In 1839, sultan Abd al-Rahman ibn Hisham of Morocco sent a pair of lions to the US consulate in Tangier as a present for President Martin Van Buren. The gift was impossible to refuse and was shipped to the US by 1840.
Brahim Ghali’s hospitalization is not the only reason behind the crisis between Morocco and Spain. According to a recent report by the Spanish government, more reasons are behind the current crisis.