere. i felt like morocco except in the city plaza which was just copy pasted from Malaga.

[@jesusdavis2941]

@@nazeem8680 of course, read the last line I wrote. Migrations are a thing all over, and cultural traits endure. I'm just telling you what the reports say. Now, as parallelism, in my region we mostly have subsaharan ancestry and cultural traits, we look, act and our neighborhoods have that flavor into them, but that doesn't makes us subsaharan. So

[@fernandorenovell2936]

Marruecos quiere la espansion y comer territorio a 3 o 4 paises se esta rearmando asi los intimida

[@ichthys7883]

Pues no se a qué espera España para rearmarse y aliarse con Argelia. El enemigo de nuestro enemigo, es mi amigo.

[@alexsebastian1724]

Fuck Spain!! We will take Ceuta and Mellila by force. New Anwal is coming.

[@JJJJ-qe1dw]

No seais burros, que con marruecos no tiene que haber problemas. Simplemente tiene que calmarse el dictador que tienen, su padre era mas razonable. Pero parece que se aburre y quiere ser el nuevo Gen Gis Kan o yo que se. Lo tiene bastante crudo para conseguir nada con las ciudades españolas, pero si consigue el Sahara, se va a venir arriba y nos va a dar la lata primero con las ciudades y luego con las islas. Y apoyo tiene de paises arabes y posiblemente terroristas islamicos, en otros videos se ve. Los pobres argelinos estan muy mal vistos por tunecinos etc. Abria que ayudarles mas y de forma discreta, son los que nos proveen de energia.

[@theangel3232]

Marruecos usa la carta de Ceuta y Melilla cada vez que tiene problemas internos para calmar a su población y dirigir su rabia al exterior. Hace no mucho nuestros políticos hacían lo mismo con Gibraltar.

[@theangel3232]

@@alexsebastian1724 About Annual they were Riff people, not the Kingdom of Morocco.

[@believeinyou5217]

I haven't seen the video about the Moroccan Sahara yet, but I will answer you about some points you missed. Immigration to the two occupied cities was a message of anger from Morocco to Spain for receiving the leader of the Polisario under a false identity that knew the name “Ben Battoush” without Morocco’s knowledge, in violation of intelligence cooperation agreements, because the Polisario leader is already being pursued for war crimes and has a European arrest warrant, not to mention Spain’s position and its complicity with Algeria regarding the issue The Moroccan Sahara is the sacred issue of all Moroccans.. Spain dealt arrogantly with Morocco when the latter asked for an inquiry from it, as it stated that its reception of the Polisario leader was for humanitarian reasons, while Morocco refused to receive separatists from Catalonia.... Morocco responded by sending humanity personally by raising security From the border between Ceuta and Melilla. The inhabitants of the north of Morocco, the two occupied cities, depend mainly on trade and smuggling between them, and this causes losses to Morocco, as it suffered economically from a trade deficit that was forced with it due to Spain’s ignoring the situation and its refusal to sit at the discussion table to find a solution to the problem. ... Of course, the two occupied cities were affected because they depend entirely on trade with Morocco, and the region's population was also greatly affected. Moroccan Sahara? Morocco does not recognize the Polisario at all and does not discuss with them because it considers that Algeria is the original party to the problem... It is the one who supports them with weapons, money, diplomatic relations and lobbies on the one hand because of the Algerian military regime's hatred of the monarchy... On the one hand, so that Morocco does not open the file of the Eastern Sahara, which is a dangerous file And the old one concerns the borders between the two countries, which have not yet been resolved, just like the borders between Algeria and Libya... As the French archives and documents confirm the ownership of Tindouf and part of Algeria to Morocco and that French colonialism was cut off from Morocco and Tunisia in favor of Algeria, which he considered to remain a French province... Many Moroccans died for the liberation of Algeria, and King Mohammed V imposed a tax on Moroccans who did not fight in order to help the Algerian Liberation Front with money and weapons for independence. The king also preferred to discuss with the Algerians themselves the issue of borders and excised lands instead of dealing with the French colonizer ... and of course Once Morocco ends the problem of the Sahara, it will open several files, including (Ceuta, Melilla, the Jafari islands controlled by Spain, and the Algerian border file as well). See the map of the ruling Alawite state so far ... There are also documents published by an Algerian magazine from the French archives about the refusal of the residents of the Tindouf region during Algeria's independence to vote because, according to what they said, they owe loyalty to the King of Morocco.

[@juanestepapadilla1877]

No creo españa hable sobre ceuta y melilla.nunca fueron.marroquis.ademas tambien marruecos necesita a españa..marruecos no se yeba bien con sus vecinos.que lo pueden asfisciar .inglaterra.y los gringos estan muy lejos..

[@ted1452]

Using poor and desperate refugees as political pawns has to be one of the most lowest and irresponsible acts governments can inflict on people. Turkey did exactly the same last year on the Greek border.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. You’re absolutely right. Sadly, migrants are being used as political pawns. And I suspect the situation is going to get worse.

[@samuelpouche1377]

hahah Says the clown '' Colonialism supporter''. Morocco is not the Policeman of Europe or Spain. Your older population can go to work and guard their shitty borders. However, the Moroccan cities Ceuta and Melilla will be back sooner or later.

[@MrStazen]

Each country is responsible to control it's border. USA spends billions of $ with Mexico.

[@TF-km2ls]

@@samuelpouche1377 If you are not Europe’s police then morocco will stop receiving economic aid for doing that and getting good deals with the EU

[@carmencereceda8399]

@@samuelpouche1377 morocco recieve billions of euros from eu to protect the border..and don´t doubt for a moment that if 50 years old spanish have to march and fight we will.. like we did it , but this time we will not fight alone!

[@Armadeus]

interesting. anything else happened with western sahara recently other than the polisario leader seeking treatment in spain?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Not that I am aware of. As I mentioned, I think things have been made worse by the end of the ceasefire in November last year.

[@joanhibu6682]

That Trump, USA, recognized that Marocco stole Sahara and now it owns it.

[@shkoonk6371]

@@JamesKerLindsay Germany refused to invite morocco to libyan peace conference maybe thats also a factor

[@maalikaci]

Polisario leader faked his passport & identity & sneaked into Spain with the help of Algeria & Spain. He's actually wanted in Spain for a bunch of crimes, some spanish citizens accuse him of rape, for example. So the Moroccan position is basically this : the protection of the borders is done as a form of partnership/ friendship with Spain. if Spain sneaks in polisario's leader with a fake passport & identity + hides these facts from their "partner" morocco + doesn't prosecute him for the crimes he committed, hides these facts from the E.U.. then it's a huge breach of trust & partnership & Morocco is allowed to not respect the partnership as well. Morocco also states that they are not the guardian of Spain/EU borders, it's Spain's job & they should assume responsibily for their actions. Just adding another pov🤷‍♀️

[@user-fr3mu1on3d]

@@joanhibu6682 The Sahara belongs to Morocco before Spain colonized it. It is very clear that Spain do anything to not let Morocco have his land back, they are still working with the Queen Isabella's advise. The Hague international court of justice did admit that the Sahara belong to Morocco in 1975 that's way the Green march was organised to have back the land from Spain. Polisario are illegally armed militants in Tindouf camps controlling the imprisoned civilians in sieged camps they have no rights to choose their representatives or to travel for 45 years and they are living in inhumane conditions.

[@cjrecio5702]

Just reading the comments between Spaniards and Moroccans... makes my brain hurt.

[@o.fuentes5958]

And still reading, keep going.

[@forestmanzpedia]

Not all Moroccans and Spaniards are like this. I am Moroccan myself and can confirm the IQ of my countrymen is below 90 due to their indoctrination and bs propaganda in their media. I don't care about politics. Let them bash their heads for nothing. I don't want to be badly influenced by media or politics like my other countrymen. It's the same old shit with Morocco vs Algeria or Morocco vs Israel.

[@safuwanfauzi5014]

Maybe small island like Periji and few other can return back to Morocco, while Ceuta and Melilla can be under Spain just like Gibraltar under UK.

[@jav9069]

Given back? How can anything be given back when Morroco did not exist when these territories came under Spanish possession? That means they were never Morrocan!

[@theangel3232]

@@jav9069 Many of these territories were taken in the 19th century when Morocco did exist. In a stupid war sparked by Morocco, I also have to say.

[@jav9069]

@@theangel3232 they were not taken they were ceded.

[@theangel3232]

@@jav9069 Ceded by a treaty, yes.

[@jav9069]

@@theangel3232 ok, what's your point? how else is territory ceded if not by a treaty?

[@ubuntu2551]

Gibraltar is now longer british then it has been spanish.

[@moroccoisback477]

Still less thousand of years of Berber culture. Jebel al Tarek will come back to Morocco soon and we will rebuild it with the moorish refined style not this crappy barbarian current style

[@theangel3232]

That is false, Castile took Gibraltar around 1309, that is 395 years until the British taking of Gibraltar that occurred in 1704, which in turn is 317 years to the present. Check your sources.

[@elnaveganteperdido6373]

The UN does not and never considered Ceuta and Melilla as colonies. Ceuta was Portuguese from 1415 to 1580, Spanish from 1580 to today. Melilla was Spanish from 1497 until today. The current Morocco, not other previous kingdoms (such as - for example - the Caliphate of Cordoba with capital in Spain!), was founded by the Alauite dynasty (the current dynasty of the king of Morocco), in 1666. An important part of the ruling class (an oligarchy) around the king of Morocco is ultra-nationalist and believes in "the greater Morocco", "the greater Morocco" occupies Mauritania, the Western Sahara, a large extension of Algeria, and of course the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. The only criterion of the "greater Morocco" is to spread as much as possible with any excuse. The same as any other aggressive nationalism. Spain was really weak with Western Sáhara, and afterwards Marroco commit atrocitis with people from West Sáhara. We won't allow something similar again. Less with territories clearly spanish.

