A group of followers of the Moroccan team Maghreb Association Sportive de Fes displayed a large banner on Sunday during a football match, demanding sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, in a tense climate following the entry of thousands of migrants at the end of July into the first of the autonomous cities.
"Ceuta and Melilla, two cities, one homeland: Morocco," could be read on the banner, written in Spanish and held by fans of the Maghreb Association Sportive de Fes —current champion of the last league played in the North African country— during a match of the African Football Confederation (CAF) Champions League against Rahimo FC from Burkina Faso.
In recent weeks, several members of the Moroccan Government have publicly raised the issue of Ceuta and Melilla again. The Minister of Justice, Abdelatif Uahbi, defended on August 21 the "historical and geographical rights" of Morocco over both autonomous cities.
In the same vein, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Tufiq, reiterated days later the Moroccan claim over Ceuta and Melilla during a religious festival led by King Mohamed VI, which was also attended by Crown Prince Mulay Hasán and Prime Minister Aziz Ajanuch.
The Spanish Executive, for its part, has conveyed to Rabat its rejection of these claims over Ceuta and Melilla and has emphasized that "they are two Spanish cities" that are part of "the territorial integrity" and "sovereignty" of Spain, according to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.