Ceuta and Melilla: an old photograph revives Morocco’s sovereignty debate

An old photograph has returned to the spotlight in Spain, reigniting discussion over Ceuta and Melilla and the unresolved historical and political questions surrounding the two Spanish-administered cities on Morocco’s northern coast.

The image was originally published on May 12, 2026, but its renewed circulation in August has given it fresh visibility. Shared by the supporters’ group “Ultras Siempre Paloma 2006,” associated with Moghreb Atlético Tétouan, the photograph shows young supporters gathered outside Ceuta’s municipal headquarters holding a large banner challenging the Spanish presence in the city.

The episode is significant less because of the photograph itself than because of the debate it has revived at a time when Ceuta and Melilla remain sensitive subjects in relations between Rabat and Madrid.

A political message displayed outside Ceuta’s institutions

The banner carries a message in English contrasting the two sides’ interpretations of history and calling for Ceuta to be freed from what the group describes as occupation.

The accompanying text goes considerably further, placing the city within a broader historical narrative involving Tariq Ibn Ziyad’s crossing into the Iberian Peninsula, the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties and the anti-colonial resistance associated with Abdelkrim El Khattabi in the Rif.

The group presents these references as part of an argument about competing interpretations of North African history.

Its message rejects the idea that the passage of centuries or historical agreements should automatically settle the question of sovereignty. It also extends the argument beyond Ceuta, referring to Melilla and other territories and islands administered by Spain in North Africa.

That broader framing turns the photograph into a political statement about territorial sovereignty rather than simply a supporters’ display.

Why the location matters

The choice of location adds another layer to the message.

The banner was displayed outside the seat of Ceuta’s local government, directly confronting the institution that represents Spanish administration in the city. The symbolism is therefore difficult to separate from the political content of the message.

The initiative did not come from a Moroccan government statement or a formal diplomatic campaign. Instead, it emerged from a football supporters’ group, demonstrating how questions surrounding Ceuta and Melilla can also find expression in popular and activist environments.

That distinction matters because the sovereignty debate is often discussed through official diplomatic channels. The photograph offers a glimpse of how the issue can also be framed at street level.

A photograph given new relevance by its timing

The image's renewed impact illustrates how political context can change the significance of an existing piece of content.

The photograph had already been available for several months. Its resurgence in August, however, prompted renewed coverage by Spanish media, including El Mundo, which reported on the supporters’ initiative and its position regarding Ceuta, Melilla and other Spanish-administered territories in North Africa.

Other Spanish media platforms also circulated the image, allowing a message that originated within a specific supporters’ community to enter a broader public discussion.

The photograph consequently became less about a single demonstration and more about the persistence of an issue that has never entirely disappeared from Morocco-Spain relations.

Two competing narratives over the enclaves

At the heart of the dispute are fundamentally different interpretations of Ceuta and Melilla.

Spain administers both cities and treats them as part of its national territory. Morocco, meanwhile, maintains a claim over their sovereignty and places them within a broader historical and geographical conception of the kingdom.

For critics of the Spanish position, the continued administration of the two cities represents a surviving element of Spain’s historical presence in North Africa. From this perspective, their status cannot be separated from the region's colonial history.

Supporters of the Spanish position instead point to the long-standing nature of Spanish administration and the legal and historical foundations invoked by Madrid to defend the existing status.

The disagreement is therefore not simply about geography. It involves competing narratives about sovereignty, historical continuity and the legacy of European expansion in North Africa.

A sensitive issue for Rabat and Madrid

Ceuta and Melilla occupy an unusually sensitive position in the relationship between Morocco and Spain.

The two countries have developed extensive political, economic and security cooperation, yet the status of the enclaves remains a structural point of disagreement.

The return of the photograph to public debate illustrates how easily the issue can re-emerge outside formal diplomatic discussions. A supporters’ banner, an image shared online and renewed media attention can quickly bring the question back into the public arena.

It also demonstrates that the sovereignty debate cannot be understood solely through government statements. Historical memory and popular perceptions continue to shape how the two enclaves are viewed on both sides of the Mediterranean.

History remains part of the dispute

The renewed attention surrounding the photograph ultimately reflects the durability of the Ceuta and Melilla question.

Its importance does not lie in the fact that the image is new—it is not—but in the way its message has acquired renewed relevance months after it was first published.

For many Moroccans who support the sovereignty claim, the passage of time has not erased the issue. Ceuta and Melilla remain linked to questions of national territory, historical memory and the legacy of colonialism.

For Spain, the two cities remain part of its territory and an established component of its political and administrative system.

That fundamental disagreement ensures that Ceuta and Melilla will continue to occupy a sensitive place in the relationship between Rabat and Madrid. The resurfacing of a months-old photograph is a reminder that, despite periods of closer bilateral cooperation, the question of the two enclaves remains deeply embedded in the political and historical consciousness of the region.