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Perejil Island crisis

Coordinates:35°54′50″N5°25′08″W/ 35.91389°N 5.41889°W/35.91389; -5.41889
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Perejil Island crisis

Perejil Island at far left, nearCeuta
Date11–18 July 2002
Location
Perejil Island
35°54′50″N5°25′08″W/ 35.91389°N 5.41889°W/35.91389; -5.41889
Result

Spanish victory[1]

Belligerents
Spain Morocco
Commanders and leaders
Units involved
Spanish Navy
Spanish Air and Space Force
GOE
Spanish Legion
Civil Guard		 MoroccoRoyal Navy
Auxiliary Forces
Strength
48 soldiers
List
 6 marines[2]
Casualties and losses
1 wounded 6 captured
(released on the same day)

ThePerejil Island crisis(Spanish:Incidente de la Isla de Perejil;Arabic:أزمة جزيرة تورة) was a bloodless armed conflict betweenSpainandMoroccothat took place on 11–18 July 2002. The incident took place over the small, uninhabitedPerejil Island,when a squad of theRoyal Moroccan Navyoccupied it. After an exchange of declarations between both countries, the Spanish troops eventually evicted the Moroccan infantry who had relieved their Navy comrades.

Background

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Perejil Island(Spanish:Isla de Perejil,Arabic:تورة,romanized:Tūra) is a small rocky island under disputed sovereignty and about the size of 15 football fields, lying 250 metres (270 yd) from Morocco, and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the Spanish city ofCeuta,which borders Morocco, and 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) from mainland Spain. The island itself is unpopulated, only seldom visited by Moroccan shepherds.

Moroccan seizure

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Tensions rose on July 11, 2002, when Morocco occupied the island. Twelve soldiers of theRoyal Moroccan Gendarmerielanded on the island, equipped with light arms, a radio, and several tents. The soldiers raised their nation's flag and set up camp. A patrol boat of theSpanish Civil Guard,in charge ofcoast guardservice in Spain, approached the island fromCeutaduring its routine check, when the crew spotted the Moroccan flag flying. The officers disembarked to investigate the issue. When they landed on the island, they were confronted by the Moroccan soldiers, who forced them back into their boat at gunpoint after a bitter argument.[3][4][5]

Morocco claimed that the occupation was carried out in order to monitor illegal immigration, and to fight drug dealers and smugglers who use the island as a logistic platform.[6][7]Following protests and calls to the return of the status quo from the Spanish government, the soldiers were called off, but were replaced by six Moroccan marines, who set up a fixed base on the island, which drew further protests from Spain. A Moroccan patrol boat was also deployed to the area, and was seen carrying out maneuvers near theChafarinas Islands.Spain reacted by deploying a frigate, three corvettes, and a submarine toCeutaandMelilla,and three patrol boats to the vicinity of Perejil island, stationing them about a mile off the island. Reinforcements were also sent to isolated Spanish outposts in the area.[2][8]

Spanish Prime MinisterJosé María Aznarwarned Morocco that Spain would not accept a policy offait accompli.[9]

Operation Romeo-Sierra

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On the morning of July 18, 2002, Spain launched Operation Romeo-Sierra to remove the Moroccan soldiers. The operation was carried out by Spanish special forces unitGrupo de Operaciones Especiales.FourEurocopter Cougarhelicopters that had taken off fromFacinaslanded 28 Spanish commandos on the island.[10][11]The entire operation was coordinated by theSpanish Navyfrom the amphibious shipCastilla,on station at theStrait of Gibraltar.TheSpanish Air ForcedeployedF-18andMirage F-1fighters to provide air cover in case theRoyal Moroccan Air Forceattempted to intervene.[12]The Spanish patrol boatsIzaroandLayacame alongside the Moroccan gunboatEl Lahiq,at anchor off the island, in order to prevent it from interfering with the operation.[13]The boat's 20mm cannon was considered to be a significant threat by the Spanish forces.[14]The boat's crew prepared their weapons and used their spotlight to try to blind Spanish pilots but did not otherwise obstruct the landing.[15]

