Morocco protested on Saturday against the entry of the leader of the separatists of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, into Spanish territory. The rebel leader was hospitalized in Spain after being infected with Covid-19.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita summoned Spanish Ambassador Ricardo Diez Hochleitner to Rabat to ask for explanations regarding Brahim Ghali's hospitalization in San Pedro de Logroño, Spain. The rebel leader would have reached the Iberian territory in particular on board an Algerian plane.
On the Moroccan side, Spain's decision to receive Ghali would be "incompatible with the spirit of partnership and good neighborliness", declared Nasser Bourita. Spain has however assured that his country is keen to keep good relations with Morocco. "This does not prevent the excellent relations that Spain has with Morocco," Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzáles said at a press conference this weekend.
Issues on both sides of the Alboran Sea
Spanish officials revealed last week that Brahim Ghali, 73, was hospitalized in Spain for treatment for Covid-19. Ghali heads the Polisario Front, a separatist movement in Western Sahara. The Polisario Front seeks to establish an independent state in the region, periodically engaging the Moroccan armed forces.
Since December 10, 2020, the United States has recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. This agreement was reached after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Israel, the ally of the United States, and the Shereefian kingdom.
Western Sahara stretches along the Atlantic coast of Africa, south of the Moroccan seaside town of Agadir. The vast territory borders Algeria and Mauritania, which would explain the intervention of Algiers, which also has claims on Western Sahara, in the case of Ghali. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, self-proclaimed by the Polisario Front, has a population of 600 inhabitants.
Polisario leaders said Ghali is "recovering favorably" in the Spanish hospital. A clan war is raging within the Polisario Front. And although an Algerian plane dropped Ghali on Spanish territory, nothing indicates that the Algerian government is favorable to its leadership of the Sahrawi rebels. Indeed, if Ghali is detained in Spain after his recovery, he risks arrest for war crimes.
The progress of this case will therefore depend on Spain's next decision. If Ghali is arrested, the status quo would likely be maintained. Otherwise, Algeria will have to support another leader of the Polisario Front, which will further complicate Algerian-Moroccan relations.