[@XDeathHackX]

Ceuta was Portuguese until 1640

[@houssam4336]

Blabla the curent spain start in 1975. Same logic. Those so called atrocities are just polizario propaganda. Those Land are moroccan periode. When morocco was in crise, all european attacked us, took our Land and enslaved our poeple. Those occupied are moroccan and we will free them sooner or later. Spain is an european nation, spanish people must return to Europe they have nothing to do in Africa.

[@goncaloalves1756]

Ceuta and Melilla are european territories, Morocco should finally accept that, and try to be a good neighbour, the time in which they could challenge Europe is long long gone...

[@Mauri7782]

Spaniards are Moorish spawns do a dna test. When you realize that your dad is a Moroccan we can talk again

[@goncaloalves1756]

@@Mauri7782 I'm not a spaniard, my father isn't moroccan, and spaniards aren't "Moorish spawns", they already existed before the arabs got into the peninsula, like most iberian peoples, some of them mixed with the moors, but that's it, today most of them have no moorish blood left in them, and those who do, have very little, but to be honest, that really isn't a problem anyway. Btw, should i tell you to do a dna test so that you may find out that most moroccans are just arabs who settled in northen africa after the expansion of the Umayyads?

[@Mauri7782]

@@goncaloalves1756 I did a dna test and moors are amazigh just arabized. More than 30 percent of the iberians have moorish blood so do you. I guess youbare portuguese or latin american doesnt matter. We know your daddy is Moroccan

[@nora937]

Its europeans that should accept that they have no right having teritories in africa

[@nora937]

@@goncaloalves1756 well no , you are so wrong on this , most moroccans are arabised and arent genetically arabs , most dont even got a single drop of arab blood , we are imazighen , its also proven that a lot of moroccans that always identified themselves with being arab dont got any arab in them , and maybe a lot spanish dont got moorish blood in them , cause its the muslim spanish people that moved afterwards to north africa , so its a lot of north africans that actually got some percentage of iberian dna , and the way I knew most moroccans got a little of iberian dna , is seeing moroccans doing dna tests and surprisingly finding that arabian dna is rare , while the west african and iberian are pretty common

[@joshraymond979]

500 years is a long time you can’t just give back territory like that over night and expect it to be morrocan. Spainish families have livied their for centuries and consider themselves spainish leave it to the vote and so on and the refugees flee their to get into eruope right. So why would they want these cities given back to Spain

[@JamesKerLindsay]

I completely agree. While I completely support the idea of the smaller territories being ceded to Morocco, simply claiming that these ‘should be given back’ completely ignores the realities of the people who live there. By nature, I really don’t like arguments that territory matters more than the people who live there.

[@joshraymond979]

@@JamesKerLindsay indeed and I will say is it really right calling the spainish cities even colonies. In 1400s and all that the goal wasn’t really the same as say 17th century or 19th century imperialism. I’d say the cities were more conquered for faith and the perceived greater Reconquest. Along with that Spain is sort of correct in the fact that Morocco didn’t really exist. I believe it was a different dynasty that ruled at the time or it was a tributary of one of the caliphates or ottoman. But I am unsure and a bit biased. I think theirs points in history were if u leave something for more than 300 years not much point pressings claim to much time passed to culturally and linguistically different. States should always try to dispute claims with regions that still have their primary cultures in it for example. South Tyrol goin to Austria. Or parts of translyania being given as exclaves to hungry.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Again, I completely agree. I would not class them as colonial holdings.

[@soundmind9772]

@@joshraymond979 re: Morroco different dynasty but same country. States do not always begin and end when a government does.

[@TheBouyaOmar]

@@joshraymond979 Don't believe some spanish nationalist who say the cities were spanish before Morocco existed. Even lucid spaniards laugh at these claims . Kingdom of Spain was born in 1512 . Both cities were colonized before that when Iberia was composed of several independant kingdoms . Puting in practice spanish argument , no Spain , nor Morocco existed at this time . As for dynasties , the current spanish dynasty , the Borbon Anjou , started in 1700 , while Morocco current dynasty, the Alaouites, started in 1631.

[@CondeDeBarca]

I scrolled down to chat expecting a firefight between Moroccans and Spaniards over who should Own Ceuta y Melilla, and was pleasantly surprised to find actual debate, really gives me hope for the human race, keep up the good work!!!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Yes, many viewers have commented that the channel tends to get a lot of reasoned and reasonable comments. Don’t get me wrong, I get the trolls and abuse too! However, by and large, I am always really pleased at how informed and helpful so many of the comments are. I learn so much from them. It’s really rather nice. :-)

[@CondeDeBarca]

@@JamesKerLindsay honestly I was expecting a argument between Spaniards and Moroccans, but very pleasantly surprised!!

[@bilic8094]

Hats off james you know global issues like the back of your hand mighty impressive I must say.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much! One of the things I love about doing the channel is the chance to look into so many of these issues in more detail. It's amazing how often you know about the existence of an issue, but you really don't know what it is really about. I love delving into the history and exploring the background documents. I am just so pleased that others find it interesting as well. :-)

[@oussamaboumhaout3619]

He has wromg informations about this one

[@bilic8094]

@@oussamaboumhaout3619 Nobody said who's right or wrong it's a view and an opinion .

[@oussamaboumhaout3619]

@@bilic8094 actually you can't call them views/opinions when trying to explain a situation, that's called misleading

[@oussamaboumhaout3619]

@@bilic8094 just like How European media is shifting the main problem from " Spain hosting a terrorist that committed war crimes and have rape charges within Spain, and got in Spain with a fake ID and Visa ( Algerian ones) " to " Morocco opening borders for immigrants " . Europe protecting themselves from heat in a nasty way

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

Sir you made on enclave. Please make on india and bangladesh border treaty which happened peacefully unlike wars with pak and china

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you. Great suggestion. The agreement on the enclaves was fascinating.

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@JamesKerLindsay welcome I hope you also add that treaty was finalised in 70s but india didn't accepted it cause of Bengal State government

[@simosan4451]

Spanish when they occupied South America in the past they thought they were right and that these are their land, its the same thing here.

[@rhinarium3984]

If one goes way back and takes into account the origin of these territories, then yes, Ceuta and Melilla were conquered the same way Spain conquered Spanish America, however, that happened a long time ago and the situation is completely different today. By that I do not mean that time has relevance in international law, in fact, it has zero relevance, what I actually mean is that Spain did not conquer Ceuta and Melilla from modern day Morocco, it conquered them from States that do no longer exist. Spain has no obligation whatsoever to relinquish those territories to Morocco, simply because Morocca never owned them. Apart from that, the will of the populations of Ceuta and Melilla is to remain under Spanish sovereignty, and even though that argument cannot stand alone, it does serve to strengthen the Spanish title over Ceuta and Melilla. As for the Plazas de Soberanía, the Moroccan claim is even more absurd because Spain was either the first occupant or Morocco itself ceded them to Spain. So, the comparison between Spanish America and Spanish African territories is not correct and completely unfair.

[@simosan4451]

@@rhinarium3984 Colonial vision will never change and the resistance from oppressed nations will never end. Let it be war than, we got nothing to lose expect our lives but you ? Can you gave your lifes for a land which you know deep in your heart it isn't yours .???? You know better then any nation how Morros are crazy, and trust me fear is the last thing we think about it, remember Anoual war its not far from you. If you want peace we are more into it and we are more peaceful, but if you think your arrogance and your hight tech weapons can forbid us of fighting you, so wake up you are fooling your selves. F"*k you and f**k this life if we should live it oppressed by someone like you. Peace and love with whom who seek them.

[@rhinarium3984]

@@simosan4451 This is not a matter of Spanish colonialism, that does no longer exist, either in the American or African continents. I would also like to know who is the "oppressed nation" in this case... I know history and law and I can safely say that Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de Soberanía are Spanish territory accordingly with international law, reason why Morocco has no supporters when it claims those Spanish territories. Ceuta and Melilla were conquered from States that do no longer exist, not from the State that today goes by the name Morocco. Ceuta was conquered by Portugal from the Marinid Dynasty, a State that collapsed and left behind numerous tribes. Portugal then ceded Ceuta to Spain. Melilla was conquered by Spain from the Kingdom of Tlemcen, that ceased to exist when the Saadi Sultanate annexed it. These States are no longer here in order to claim their territories back, they are extinct, so the title inevitably passed to Spain as the only claimant left exercising sovereignty over them. As for the Plazas de Soberanía, they were first occupied by Spain or they were ceded by Morocco to Spain, which makes the Moroccan claim even more absurd. As for considering yourself "peaceful", that is determined by others, not by yourself. As a matter of fact, claiming territories over which you have absolutely no title, whether they are Spanish territories or the illegally occupied Western Sahara, is not peaceful at all, in fact, it is expansionist and colonialist. If Morocco had title over Ceuta, Melilla, the Plazas de Soberanía or Western Sahara, I would be the first to recognize so, but history and law are against said claim. Again, insulting with no serious argument is the same as nothing, without mentioning that it is another hint of how "peaceful" you are. No one is oppressing you, you are oppressing others, specifically by claiming territories that are not yours, like the ones mentioned. The attitude of Morocco at an international level is disgraceful. Maybe you will find that peace when you debate seriously about this, but there is simply no argument from your part, just false accusations and insults, apart from the already debunked falsehoods that modern day Morocco ever held sovereignty over these territories...

[@simosan4451]

@@rhinarium3984 I will answer in few words. - Spanish colonized purto rico, Couba, argentina, venzuela, colombia.... Was all of this countries a established states at the coming of Spanishs ?? No ? There was only Mexico and Piro and some other old nations. So why did you left this Territories??? - What is the meaning of the Name "Melilla" and is it Spanish or else ?? - Marinid and Saadi dinasties still exist in Our Morocco by arts by language by culture religion and "blood" all their capitals are in Actual Morocco. - Morocco isn't the creation of Colonialism in fact French entered our country in 2012 and found a king with a capital, currency, ministers, army, Etc. So please honey do not mix your old colonies with As, Put in your mind that Marrakech and Fes Consecutively ruled your country and maybe some of their blood runs through your veins. - If Sahara wasn't Moroccan as you mentioned so please bring back the maps that your country along with Germany and France.. studied during the colonial Berlin conference ;).

