Morocco cites religious history to claim Ceuta as Spain affirms sovereignty

Royal palace speech

Moroccan Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq invoked what he described as a sacred fight to liberate occupied coastal cities during a religious gathering at the Royal Palace in Rabat on the evening of 24 August 2026. The ceremony marked Eid al-Mawlid, the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, and served as the first public appearance by King Mohammed VI following the border crisis in Ceuta. The event brought together Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid, and Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, alongside parliamentary leaders and senior military commanders. Toufiq defined Moroccan loyalty to the monarch through the traditional pact of allegiance, describing the king as Commander of the Faithful and linking royal authority directly to religious heritage.

Historical and religious arguments

Toufiq anchored his territorial arguments in the theological scholarship of medieval figures born in Ceuta prior to the transfer of the enclave to Spanish sovereignty in 1580. He pointed to Qadi Ayyad, an eleventh-century jurist who served as a magistrate in Ceuta and Granada before becoming recognised as one of the seven patron saints of Marrakech, alongside thirteenth-century scholar Abu al-Abbas al-Azfi. Al-Azfi established the Mawlid observance in Ceuta after the 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa altered the regional balance of power. Toufiq also cited Dalail al-Khayrat by fifteenth-century Sufi theologian Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli, stating that the text mobilised Moroccans against Portuguese coastal outposts in cities such as El Jadida, Essaouira, and Ceuta, which Portugal captured in 1415. Toufiq's framing followed declarations by Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, who called for bilateral negotiations over the enclaves.

We hold on to our territories.

Spanish response in the Senate

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles dismissed the claims during a hearing before the Senate Defense Committee on 25 August 2026. Robles stated that Spanish jurisdiction over Ceuta and Melilla is absolute, reaffirming statements she delivered during an official visit to Ceuta on 12 August 2026.

Ceuta and Melilla are deeply Spanish and are untouchable.

Robles reviewed the government response to the events of 30 and 31 July 2026, when between 70,000 and 80,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta. The defense ministry detailed a three-phase operational plan and reported on the structured repatriations that commenced on 1 August 2026. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirmed that irregular border crossers will continue to face direct return under existing agreements.

Political backdrop and elections

The royal ceremony occurred after King Mohammed VI concluded a two-month stay at his summer residence in Mdiq, situated 30 kilometres from Ceuta. The king, who recently reached age 63, presided over the gathering as Moroccan political factions evaluate the regional fallout ahead of national legislative elections scheduled for 23 September 2026. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch attended the palace event after drawing domestic scrutiny for taking a private flight to Mallorca during the late-July border events.