A recently declassified CIA document, dated 1979, has revealed that King Juan Carlos I of Spain was prepared to cede the Spanish enclave of Melilla to Morocco's King Hassan II. The document, obtained and published by Spanish media, sheds new light on the secret diplomacy surrounding the disputed territories in North Africa.
According to the CIA report, Juan Carlos expressed his willingness to transfer sovereignty of Melilla to Morocco during a meeting with Hassan II. The document suggests that the Spanish monarch saw the cession as a way to resolve long-standing tensions between the two countries over the enclaves, which Morocco claims as its own.
However, the transfer never materialized. The document notes that the proposal faced strong opposition from the Spanish military and political circles, who viewed Melilla as an integral part of Spain. The enclave, along with Ceuta, remains under Spanish control to this day, despite ongoing Moroccan claims.
The revelation has sparked renewed debate in Spain and Morocco about the status of the enclaves. Spanish officials have not officially commented on the document, but historians note that the 1979 proposal reflects the complex dynamics of post-Franco Spain's foreign policy, which sought to balance relations with Morocco while maintaining territorial integrity.