[@rhinarium3984]

​@@simosan4451 - Why Spain left all of its colonies? I do not understand the connection between these territories and the territories we were originally talking about, but I will answer the question anyways. The first Spanish colonies that became independent did it as insurgents and upon accepting that there was no possibility of reconquering them after an extremely violent conflict, it ended up recognizing their independence through various treaties. In those times independence from colonialism could only be achieved through might, not through right, and that is how nearly all Spanish colonies in North and South America managed to do it. Then, when the United Nations was established, the organization committed itself to eradicate the evil of colonialism in all its manifestations. All colonial holdings were listed as subject to the process of decolonization, driven by the principle of self-determination or by the principle of territorial integrity in case the colony had been created by an usurpation. The United Nations made possible that colonies all around the world could become independent from their colonial masters through right. Spain lost its colonies in Africa this way. Morocco was listed and it gained independence from France. Some Moroccan territories were ceded to Spain by France without Moroccan consent, so those territories were lawfully returned to Morocco. None of those territories included Ceuta, Melilla or the Plazas de Soberanía because those territories were administered separately, they were never part of Morocco, whether before its colonization by France or afterwards. In fact, Ceuta and Melilla were never listed as colonies because they were never under a colonial regime, they were part of Spain as Madrid is. Spain has title over Ceuta and Melilla, unlike Morocco, that claims territories illegitimately not only from Spain. Also, you use the second person: "So why did you left this Territories???". I did not left those territories, I am not even Spanish. Do not assume my nationality based on my position, my position is independent of my nationality because I am not defending Spain, I am defending international law, and if international law happens to favor Spain, then that's the position I will take. Morocco simply has no title over those Spanish territories. - The etymology of the name Melilla is disputed, but it is useless to argue from there because names are irrelevant for international law. Title is what matters, not names. There are literally hundreds of examples of territories that have been named by one State and that belong to another, whether because of cession, annexation, conquest, etcetera. If one accepts for the sake of argument the hypothesis that the name Melilla comes from a Berber language, then it is still irrelevant for law. For instance, the Minquiers and Ecréhous of French name were claimed by both France and the United Kingdom, but the International Court of Justice concluded that the latter held title over them, and France had no other choice, but to abandon its unfounded claim. As a matter of fact, the islands are closer to France than to the United Kingdom, just as the Spanish North African territories are closer to Morocco than to Spain. Neither name nor proximity determine sovereignty, title does. - There is no doubt that the culture and people of modern day Morocco are extremely close to that of the Marinid Dynasty and the Kingdom of Tlemcen, but we are not talking about culture and people, we are talking about States. The legal personality of the States just mentioned ceased to exist, they collapsed or were conquered by other States. Those new States that came afterwards are not successors to them, there is no coninuity of the legal personality. They did not cede their territorial rights to the Saadi Sultanate or to Alaouite Morocco, they just became extinct when they conquered them. As a consequence of this principle, neither the Saadis nor the Alaouites are successors to their title and Spain, as conqueror of that part of those long-extinguished States, became sole claimant and, thus, sole sovereign, just because there was no other legitimate claimant left in existence. As if that were not enough, Morocco, this is, modern day Morocco, has already recognized the Spanish sovereignty over these territories in 1860 through the Treaty of Wad Ras, with what right, then, does Morocco even dare to claim these Spanish territories by calling them occupations? The position is completely alienated from history and law. - As for the fourth point you've raised, I never mentioned when Morocco began to exist as the modern State called today Morocco, I just mentioned that those territories are Spanish since before modern day Morocco existed, which I am sorry you do not like it, but that's true. Modern day Morocco began to exist in 1631 or 1509 if we consider that the Alaouites only took control over the already existing Saadi Sultanate. Now, the Caliphate and other States ruled the Iberian Peninsula for a long time, not Morocco as we know it today, but yes, North African blood flows today on South European veins because of that. - I do not know what maps are you talking about. If they do exist, then Morocco should've presented them as evidence for their claim in the 70s, when the International Court of Justice ruled that the only connection between Morocco and Mauritania to the Western Sahara were tribal allegiances that do not amount to sovereignty. Western was simply not part of Morocco when it was colonized by France.

[@readisgooddewaterkant7890]

Can you do a episonde of origin of bahrain

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Great suggestion. I have often wondered about that!

[@readisgooddewaterkant7890]

@@JamesKerLindsay I could help you if you want. two inportant dates are. 1783 independence 1864 conquerd by uk and indepence 1971

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@readisgooddewaterkant7890 Thanks so much. I’ll certainly bear your extremely kind offer in mind!

[@TheDrakpunt]

For the manipulators of history, all the history of Ceuta, where did Morocco have a friend? In the 7th century BC. Phoenician settlements occurred Later it was occupied by Phocian Greeks, who renamed it Hepta Adelphoi. In 319 a. C., Carthage took over the city, which would become a Punic domain. In 201 a. C., with the surrender of Carthage at the end of the Second Punic War, the city is ceded to the Kingdom of Numidia. In 47 a. C., this will become Mauritanian domain. In the year 40 d. C., Calígula annexes the kingdom, which will be part of the Roman Empire, within the province of Mauritania Tingitana After four centuries of Roman domination, the city fell in 429 to the Vandals, led by its king Genseric. In 534, the Byzantine general Belisarius reconquered Septem, The domination was brief, falling back into Visigothic hands after the withdrawal of the Byzantines In 675, the Visigoth king Wamba burned 270 enemy ships when he recaptured the city, and installed a loyal count to his kingdom. In 709 Count Julián de Ceuta exchanged loyalties for the Umayyad caliphate. In 788, it was invaded by the Idrisí emirate. In 931, the Umayyad Caliph Abderramán III conquers the city for the Hispanic Caliphate. Not long afterwards it suffered the division of the Caliphate into the Taifa Kingdoms. In 1024 Ceuta remains under the rule of the taifa of Malaga. In 1061 Suqut al-Bargawati proclaims the Independent Lordship (Taifa of Ceuta), but in 1084 the Almoravids, led by Yusuf ibn Tasufin, conquer the city. In 1147 the Almohads occupied it. In 1232 the city is captured by the Taifa of Murcia, although its domain was quite short, since in 1233 Ceuta was an independent city. Also brief was the period of Ceuta independence, since in 1236 the Benimerines occupied it, to be conquered again in 1242, this time by the Hafsíes. In 1249 the dynasty of the Azafíes seizes the power in Ceuta. According to the Treaty of Monteagudo de las Vicarías (1291, between Castile and Aragon), the city is in the area of ​​influence of Castile. In 1305, being part of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, the city entered the game of the Mediterranean politics of Castile. In 1309 it was conquered by the Benimerines with Aragonese help. In the following years, the Benimerines had to defend the city against the Kingdom of Granada. In 1310 the Azafíes returned to take control over the city. In 1314 the Benimerines recaptured it. In 1315 the azafíes return to take control over the city. In 1327 it is taken by the Benimerines. Around 1384 the kingdom of Granada captured it, however the city was besieged and despite the reinforcements, the Benimerines finally took over the city again in 1386 In 1415, Portugal conquered the city The city was recognized as Portuguese by the Treaty of Alcáçovas and the Treaty of Tordesillas. After the death of King Sebastián I of Portugal in 1578, the Kingdom of Portugal, after a succession crisis, joined the Hispanic Monarchy in 1580. In 1640 Ceuta did not follow Portugal in its secession, preferring to remain under the sovereignty of Felipe IV, but he decides to keep the arms of Portugal on his shield and on his flag. In 1668 the Lisbon Treaty signed between Spain and Portugal recognized Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta. Mulay Ismaíl directs his sights to evict the Spanish from the African coast and takes San Miguel de Ultramar (La Mamora) and Larache (al-Arais) from them and tries to seize Ceuta. Between 1694 and 1724 the siege of Ceuta by the Sultan of Morocco took place. In 1704, after being surrounded by land, Ceuta resisted the British Royal Navy that took Gibraltar. Moroccans attack the city by land while an Anglo-Dutch fleet cannonades and attempts to land on the city.13 Moroccans besieged the city in 1732, 1757, and 1790-1791. In 1812 the City Board became the Constitutional City Council. Between 1859 and 1860 the African War and an increase in city limits took place. In 1912 the Prison was abolished and the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco was established in its northern zone. On January 21, 1932, an Order was published that determines that for legal and litigation purposes, the city council of Ceuta will be understood to be part of the province of Cádiz. In 1936 the Civil War begins. Ceuta had great importance in the first months of the war, as a crossing point for the Army of North Africa in the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1956 the independence of Morocco arrived with the end of the Protectorate and Ceuta served as a base for the withdrawal of the forces that were destined for the emancipated territory. Morocco claims sovereignty over the city of Ceuta and over Melilla, In 1978 the Spanish Constitution, like previous ones, recognized it as a component territory of the Spanish nation, integrating it into the new model of territorial organization, with the provision of the possibility of becoming an Autonomous Community. In 1995 the Statute of Autonomy of the city was promulgated. Ceuta, along with Melilla, it achieves the status of an autonomous city.

[@Locutus]

The "island" of Perejil, reminds of me of the Hans disputed island. Denmark and Canada both "fought" over this island for decades, leaving a bottle of alcohol for each side. This is how it should have been between Spain and Morocco.

[@rtr0_insn323]

The non civilian populated areas of the Spanish "plazas de sobernia" in northern Morocco should be given back to Morocco.

[@ylantongiorgi]

No

[@rhinarium3984]

They were never part of Morocco, why should Spain cede them to Morocco?

[@medkasrawi7972]

@@rhinarium3984 funny hhhhhh

[@rhinarium3984]

@@medkasrawi7972 What is funny precisely?

[@medkasrawi7972]

What u said that ceuta and melilla never were part of morocco are u jocking...

[@joeletaxi7956]

Well done James for your diligent work in sharing facts. It is refreshing to have such a detailed assessment of the history and analysis of relations between Morocco and its neighbours... Warm hello from Algeria You re have our friendship from Algeria

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it! I do put a lot of time into the videos and so it is always brilliant to hear that people find them useful. As it happens, I’ve been thinking that I really must try to tackle Algeria for my origins of countries series. Its difficult path to independence is such an important story in the process of decolonisation. And warmest greetings from London!

