Morocco and Spain

Although Spain withdrew from most of its territories in the area of Morocco by 1975, there continued to be some conflict over remaining pockets of Spanish control. The two cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Morocco remained under Spain, which classified them as as Spanish autonomous territories. Many Moroccans were sensitive to what they regarded as a remnant of the colonial presence in their country. In addition, Spain

And Morocco had disagreements about fishing rights in the waters between the two nations.

On July 11, 2002, territorial disputes between Spain and Morocco resulted in small-scale military conflict. On that day, Morocco sent forces to occupy a small, uninhabited island, known as Perejil to the Spanish and as Leila to the Moroccans, that lies about two hundred yards from the Moroccan coast. The Moroccans maintained that they were establishing a camp to fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking, both of which are widely recognized problems. The Spanish, claiming Perejil as Spanish territory, saw the military occupation as a violation of their national sovereignty. On July 18, Spanish special forces used helicopters and warships to seize the island and took six Moroccan soldiers prisoner. Two days later, however, United States secretary of state Colin L. Powell helped Spain and Morocco reach an agreement under which both nations were to withdraw all their forces from the island.

Carl L. Bankston III