Aznar Accuses France of Pressuring Spain to Cede Ceuta, Melilla, and Shift on Western Sahara
MADRID – Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar has revealed that France exerted direct pressure on his government to make territorial concessions to Morocco, including the cities of Ceuta, Melilla, and the island of Perejil (Tura), as well as to alter Spain’s position on the Western Sahara conflict.
The revelations came in the new documentary “Perejil” by the Spanish platform Movistar Plus, which revisits the July 2002 crisis when Moroccan forces occupied the island of Perejil, prompting Spain to launch the limited military operation “Romeo Sierra” to reclaim it.
Quoting Aznar, El País reported that “France attempted to impose a solution that serves Rabat,” with Aznar stating he was asked to “hand over Ceuta and Melilla” and abandon Spain’s stance on Western Sahara. He said he categorically rejected the demands and accused France of blocking EU support for Spain during the crisis, describing this as further proof of France’s historic complicity with Morocco’s expansionist ambitions.