[@joeletaxi7956]

@@JamesKerLindsay thanks James, it would be great to have your factual perceptive as you maybe aware the history of Algeria's colonisation and independence is a very difficult subject for both Algeria and France to agree the writing of a common history from 1830 to 1962. Only Professor Benjamin Stora who was appointed by president macron has managed to create the wider consensus and this is thanks to the academic knowledge and detailed historical factual records writing his writing numereous books on algeria and colonial period up to independence. Sadly Mr Stora was accused by the right and far right in France to be "pro-FLN" or " luggage carrier" in reference to heroic native French people who carried in luggage the donations and funding for the FLN independence movement. We in Algeria have our own nationalist extremists who describe France as "eternal evil" for short-term political gains to hide their incompetence but forgetting that France is our main cultural, exchange and economic partner. The future is a balanced and transparent reading on colonialism in Algeria. This is bearing in mind that the colonial system in Algeria was condemned without any reservations by president Chirac, Sarkozy, Hollande and Macron.

[@mehdighk6486]

​@@JamesKerLindsay How much does Algeria pay you?

[@antoniobaute3740]

Spain has territories in Africa, as Turkey has in Europe, Russia in Asia, UK in Oceania, USA near the Philippines ...

[@alibaba5013]

Alors,on demande à ce que tous le reste du Maroc soit dans l'Europe!

[@JJJJ-qe1dw]

Good video. I will splain the point of view of Gibraltar to understand: Ceuta y Melilla, no son colonias son territorio principal de España, mismo estatus que cualquiera de las otras ciudades. Gibraltar es una colonia y Europa no permite colonias en su territorio. Pero si, si los gibraltareños quieren ser ingleses (la mayoria son ingleses, poco españoles viven allí) pues deacuerdo, cambiad el estatus de la ciudad, pero no permitais que sea entrada de contrabando y un paraiso fiscal. Esas son otras consideraciones sobre Gibraltar a parte de como fué tomado etc etc

[@theangel3232]

En honor a la verdad, hoy por hoy Gibraltar tiene la máxima autonomía que se le puede dar, no es como hace unas décadas. Si no tiene la independencia es porque teme que entonces España pudiera adueñarse del lugar. Además, hace ya bastante que dejaron de ser un paraíso fiscal y un nido de contrabando, ahora se dedican más al comercio financiero. Creo que se podrían hacer grandes cosas con un Gibraltar independiente si se les diera la oportunidad. También existe Andorra y no es ningún problema.

[@freerolll]

As a moroccan I dont realy care about the return of the enclaves. I think its just a way for the government to exert pressure on spain to get other benefits.

[@iaw7406]

Britain should just give Gibraltar to Morocco just for shits and giggles

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Haha! I think the people of Gibraltar might have something to say about that, but it would certainly be bloody funny! 😂

[@bernardppsh1457]

As far as i know by treaty if they ever leave the territory it should be handed back to Spain

[@mohamedallali7915]

@@bernardppsh1457 but Gibraltar is not spanish

[@bernardppsh1457]

@@mohamedallali7915 i know i been there,but it was and we have an treaty with the British that makes clear that in case that they leave it should go back to Spain so what he is proposing is imposible

[@simayiya4421]

The unisue solution is to develope this places withe peaceful politics and respectful behavior toward the neightboors. Otherwise morocco and other africain country will come to europ like a millions. To take what is slmtolen from them in the previous 100 years.

[@abdelkarim714]

in this video, you give the Spanish view of the conflict instead you didn't tell us what the Moroccan mister foreign minister thinks about that here you're not neutral as demanded

[@joaquingonzalez5095]

It is very important to note that Ceuta and Melilla are legally not exclaves. Since there is no land separating Ceuta from the Peninsula apart from water.

[@WinchesterBoyy]

moroccans never speak out about it , ehen spain says its our Moroccans never dare to deny so this is a confession or recognition that ceuta and melila are part of EU

[@alb1475]

The difference between Gibraltar and the african enclaves of Spain is that Spain recognizes legitimate british sovereignty over Gibraltar under the Treaty of Utrecht (1715). Spain simply wants the United Kingdom to return that territory to Spanish sovereignty through a bilateral agreement. Gibraltar was Spanish before the War of the Spanish Succession. I think both conflicts are very different.

[@rashidhackney2431]

well , the Spaniard don't want to do the same with Morocco.

[@alb1475]

​@@rashidhackney2431 Of course not. Why should we give away our cities to a neighboring country that never owned them?

[@rashidhackney2431]

@@alb1475 soon . if not we will use the basque experience ITA..

[@alb1475]

@@rashidhackney2431 With the same result I hope.

[@rashidhackney2431]

@@alb1475 non, full indépendance and return to the kingdom.. not like basque, still under Madrid rules😉

[@hamza-mw1ht]

Indeed, Spain stabbed Morocco with its back, but it thought Morocco was still heedless, as the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs said, today’s Morocco is not Morocco. Yesterday, Morocco was calm. How can you say when you occupied my cities, Morocco, Morocco did not exist, the opposite existed, even when it occupied Spain before its occupation. Peace be upon you.

[@TheDrakpunt]

For the manipulators of history, all the history of Ceuta, where did Morocco have a friend? In the 7th century BC. Phoenician settlements occurred Later it was occupied by Phocian Greeks, who renamed it Hepta Adelphoi. In 319 a. C., Carthage took over the city, which would become a Punic domain. In 201 a. C., with the surrender of Carthage at the end of the Second Punic War, the city is ceded to the Kingdom of Numidia. In 47 a. C., this will become Mauritanian domain. In the year 40 d. C., Calígula annexes the kingdom, which will be part of the Roman Empire, within the province of Mauritania Tingitana After four centuries of Roman domination, the city fell in 429 to the Vandals, led by its king Genseric. In 534, the Byzantine general Belisarius reconquered Septem, The domination was brief, falling back into Visigothic hands after the withdrawal of the Byzantines In 675, the Visigoth king Wamba burned 270 enemy ships when he recaptured the city, and installed a loyal count to his kingdom. In 709 Count Julián de Ceuta exchanged loyalties for the Umayyad caliphate. In 788, it was invaded by the Idrisí emirate. In 931, the Umayyad Caliph Abderramán III conquers the city for the Hispanic Caliphate. Not long afterwards it suffered the division of the Caliphate into the Taifa Kingdoms. In 1024 Ceuta remains under the rule of the taifa of Malaga. In 1061 Suqut al-Bargawati proclaims the Independent Lordship (Taifa of Ceuta), but in 1084 the Almoravids, led by Yusuf ibn Tasufin, conquer the city. In 1147 the Almohads occupied it. In 1232 the city is captured by the Taifa of Murcia, although its domain was quite short, since in 1233 Ceuta was an independent city. Also brief was the period of Ceuta independence, since in 1236 the Benimerines occupied it, to be conquered again in 1242, this time by the Hafsíes. In 1249 the dynasty of the Azafíes seizes the power in Ceuta. According to the Treaty of Monteagudo de las Vicarías (1291, between Castile and Aragon), the city is in the area of ​​influence of Castile. In 1305, being part of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, the city entered the game of the Mediterranean politics of Castile. In 1309 it was conquered by the Benimerines with Aragonese help. In the following years, the Benimerines had to defend the city against the Kingdom of Granada. In 1310 the Azafíes returned to take control over the city. In 1314 the Benimerines recaptured it. In 1315 the azafíes return to take control over the city. In 1327 it is taken by the Benimerines. Around 1384 the kingdom of Granada captured it, however the city was besieged and despite the reinforcements, the Benimerines finally took over the city again in 1386 In 1415, Portugal conquered the city The city was recognized as Portuguese by the Treaty of Alcáçovas and the Treaty of Tordesillas. After the death of King Sebastián I of Portugal in 1578, the Kingdom of Portugal, after a succession crisis, joined the Hispanic Monarchy in 1580. In 1640 Ceuta did not follow Portugal in its secession, preferring to remain under the sovereignty of Felipe IV, but he decides to keep the arms of Portugal on his shield and on his flag. In 1668 the Lisbon Treaty signed between Spain and Portugal recognized Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta. Mulay Ismaíl directs his sights to evict the Spanish from the African coast and takes San Miguel de Ultramar (La Mamora) and Larache (al-Arais) from them and tries to seize Ceuta. Between 1694 and 1724 the siege of Ceuta by the Sultan of Morocco took place. In 1704, after being surrounded by land, Ceuta resisted the British Royal Navy that took Gibraltar. Moroccans attack the city by land while an Anglo-Dutch fleet cannonades and attempts to land on the city.13 Moroccans besieged the city in 1732, 1757, and 1790-1791. In 1812 the City Board became the Constitutional City Council. Between 1859 and 1860 the African War and an increase in city limits took place. In 1912 the Prison was abolished and the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco was established in its northern zone. On January 21, 1932, an Order was published that determines that for legal and litigation purposes, the city council of Ceuta will be understood to be part of the province of Cádiz. In 1936 the Civil War begins. Ceuta had great importance in the first months of the war, as a crossing point for the Army of North Africa in the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1956 the independence of Morocco arrived with the end of the Protectorate and Ceuta served as a base for the withdrawal of the forces that were destined for the emancipated territory. Morocco claims sovereignty over the city of Ceuta and over Melilla, In 1978 the Spanish Constitution, like previous ones, recognized it as a component territory of the Spanish nation, integrating it into the new model of territorial organization, with the provision of the possibility of becoming an Autonomous Community. In 1995 the Statute of Autonomy of the city was promulgated. Ceuta, along with Melilla, it achieves the status of an autonomous city.

