Monday, June 28, 2021 - 10:52 Carmen Gomez

by CARMEN GOMEZ

When one reads in the global digital Spanish diary `el Independiente `that Morocco and Spain are condemned to understanding each other, because of their economic, geographic and security links, this Gibraltarian immediately thinks of the UK and Gibraltar, who share the very same links. Furthermore when one continues reading that for decades they have had a bumpy relationship; this Gibraltarian once again thinks of the UK, but more so of Gibraltar.

The diary reads “Morocco brings out its claws and we are before another perejil.” However as they now point out; the only difference being that Ceuta is now a European frontier. When I hear this, the hair on the back of my neck stands up because this is what we may end up becoming or already in the Schengen zone. I know exactly what they mean, and so do all Gibraltarians who think on the Anglo Spanish relationship and its topsy- turvy relationship over the years, whenever Gibraltar finds itself in the equation.
strong
It used to be said that Rabat felt strong with the ex US President Trump and his support over the Sahara and he knew full well the weaknesses of the Spanish government. However I now understand that the pentagon has modified the plans to exclude the Sahara from its manoeuvres “African lion” and therefore Spain has let it be known that the head of the Moroccan government had erased an earlier tweet about how the manoeuvres were to be based in Occidental Sahara; the manoeuvres will go ahead but elsewhere in Morocco.