/ 13 April 1999

MOROCCO WANTS SPANISH ENCLAVES BACK

MOROCCO has appealed to several sub-Saharan African countries to help it recover two enclaves occupied by Spain. The country’s prime minister Abderrahmane el Youssoufi said on Monday that Rabat needs the diplomatic support of South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Kenya and Nigeria to win back the enclaves of Melilia and Ceuta, which remained under Spanish control long after Morocco attained its independence. El Youssoufi observed that Morocco finds itself in almost the same situation as Namibia, which only recovered the Walvis Bay enclave three years after its independence in 1990. With such experience, he noted, Namibia should be able to play a big role in winning back the two provinces for Morocco.