[@gregorycamara4894]

So quereis guerra teneis todas las de perder

[@TheLocalLt]

There is no right and wrong in geopolitics, only interests, and in this case there are three countries involved if you include Britain, each with their own set of interests, their own ideal scenarios, and their own cassus belli for the region. Looking in terms of interests and ideal scenarios: Basically Spain would like to control the Straight of Gibraltar, including the entirety of both the north and south coasts of the straight (I think they’d ideally like the whole of their former northern coastal protectorate back, not just the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, but that isn’t going to happen, nor is taking back British Gibraltar). Meanwhile Britain knows it can maintain influence over the straight with just Gibraltar, which it thus sees as indispensable, while Morocco’s interest is in that it considers Spanish Ceuta and Melilla to be colonial holdings and violations of its sovereignty. In terms of cassus belli, that’s anyone’s guess; my guess is it would take an initial attack by one side, backed up by their respective government, and followed up with further attacks. None of these countries want war over this, as seen in 2002. Also interesting and ironic that Spain irks Morocco by housing the Polisario leader, when of course Spain originally bypassed the Saharawis for ownership of the Western Sahara due to the fact that they were led by the Libyan/Algerian-backed Polisario.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

I’m not sure I’d dismiss the normative angle in international politics. Yes, we can say that there is no right or wrong. And that states have interests that just be protected as they see fit. But I think that their behaviour in the pursuit if those interests can also affect the standing of a country. The reputational aspect is also important. A country loses a lot of the moral high ground when it says one thing in one case, but does another thing in a separate case. This can undermine its credibility and support for its position. In this sense, one can argue that hypocrisy is bad geopolitics. (Although surprisingly commonly.) In this case, any wide sympathy for Morocco is lost by its behaviour over Western Sahara. It comes across as a country that is obsessed with territorial aggrandisement with no care about the wishes of the people of those territories it seeks to rule. It is an imperial/colonial mentality. (Interestingly, this is one of the most interesting specific things I learned from doing this channel. The nationalism I’ve encountered has been fascinating, and rather disturbing. I dread to think what is taught in schools. I can imagine that many diplomats encounter this, which will affect their perceptions of the country.) As for Spain, its claim to Gibraltar is wholly undermined by its presence in Melilla and Ceuta. However it tries to separate the cases, the underlying principle is exactly the same. Do people who have lived under one country for hundreds of years and see themselves as an integral part of that country have the right to have those wishes s respected? As for control of the straits, I can see how Ceuta could perhaps do this. But the islands are so insignificant I don’t see how they would offer any military advantage.

[@TheLocalLt]

@@JamesKerLindsay but some of the arguments made by the Moroccan nationalists underscore the point that all sides always believe they are self-righteous, and most issues are nuanced enough that they usually have a few facts to back them up. In this case, Morocco basically claims that since the UN, in its 1975 decision, ignored the Moroccan Sultanate’s longtime hold over the W. Sahara until it was gradually carved up by Spain between 1884 and 1904, they have the right to take unilateral action. I’m sure all Morocco has to do is show their people these treaties and the angry comments in support of the government’s policy practically write themselves, no indoctrination needed. Likewise, Spain’s claim that they owned Ceuta and Melilla “before Morocco was even a country” is a very convincing argument to its own population and, like the Moroccan history about the Sahara, I’m sure only has to be said once to fuel self-righteous angry comments. And this then sets back off Moroccan angry comments, as they are both developed out of kingdoms that date back ~1500 years, and both present-day kingdoms heavily promote this, so that line referencing Ceuta and Melilla being Spanish before Morocco existed actually would seem to make both sides feel self-righteous in their positions, further underscoring my point that every faction always believes in their own self-righteousness, and that posing the question of “who is right and wrong” around a geopolitical area as historically and contemporarily complex as the Straight of Gibraltar is exceedingly simplistic, and in searching for a unipolar solution fails to convey the bipolar nature of geopolitical disagreements. And yes I do agree that Morocco does sic its commenters on videos, though if we are going by the Wayback history channel’s Spanish Morocco/Sahara documentary, you can apparently appease their 50-cent army by showing the map of Morocco before and during the 1884-1904 loss of the Sahara to Spain. In any case the aggressive online commenting is less bothersome given that Morocco is a longtime staunchly pro-American Classicalist monarchy, heck the first country ever to recognize the United States of America as independent was the Sultanate of Morocco, so yes I am definitely biased in that regard, but even in a totally realist sense, compared to the infinitely more poisonous and widespread propaganda commenting of Communist China, this Moroccan nationalist commenting is, while annoying at times, basically harmless.

[@alvaro6587]

I think that the spanish claim over Gibraltar is something that Spain cannot renounce to however, i think that Spain must respect the Will of the people from Gibraltar as well as the people of Gibraltar must respect the treaty of Utrech, which in some cases they havent. The fact that Gibraltar claims spanish waters (the Gibraltar airport) and performs unfair trade (its a Major contraband spot ) just aggravates the conflict, anyway i think the whole Gibraltar problem its an anocronistyc thing that both Spain and britain (two NATO allies) should forget. Theres thousands of British citicens in Spain and viceversa.

[@micheldodin8903]

Very Clair , thanks for understanding better

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much. Glad it helped.

[@antoniobaute3740]

The King of Morocco is one of the richest kings in the world, and he uses his people as a weapon, without any qualms. Regardless of his death. And even children

[@moesyzlak5854]

The Spanish socialists spit on all the victims of the polisario by protecting and hiding his leader Ghali from spanish justice (war crimes, torture, rape, etc.). #democracy #humanrights #metoo *Spain protects and hides the (unelected) leader of the separatist polisario Ghali who is wanted by spanish justice for GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, RAPE (for "humanitarian reason"???)* 🔴 Sahara: Khadijatou Mahmoud, the woman who accused Brahim Ghali of rape 🔴 Wall Street Journal : The Polisario is a Marxist group linked to regional terrorism 🔴Polisario killed more than 200 fishermen 🔴 European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report reveals diversions of EU Aids to Western Sahara by polisario and Algeria

[@ps4proaddiction396]

The fortune is now being spent on the most technological weapons and fighting drones as well as rockets 🚀. Make your research ... Spain is shaking🤫🤫 without other European countries Spain is in a very bad position right now.

[@moroccoisback477]

Your king is so honest and clean, jajaja where is he? Dubai`? Juan carlos and Franco before, please don't embarass yourself

[@ps4proaddiction396]

@@moroccoisback477 what does jajaja mean ? Don't embarrase yourself bro

[@moroccoisback477]

@@ps4proaddiction396 dont make yourself a fool. Those asturias caves barbarians should wake up and really analyze who they are. Only basque people have my respect because they are authentic iberians not a cocktail roman-moor-phoenician

[@mussg7823]

Thanks for this interesting video. Funny how Spain claims that Ceuta and Mellila, which became Spanish in the fifteenth century, "were part of Spain long before Morocco even existed". They have a rather caricatural image of the imperial history of Morocco to which the architectural remains of Andalusia still bear witness to this day. Perhaps Spanish officials should enjoy a pleasant coffee break in front of the Giralda tower in Seville (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which was built in the 12th century under the Almohad Empire of Morocco, which reigned not only over Ceuta and Mellila, but the Maghreb and Iberia. Morocco has long-standing civilization and history which, understandably , do not suit Spanish colonial rhetoric.

[@Ambitwine]

morocco should stick their claims up their ass, we still have a claim over the entire Rif, better to not start claiming things.

[@devilfox5]

@@Ambitwine 🤣🤣🤣🤣 tell me about loosing 1.3 billion euro this summer just beacause moroccans wont visit or pass by your shitt hole country , now tell algeria to recover all your people loosing their jobs

[@achraf14291]

If spain existed before morocco Who win a war againt Portugal in the battle of the 3 king Maybe Your mother Morocco existed before spain idiot

[@Maximius38]

@@devilfox5 he's Algerian!!

[@carmencereceda8399]

you poor soul ... study history Giralda and all the other master pieces were not made by morocans... al andalus was caliphate of damscos..

[@sulaymankindi]

why do you pronounce ONclave ENclave?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Why wouldn’t I!?

[@sulaymankindi]

@@JamesKerLindsay What an academic reply 🤔

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@sulaymankindi Not really. Just a genuine question to a very odd comment. No one else has ever commented on it.

[@RealSavage7]

its an acent bro

[@sulaymankindi]

@@RealSavage7 of the educated?

[@Ideophagous]

"Long before Morocco existed as a country". I think there's a solid case to be made that Morocco existed longer than Spain, which was partially occupied by it in fact (Al Andalus), since the time of the Almoravids and the Almohads, both of whom chose Marrakech as their capital, and founded royal dynasties and traditions that bequeathed their inheritance to the ones came after them until the Alaouites ruling today (since the 17 century). Furthermore, Morocco made many failed attempts to retake the coastal cities taken by Portugal and Spain, including Tangier, Al Huceima, Mogador, Mazagan (now El Jadida), etc, and only failed in the case of Ceuta and Melilla. Putting the Spanish control of the cities in a larger historical context, it's clear that they have been and still are occupied by Spain. That being said, the populations of the two cities have the first say in whether they want to join Morocco or Spain.

[@omarjaghnaneelidrissi2153]

After watching this interesting video i found that you didn't explain the whole details of the last problem between morocco and spain and you just say some incomprehensible information about moroccan history 1st: Spain did not just let ibrahim ghali get enter to the country for medical treatment , but they let him enter with a fake identity and a fake algerian passport, even that there are 4 spanish civilians that file complaint against him on courts and the question here is where is the transparency of European countries like spain 2nd: as what the moroccan minister of foreign affairs said that morocco is not obliged to protect the borders and he was doing that under cooperation, and not more than that, and as we see spain by doing what she did they goes out of cooperation ............. And I don't know why you say that spain occupied those two cities even before that morocco existed maybe you want to said before the allouite dynasty and that true but morocco existed before this dynasty if you can try just to modified the sentences

[@rhinarium3984]

When he mentions that Ceuta and Melilla were Spanish before Morocco even existed, he is just sharing the Spanish claim, not his personal understanding of the issue. However, the claim is correct and irrelevant at the same time. It is correct because modern day Morocco did not exist when Ceuta and Melilla were conquered, those territories were conquered from States that do no longer exist, not from modern day Morocco. Portugal conquered Ceuta from the Marinid Dynasty, whose State collapsed and left nothing behind, but a bunch of stateless tribes, and then Portugal ceded the territory to Spain. As for Melilla, it was conquered by Spain from the Wattasid Dynasty, a State that was conquered by the Saadi Sultanate that originated in southern Morocco and may be understood as the origin of the State that today goes by the name of Morocco, the same State that the Alaouites took control of. I have read many times this objection, so I will address it in advance: notice that I am not saying that different dynasties amount to different States, but that States cease to exist, whether by collapse or by conquest, and the fact that a State happens to exist in the same territory as those deceased States does not mean that it shares its juridical identity. Now, I also said that it is irrelevant. By that I mean that, even supposing that modern day Morocco shared the juridical identity of the deceased States, then it expressly recognized those territories as Spanish in a valid peace treaty, namely, the Treaty of Wad Ras, so it cannot claim them back, unless Spain consents to the annulment of the treaty.

