My Shock with the Occupation of Ceuta

The author shares a deeply personal and emotional account of visiting Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish-occupied territories on the northern coast of Morocco. These visits, beginning in the late 1970s, offered a stark contrast to historical narratives, allowing the author to witness the reality of the occupation firsthand.

Recounting a visit to "Capo Negro" in 1976, the author describes initial confusion about whether it was a Spanish colony or a Moroccan resort. Decades later, returning with a grandchild, the author's perception of Melilla was shaped by a profound understanding of what is described as "the most malicious colonialism in history." This feeling extended to other Moroccan enclaves, including the Chafarinas Islands (Jazair Jafariya), which locals call "Ichfarn."

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The Spanish have, one year, fired a bullet at a Moroccan street vendor after warning him via loudspeakers. And since he suffered from deafness, what pains the heart happened.

A particularly poignant memory involves the island of Badis (also known as Qamra), where the author felt a profound sense of injustice. Separated from ancestral land by a mere thin blue line, the author recounts a Moroccan soldier's story of a street vendor being shot by Spanish forces after failing to heed warnings, due to deafness. The author emphasizes that despite its Moroccan dialect and cultural ties, the island remains under symbolic Spanish occupation.

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Badis is an authentic Moroccan island, land that speaks the Amazigh dialect and Moroccan Darija, like the rest of the Moroccan population geographically close to it.

The article delves into the historical claims, noting that Spain annexed Badis in 1508. While Moroccans briefly recaptured it in 1522, Spain reasserted control in 1564 after defeating a small Ottoman garrison. The author argues that all elements – the language, the air, the fish caught by Moroccan fishermen – point to its Moroccan identity. Despite this, Spain, supported by the Church, insists on its Spanish and European Union status.

Concluding with unwavering conviction, the author asserts that Badis, like Ceuta and Melilla, will eventually be reclaimed by Morocco. This sentiment is rooted in the belief that what was taken by force can only be regained through similar means. The author suggests that the pain of this occupation requires little elaboration, as the initial sight conveys much of the story, with further discussion being mere "chatter."

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It is a matter of time, and we will regain it, because we are certain that what was taken from us by force can only be recovered by force.