Western Sahara airspace : Could Morocco gain control in exchange for Ceuta, Melilla customs ?

Spanish diplomatic sources, speaking to El Confidencial Digital, claim that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unlocked the transfer of Western Sahara's airspace management to Morocco during his recent visit to Rabat.

«This was Morocco's condition for opening customs in Ceuta and Melilla», the sources allege. While Sanchez returned from Morocco without a firm date for the customs reopening, Moroccan Ambassador to Spain Karima Benyaich reiterated Rabat's «commitment» to doing so soon. «There will be more meetings. We are committed to it», she stated pressly following Sanchez's visit.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares previously acknowledged, on January 14th, the existence of a public declaration (April 7, 2022) mentioning «improvement of management» in this context. Point 7 of the Moroccan-Spanish Joint Declaration indeed outlines the initiation of «discussions concerning the management of airspaces» between the two countries.

However, Iberian media reported a «suspension» of negotiations regarding the airspace transfer just weeks before Spain's July 23, 2023, early elections.