[@omarjaghnaneelidrissi2153]

@@rhinarium3984 I agree with you about the WAD RAS treaty that morocco can not claim the ceuta back. but its not the case about Mellila cause in that treaty morocco accepted just to grow the area of the city and not give in it to spain. without forgetting that treaty was signed by force on morocco when an organization as the UN does not existed ( and here we can ask the question why morocco stoped the protection of ceuta borders and keep it up on mellila borders if he doesn‘t been based on that treaty. And back to what you called modern morocco and about moroccan dynasties I want just to mention that the occupation of those cities was not by the Modern spain but under a dynastie control

[@carmencereceda8399]

morocco gets billions of euros every single year to protect the borders...so is obligation otherwise return the money!

[@omarjaghnaneelidrissi2153]

@@carmencereceda8399 as I said morocco did that due to corporation (Win- Win), its like when moroco helped european countries to find 17 terrorist's organisation on their territories but when spain let ibrahim ghali get in with a fake passport, that's make the instability of those corporations.

[@kumo199]

Did you know that Spain was Moroccan before Spain even existed? it was part of Morocco and its capital was Marrakech

[@ichthys7883]

That shows that you are not people of peace, and you deserve a sad ending like the one you had, and worse. Loser.

[@Englishtab]

@@ichthys7883 Spain was ruled by moroccans from Marrakech that's a fact

[@alejandromunozmunoz584]

@@Englishtab Almohads kingdom no Morocco..... Spain and Morocco did not exist that time

[@mohamedred5746]

@@alejandromunozmunoz584 Almohads and Almoravids are just Moroccan Dynasties like Aluites... Morocco is Second oldest Kingdom in the world acording To UNESCO and world Records

[@videogames1926]

@@ichthys7883 says the one with history full of genocides and beheadings! I swear to God, if I were a Spaniard, I would be very ashamed to mention even the word history, let alone talk about it, and claim things like you did, which don't exist in reality!

[@moughitnejjar5943]

Spain has not only accepted to receive the leader of Polisario under a false passport and another identity but also didn't inform Morocco about this move. While Morocco has always encouraged Spain's territorial integrity, Spain did the opposite. So, they should show a sense of responsibility for their actions. P.s we are against illegal immigration but at the same time we are not supposed to watch other countries' borders

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Yes, but it’s not protecting Morocco’s territorial integrity. Western Sahara is not considered to be part of Morocco. The UN regards it as a non-self governing territory - a colony waiting for decolonisation. And Morocco has undertaken to grant the people a referendum on their future, which has yet to be carried out.

[@moughitnejjar5943]

@@JamesKerLindsay thank you for your reply. Morocco accepted to organize the referendum but unfortunately we couldn't define the people allowed to vote. Moreover, if the Spanish has not colonized the Sahara, it would have remained Moroccan.

[@ichthys7883]

blablabla bla bla bla

[@carmencereceda8399]

and yes... for the moment hat you tak billions of euros every year from eu to watch the border you supposed to watch it!

[@sickhorse]

Ceuta and Melilla arent a property of Spain. Those cities are Spain. Long time before Morroco exist they were part of Spain. In the long term if Morocco doesnt stop his agressions will be serious conflict.

[@aymenhjj322]

morocoo fondation date is 789 ap. J.-C. before spain ever axisted + morocco did control spain for over 500 years should morocco claim spain also

[@sickhorse]

The Idrisies didnt found Morroco.

[@abdelkarim714]

I'm sorry but that's what I see, it's obvious man just watch your video one more time you didn't get to talk about Nasser Bourita the Moroccan foreign minister what he thinks about the conflict. he said that Spain tries to make the problem between Morocco and the EU which is not it is a bilateral one between Morocco and Spain you even pass misleading information Morocco has existed for 14 centuries from now before Spain was even a nation. HOW CAN EU SAYS THAT CEUTA AND MELILLA IT'S PART OF IT WITH IS BEFORE THAT AN AFRICAN TERRITORY. Spain hosted the leader of the Polisario, a war criminal and a rapist of women of Spanish nationality, on its territory for treatment and forged documents without informing Morocco of this. When the Moroccan intelligence discovered this and asked Spain to explain why it took this step, it said for humanitarian reasons, it also cooperated with Algeria to smuggle him to it for fear of arrest.

[@magnusVarblomst]

I'm spanish and I'd give them away regardless. Not sure how, but something like a transition period of like 20 years, sponsorships for spaniards that want to go back to the peninsula and a special non inheritable visa status for the ones that wish to remain. Spanish people that stay after 20 years would lose spanish citizenship but would still be able to travel freely and work in spain later on with their visa. Morocco needs to be an ally, they are so close it's in both countries best interest and if this issue is not tackled now it will be in detriment of both countries for a long time. Obviously this should be accompanied with exemplary negotations. Canary Island will always be out of the question and both should commit to be long term strategic military/energy partners.

[@solitudeguard1932]

If you consider Morocco to be the dynasty that heads its state, then yes, those territories were taken before the current Alouite dynasty. But you consider Morocco to be the people of the land, then this argument stands no chance because no matter the dynasty that was in charge, they all either controlled those territories at one point, or were constantly trying to get them back, which means that the Moroccan claim to those two cities is actually the claim of the people, not of the government.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Very interesting points. I am actually planning to take a look at this precise issue in a future video. It is such an interesting and important question. And Morocco is a fascinating case study for just this reason.

[@solitudeguard1932]

@@JamesKerLindsay I'm looking forward for your next video. The objectivity of your analysis is outstanding.

[@rejecthumanitybacktomonke3325]

And before of that it was visigoth (ancestors of spain)

[@solitudeguard1932]

@@rejecthumanitybacktomonke3325 And before that it was Mauritania's

[@rejecthumanitybacktomonke3325]

@@solitudeguard1932 Before it was roman, and Before it was fenician...

[@hajiraabel3825]

Ces millions de marocains en Espagne ou en France veulent travailler pour la France et l'Espagne, et pas rendre ces pays comme dépendance de leur pays d'origine

[@moshehaifa]

Interesting. I knew about Ceuta and Melilla but not the others. Do you see Spain ever ceding the uninhabited territories?

[@bernardppsh1457]

No the moroccans try to take one of those islands and were spell en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perejil_Island_crisis

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Yes, the smaller territories aren't generally known. As things stand, it seems that Spain isn't likely to return the territories. I suspect that it is because it believes that if it hands over any of them, then it will have made the point that they are all up for discussion. I don't think that this is the case. Melilla and Ceuta clearly have a range of other factors involved. But I suspect that this is driving Madrid's refusal to discuss the issue.

[@joanhibu6682]

@@JamesKerLindsay Spain is a Democracy, so Spain goverment can't give away territories (what a seriuos contry could do that?). That territories are own by spaniards and to give them there must be a referendum and even change the Constitution. And Why? there are spanish territories into france, even shared territories with France with no problems between friendly neighbours. Why should we, spaniards, do that? because our south neighbour is agresive?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@joanhibu6682 Exactly. And this is a point I have made in other comments. But it is interesting how Madrid doesn’t apply the same thinking to the people of Gibraltar.

[@joanhibu6682]

@@JamesKerLindsay Well, the legal situation of Ceuta and Melilla is not the same of Gibraltar. But other than that: Do you refer to the same Madrid that just agree with Gibraltar open borders independently of sovereignty? People in Gibraltar love that deal as they love to live, shopping, hospital cares, roads and all that spanish things that they use without pay one euro for that.

[@ichthys7883]

Morocco sends continuous waves of immigrants over the Canary Islands, and southern Spain. They are already close to a million. It uses its own citizens to invade other countries non-militarily. Instead of defending Spain, "progressive" politicians admit this continuous invasion. It is a danger for the future of Spain and of Europe, both Muslim that it goes against European culture and civilization. If you help this, one day we will all pay. // Marruecos envía continuas oleadas de inmigrantes sobre las Islas Canarias, y el sur de España. Ya son cerca de un millón. Usa a sus propios ciudadanos para invadir no militarmente otros países. Los políticos "progresistas" en lugar de defender España, admiten esta continua invasión. Es un peligro para el futuro de España y de Europa tanto musulmán que va contra la cultura y la civilización europea. Si ustedes ayudan a esto, algún día pagaremos todos.

[@freewal]

Spain will pay back its hypocrisy towards Morocco. Believe me. You aren’t ready or prepared for what is coming.

[@elnaveganteperdido6373]

@Nabil Ceuta, Melilla and Canary Islandia from Marroco? Absolutly false, those terries have been spanish before Marroco exists. Rapes? When?, Chemichal weapons didn't really work, the resources at the time make chemichal bombs by airplanes were useless, and they were used after awfull tortures ( things of psychos ) to spanish prisioners until they were died. Anyways, you are talking about things too long ago, and you forget rapes, tortures... and bombs of Napalm and Phosphoro over people from Riff and from West Sáhara not so long.

[@michaelsaviano6148]

You forgot about gran canary Islands and the rest of the territories?

[@Spacemongerr]

I don't think Morocco or it's predecessors ever controlled the Canary Islands, they have no claim on it at all. Which other territories?