The Spanish forces were under orders to try to achieve their objective with zero casualties and their rules of engagement permitted them to use lethal force only if the Moroccans fired on them.[12]The Moroccan marines present on the island did not offer any resistance and rapidly surrendered. One of them took cover behind a rock and aimed his rifle at the Spanish but chose to surrender peacefully rather than fire.[15]Within a matter of minutes, all of six Moroccan servicemen were taken prisoner, and the island was secured. The prisoners were transported by helicopter to the headquarters ofCivil Guardin Ceuta, from where they were transported to the Moroccan border. Over the course of the same day, the Spanish commandos on the island were replaced by soldiers of theSpanish Legion.

Aftermath

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The Spanish Legion troops on the island remained there after the operation was complete. The United States mediated the situation, that eventually returned to thestatus quo ante bellum.All Spanish troops were withdrawn, and the island remains unoccupied but claimed by both sides.BBC Newsinterviewed Spanish citizens acrossMadridafter the conflict, and most people supported the intervention. Opposition politicianGaspar Llamazaresof theUnited Leftparty said that Spain should not fall into the "provocation trap", so that it does not ruin its image inNorth Africa.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abTremlett, Giles (17 July 2002)."Spanish troops recapture Parsley island".The Guardian.Retrieved14 August2016.
  2. ^abTremlett, Giles (13 July 2002)."Moroccans seize Parsley Island and leave a bitter taste in Spanish mouths".The Guardian.Retrieved12 June2017.
  3. ^Giles Tremlett (13 July 2002)."Moroccans seize Parsley Island and leave a bitter taste in Spanish mouths".the Guardian.Retrieved29 November2014.
  4. ^"Spain removes Moroccan troops from Perejil".RTE.ie.17 July 2002.Retrieved29 November2014.
  5. ^"Telquel-Online".Archived fromthe originalon 15 August 2016.Retrieved14 August2016.
  6. ^Consiguen el pase de 10 toneladas de droga almacenadas en isla Perejil. El Faro de Ceuta journalArchived2009-04-30 at theWayback Machine
  7. ^El Peridico de Catalunya."El Periodico".Retrieved29 November2014.
  8. ^Writer, CIARAN GILES Associated Press."Spanish react to Moroccan island occupation".napavalleyregister.Retrieved12 June2017.
  9. ^La Voz de Galicia."Aznar advierte de que no aceptar una politica de hechos consumados en el conflicto del islote".Retrieved29 November2014.
  10. ^Rabat, Isambard Wilkinson in Ceuta and Philip Delves Broughton in."Spanish armada retake Parsley Island".telegraph.co.uk.Retrieved12 June2017.
  11. ^imaginasetenil (2018-08-01)."Antonio Lebrón, el valiente militar setenileño que desembarcó el primero en Perejil".imaginaSetenil(in European Spanish).Retrieved2019-08-04.
  12. ^abJordán, Javier (2019-03-11)."The confrontation between Spain and Morocco over the islet of Perejil. A Reintepretation from the Countering Hybrid Threats Perspective".Global Strategy - Universidad de Granada(in Spanish).Retrieved2020-11-22.
  13. ^"perejil".revistanaval.Retrieved2015-10-17.
  14. ^Koura, Chloe (2017-07-12)."Inside Story of Morocco and Spain's Battle For Uninhabited Island, 15 Years Later".Morocco World News.Retrieved2020-11-22.
  15. ^ab"La reconquista de Perejil como nunca se contó: hablan los 'héroes'".El Español(in European Spanish). 2017-07-09.Retrieved2020-11-22.
  16. ^"PNV e IU critican la operación, mientras los demás grupos muestran su apoyo. Periodico ABC".ABC.17 July 2002.Retrieved29 November2014.
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