[@JJJJ-qe1dw]

Ah, and for a teorical conflit: Me encanta Marruecos, buenos viajes por el Atlas, precioso Marrakech etc. GERRA NO, que lo solucionen los politicos que para eso se les paga. Spain and Moroco should be brothers as well as good neighbours 👍

[@alexsebastian1724]

Ceuta and Mellila are moroccan and we will take them by force.

[@pablolostum]

keep dreaming

[@amalhassane]

@@pablolostum keep fucking up

[@pablolostum]

@@amalhassane well Spain wasn't the one sending kids to the sea after a political tantrum ;)

[@mikito00]

@@pablolostum no, they are too busy curb stomping Catalonians from exercising their right to vote 😂

[@pablolostum]

@@mikito00 Yeah, not like Morocco invading Western Sahara and fighting the Saharawis while keeping the double standards with Palestine and Israel! Lmao

[@abdifatah8520]

Always pleasure listening your view, you make it so easy to understand world internal affairs. Thank you!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@EC-ve4dw]

easier because simplistic and shallow

[@ps4proaddiction396]

His info's are partially wrong I suggest you to dig deeply to know the real issue between two countries if you're more into politics.

[@pericorico5001]

Tanto los políticos españoles como los marroquíes no valen un duro, al final los que pagan son los pobres niños sean de la nacionalidad que sea

[@EC-ve4dw]

LOL! a scholar that quotes France 24 and do not go the the core and root of the problem. The polisario terrorist was admitted to Spain by the spanish government on a falsified algerian passport and entered by a military airport , so he can hijack the spanish justice even if his victims are spanish. If he did not do that, he would have been stopped at the airport. He is wanted by the spanish justice and the government knew that. What Spain did is a not an act from a respectable country that pretends to respect its own justice. It's rather an act of the mafia. Spain completely unveiled.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

I have absolutely no reason to doubt the accuracy and veracity of the interviews done by France24. And given the historic relationship between France and Morocco, and the large Moroccan community in France, it is unsurprising that it would have reporters on the ground. There was clearly a humanitarian crisis as people suddenly believed that the border was open. So I’m not sure why the quotes would be inaccurate?

[@EC-ve4dw]

@@JamesKerLindsay That doesn't make any sense. anyway, you don't go to the core of issue. shallow and unacademic!

[@rtr0_insn323]

The king’s and bourita’s (foreign minister of Morocco) instrumentalisation of the misery of it’s own people and sometimes their children and babies is deeply sad and very concerning for me being a Moroccan

[@elyazriahmed8937]

What a soft heart?

[@jme9811]

Hello from spain , great video. With all due respect to Morroco and all the people talking here , at the beggining of this dispute between both countries during the past weeks this was nothing about a territorial dispute, Morroco just like spain and many other countries are dacing a big crisis due to corona , many jobs lost ,according to interviewed inmigrants in ceuta morroco has people struggling economically ,hospitals don´t work , people are in hunger , while a country with a GDP 10 times inferior to it´s neighboor country Spain is in investing 4% of its GDP to military , buying f35 100 million a piece while Spain spends 1% (again spain has a GDP 10 times higher) . So much love for a country with a king who prefers his fortune billions and palaces by dozens while his people don´t have enough money to buy food or get a good education with prospects of future, the problem is that people want to escape a bad country while his estate purchases f35 fighter jets while sending babies , families and kids to the sea with 2 deads in one day opening the doors by morrocan police. But the excuse is the territorial one , that ceuta and melilla are yours while those cities have been spanish for 600 years at a time when morroco didn´t exist as a estate, it was a protostate with many tribes with no clear stablished borders , citizens in ceuta are spanish and also africans, africa is a continent not a country so claiming that ceuta is yours may be should be wise to plant a morrocan flag in mauritania , since africa is for africans , and turkey should leave the territory of erupe continent because they are ottomans that came from persia , while we are at!! lets make demands right?, shall we? plus a suposed renewal conquest of iberia that your ancestors lost,a land that belonged of the roman province of Hispania for many centuries dating even times previous to roman conquesrs, yes thats were the name SPAIN comes from , HISPANIA. I only see inflated ego filled with excuses to feel better about themselves while the world sees how your politicians and king treat their own people.

[@fatimajad2816]

u said hunger ?????? ppl arent leaving for hunger or spain they are going to other developed countries like france or germany

[@alibaba5013]

Que fais l'Espagne en Afrique?Lère des colonies est révolu!Si Sebta,Mellilia,Velez de la Comera,iles jaffarines.....sont espagnols,alors le Maroc peut demander l'adhésion à la communauté européenne!L'Espagne(700 ans musulmane) à l'Europe,Sebta....(500 ans occupés)au Maroc(Afrique).

[@carmencereceda8399]

@@fatimajad2816 they are leaving to go to europe to get public benefits and take all the advantages they can..like free health care, educatication and so... that is why france has cut down in 50% the concesion of visas !

[@carmencereceda8399]

well said! hello from a spanish living in morocco!

[@carmencereceda8399]

well said J Me! hello from a spanish living in morocco!

[@omarbriouel5466]

Very poor analysis that doesn't show the real reasons of the crisis

[@JamesKerLindsay]

So, what were they? Or did you just decide to comment half way through?

[@soundmind9772]

4:30 "Morocco finally regained its independence in 1956" If Morocco was able to REGAIN its independence, Hawaii can do the same. Although the legitimate GOVERNMENT of the Kingdom of Hawaii has been in a period of interregnum since 1893, the NATION-STATE continues its legal personality and, like Morocco (as well as Hong Kong and Macao), Hawaii has never been entitled to exercise a right to self-determination via decolonization procedures, but rather it has a right to self-determination via de-occupation. In such cases, the purpose of a referendum, if any, is to LEGITIMIZE a new or existing government, rather than to satisfy any formal UN requirement as would otherwise be the case when a non-self governing territory exercises a right to external self-determination. One who rules illegitimately by usurpation is considered to be a TYRANT (Tyrannus in Titula), as has been the case of United States rule over the multiracial Hawaiian People and our national homelands. Hawaii, a once peaceful, neutral and independent country, is now the most weaponized territory on earth and the entire world is at once its hostage and responsible for maintaining the status quo. How long will we continue this charade?

[@abderrahimelalami6708]

Thank you ,we Moroccans feel the same way ,but we will never stop the fight ,and Morocco🇲🇦 is part of Africa 🌍 and spain has to stop colonism for god sake . god bless you .

[@soundmind9772]

@@abderrahimelalami6708 Since Morocco is a friend and older, wiser brother to the United States, do you think Morocco would ever support Hawaii to regain independence from the United States like Morocco was able to achieve from Spain and France?

[@entertainme6956]

Sound Mind TBH I don’t think Morocco will do, however, my suggestion is if you have right to something don’t wait for others to side with you, you have to fight for it either in a diplomatic way or through war if need be. Don’t expect the aggressor or the colonizers to give you your rights. All the best wishes my friend.

[@soundmind9772]

@@entertainme6956 I agree with you except that my view is that war is only for unsophisticated fools because clever diplomacy can achieve any result. Not to say that violence can be eliminated because one's enemies may resort to destroying each other to the benefit of the victorious yet peaceful diplomat. We must always consider this possibility when viewing any violent conflict.

[@entertainme6956]

You’re absolutely right. Till now we are trying diplomacy to deal with this colonial shameful history we will keep trying and trying, however, we cannot just keep trying for eternity. Spain must retrieve to logic and hand over the occupied territories. We don’t want to clash with Spain because we are still neighbours. There are limits for patience TBH.

[@VIC-hx2ny]

Hi James! I like the video a lot but in my view. The situations of Ceuta and Melilla can't be compared with Gibraltar, but I'd rather compare it with Channel Islands in front of France but part of the UK

[@rhinarium3984]

He did not compare them, he just called Spain a hypocrite because it invokes self-determination in the case of Ceuta and Melilla, but it does not in the case of Gibraltar. Apart from that, we do not know yet what are James' views on Gibraltar, he is planning to make a video on it, but based on what I read in some comments, he apparently believes that the situation of Gibraltar is the product of the Peace of Utrecht and not a violation of the territorial integrity of Spain. If that is the case, then he is completely wrong, given that the treaty only ceded the settlement in Gibraltar without any territory whatsoever, as is stipulated expressly in Article 10, without mentioning the reserved right of Spain to recover the territory if the United Kingdom was prepared to relinquish it. Much later, the United Kingdom took advantage of the settlement and annexed the territory in clear violation of the treaty. I do not think James believes that the colonial manifestation of Gibraltar is the mere product of a treaty, especially considering the fact that the United Nations General Assembly resolutions clearly recognize Gibraltar as a violation of the territorial integrity of Spain and that Gibraltarians are not entitled to exclusive self-determination.

[@rhinarium3984]

And yes, the case of the Channel Islands is almost identical as Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de Soberanía. The United Kingdom has title over the former and Spain has title over the latter, neither France nor Morocco should question that title, much less qualify those territories as colonial holdings. It is ignorant and malicious.

[@Maximius38]

​@@rhinarium3984 This guy is biased as hell lol it's the last person to hear if you are seeking for objective informations!!

[@rhinarium3984]

​@@Maximius38 I still hope that that is not the case. When he finally uploads his video on Gibraltar, then we will know for sure. In fact, I think he is avoiding touching the topic precisely because of his bias towards the British position, which is completely unfounded.

[@EdMcF1]

The Channel Islands are not part of the UK, they are 'an accident of history', a legacy of the Duke of Normandy becoming King of England, they form two Bailiwicks (Jersey and Guernsey) that the English Sovereign (and hence UK Sovereign) 'rules' over, as advised by the UK government. The UK Parliament asserts its right to make laws for the Channel Islands if it feels the need. The Channel Islands are called 'Crown Dependencies' and the people living their have British citizenship, but they were never part of the EU and the Channel Islanders never had the right of free movement in the EU when the UK was in the EU. The Channel Islands have independent legal systems and their own governments.

[@gonbal2]

While GB occupies Gibraltar, Spain is not going to leave Ceuta, Melila and the other territories on the Moroccan coast, with those bases, the Spanish control the door to the Mediterranean.

[@ashaadana9295]

Those lands lies in Africa! WRIGHT?

[@jmundi2002]

@@ashaadana9295 so? Canary islands are also in Africa you want them also?

[@namelastname2449]

Wrong. No dispute for the autonomous Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The dispute is for the Sahara. Inform yourself better

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Haha. Not what a lot of Moroccans here are saying. Inform yourself better.

[@namelastname2449]

@@JamesKerLindsay who pays you? Don’t you read the press? Ah, Brit. That’s all much more clear now

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@namelastname2449 A bizarre comment.

[@alexsebastian1724]

Spain without Europe is nothing

[@JamesKerLindsay]

But that’s the point. Spain is in the EU and NATO and that is everything.

[@rejecthumanitybacktomonke3325]

Before spain joined the EU it was the 8th world power, and from 1400s to 1700s it was the world power.

[@algeria1622]

As always great video, but there is a small detail that you missed, Algeria provided the polizario leader with an Algerian passport and negotiated with Spain to send the polizario leader, since the polizario leader is considered a war criminal in Spain I think Anyway, I am patiently waiting for mad Moroccans arguments on this video 😂

[@rashidhackney2431]

mad or logic???

[@moesyzlak5854]

Even an Algerian noticed it... This guy is pro-polisario... See his video about Western Sahara... He lied when I quoted the ICJ... Western leftists : No human rights and #metoo for polisario, only Morocco. *Spain protects and hides the (unelected) leader of the separatist polisario Ghali who is wanted by spanish justice for GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, RAPE (for "humanitarian reason"???)* 🔴 Sahara: Khadijatou Mahmoud, the woman who accused Brahim Ghali of rape 🔴 Wall Street Journal : The Polisario is a Marxist group linked to regional terrorism 🔴Polisario killed more than 200 fishermen 🔴 European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report reveals diversions of EU Aids to Western Sahara by polisario and Algeria

[@oussamaboumhaout3619]

@@moesyzlak5854 true

[@algeria1622]

@@rashidhackney2431 mad, I stand with western sahara because international law is with western sahara, James emphasizes a lot on international law, morrocans and propaganda states (Algeria for example) like international law only when it suits them, and generally get butthurt when it doesn't, morroco sucks, Algeria also (90% of people want to leave, 8000 migrants is just a proof)

[@rashidhackney2431]

@@algeria1622 you will be standing for longtime.😄😄😄😄.. see what happens if the Kabyle decided to break out.. make sure you have comfortable shoes while standing 😄😄

[@freega46356k]

How can Spain and Britain will have a an island inside Afrịkan continent.. What a nonsense.. Afrika is not gonna allow this nonsense to be continue. More more

[@jav9069]

Oh please North Africa has historically been tied to Southern Europe much more than to the rest of Africa! Ever heard of the empires that used to exist around the Mediterranean?

[@Mufasa66]

I would like to know the opinions of saharauis people. You are always talking in the name of Afrika but you are one of the worst enemies of Afrika

[@Mufasa66]

@Red Fox good answer 👍

[@fdkfdk9852]

spain didn't forget 800 years of Muslim rule in andalus. and they think we forget about cebta and mellilia. it's just a matter of time.

[@hamzaht7001]

TO ALL SPANISH PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT REFERENDUM IN MOROCCAN SAHARA I WILL SAY ONE WORD CAAATAAAALUUUUUUNIIIIIAAAAA

[@joaquingonzalez5095]

Also the difference between Gibraltar and Ceuta and Melilla is huge! ask the UN.

[@abdelkarimamengay6766]

As a Moroccan, I should say that this analysis is one of the most balanced that I have seen from a Western perspective. However, it should be noticed that Morocco did not get angry because the Polisario leader got treated in Spain, such a thing used to happen in the past and Morocco has never made a big drama about it. What is different this time, is that this guy found his way to Spain under a false identity provided to him by the Algerian intelligence services to avoid his percussion for war crimes in Spain with the benediction of the Spanish government.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks a lot. To be honest I have been surprised by the reaction of a lot of your compatriots. I basically said that the small territories should be handed to Morocco, but acknowledge that Melilla and Ceuta are more complicated. They cannot be simply viewed as territory to be passed from one state to another. The wishes of the people matter. In fact, I consistently try to make this point. On the question of the passport, Spain insists that it did know he was coming and that he didn’t enter the country under an assumed name. Reports suggest that the Spanish cabinet even discussed it and was divided, eventually deciding to accept him. In fact, I’d say that Morocco should be more upset that he didn’t enter under an assumed name - as seems to be the case - than if he did!? I just don’t understand why people seem so upset by this. It rather suggests that Spain was fooled. So, why would Morocco then retaliate. It doesn’t make sense for people to get upset that he travelled under a false passport. Please do explain this to me.

[@abdelkarimamengay6766]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thank you for your interaction. About the Moroccan government's reaction, I do assume that in the past, Spanish intelligence services, or Foreign affairs, used to secretly infom Morocco that the Front's leader is coming to Spain as a sign of a good faith. Probably, this did not happen this time. Of course, the Moroccan reaction is far of being only explained by this. This event is only the last in a series of mistakes made by the Spanish government and seen by Morocco as unacceptable or even provocations. First, the Spanish PM, after his election, broke the diplomatic tradition of making Morocco his first destination. Considering that he is in a collation with Podemos, a party with an openly pro-Polisario line, that sent a bad message to Rabat. Especially, that Moroccan diplomacy had historically considered the Spanish Socialist party (POES) as having a more friendly foreign policy toward Morocco that the Popular Party. In other terms, the Moroccans were expecting a totally different things from a Socialist lead government. With high expectations come heavy disappointments. Second, after the US had recognized Moroccan sovereignty on the Sahara, the Spanish government was not quite smart on how to deal with the situation. Spanish officials made several public declarations that were seen in Morocco as crossing the traditional Spanish position call for a UN-based political solution upon which the two parties must agree. Moreover, Morocco was particularly outraged by the fact that Spain didn't condain the Polisario ending of the cease fire.

[@soundmind9772]

@@JamesKerLindsay Ceuta and Melilla was not irreversibly annexed by Spain, neither was Hawaii irreversibly annexed by the United States nor Gibraltar by Britain. The same applies to Portuguese Goa, Western Sahara, French Morocco, British Hong Kong, Portuguese Macao and Japanese Korea. With the exception of Hawaii and Gibraltar, all of these territories have already been liberated from their respective administrative power OUTSIDE the context of decolonization.

[@carmencereceda8399]

@@JamesKerLindsay i told you again, Ceuta , Melilla and the smallest territories belong to the spainsh crown, they are not colonies never were , spain has rightful title signed by morocco in 1890 ... so.. why we must cesed our terrotiry ? why uk don´t cesed northen ireland to ireland? ..

[@carmencereceda8399]

@@JamesKerLindsay and one other thing that you forget... morocco recieve millions of euros from eu every year to control the border.. is not something do it by friendship but for money!!

[@globetrotter5751]

It was the most ridiculous and inhuman political manoeuvre in modern history by an attention seeker North African Omyyad. Him, and his ancestors, have never given a toss about those opressed, suffering, destitute, prone to quick impulses and susceptible to big impressions berbers. He himself is an invader. It would be the saddest moment in the history of those territories if one day they lost the spanish sovereignty.

[@videogames1926]

Five things you need to know my friend: - you're wrong - he's not an Omyyyad - he didn't force anyone to migrate, it was from their free will, and most of them knew they will be returned so they tried to cross as some kind of joke! (most, not all of them obviously), in fact he asked the EU to return even minors if they're found! - you're ruled by a mafia - and these enclaves would be more prosperous under their rightful owners, aka Moroccans!

[@globetrotter5751]

@@videogames1926 deja vu et entedu. Just a Moorish razzle-dazzle no-one in their right mind would believe it. Yes, he is a descendant of Muhammad whose family immigrated to north africa for better life. What a way to make a joke? Those poor berbers have no self-esteem or free sperit souls to banter. What about those infants and babies, where they joking as well? For all intents and purposes, it was done because they were incited and they were desprate to escape dire strait. The only dream North Africans have to escape west. Spain has become a second Morocco and second Algeria. He made a U return because he had realised of what a blunder he had made? Impulses most of the time lead to regret. Those place would be as poor and opressed as north africa is right now.

[@videogames1926]

@@globetrotter5751 - He is an Alouite, a descendant of the prophet since the Arabs in general used to keep record of their lineage, we can trace back to the lineage given to the prophet and check the historicity of the claim, it's not that they are bastards like you who don't know even who their fathers are! Second I told you that "the most" not all, most of them did it as a joke! They know they're gonna get deported again, and if they wanted entering Ceuta, they could have entered with their passports easily! Indeed there were people who were desperate and wanted to immigrate, it's the same in almost every country there are homeless and poor people, or are you gonna pretend that your country is perfect with no problems at all??! Morocco is not as strong economically as Spain because of many factors, among them the key factor colonization! But Spain sucks and it would suck more if it weren't for Catalonia and the EU! And it was way better (culturally, and when it comes to scientific participation and knowledge) when it was ruled by Amazigh(Berbers) after the fall of the Ummayads! Those Berbers you're talking about, brought you civilisation and dignity, and stopped the tyranny of the Visigoths who used to r4pe you and kill you! Even your culture is mainly a knockoff of the Morcoccan culture, except for burning people who aren't Christians, and killing Bulls for entertainment, these are purely Spanish, but even the old architecture which brings tourists is Moroccan! So yeah I think you're right when you said Spain is a second Morocco!

[@videogames1926]

@@globetrotter5751 And by the way you're wording your thoughts, it seems that you're so ignorant of many things! I witnessed many mistakes, like saying a north African Omayyad, Omayyads are from Bani Umaya tribe who are Arabs, and their dynasty perished long ago! And My friend I invite you to go and see Morocco, cuz you have an image that doesn't represent the truth which was brought to you by the media, it's better to be a homeless person in Morocco than say in the USA or France! And immigration of the poor in seek of opportunities is always happening, you don't see it in the EU, cuz you have open borders otherwise those people who wish to immigrate in order to make their life better, wouldn't be able to afford the money to get a visa!