Ali Aarrass / DR ‹ › The «Parti Nationaliste du Rif» is capitalizing on remarks made by U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart concerning Morocco's sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla. Through Ali Aarrass, this separatist faction is advocating for «Spanish sovereignty» over these enclaves, as highlighted by an Iberian media outlet. «Spain should not even consider abandoning its citizens in Melilla,» asserted the president of the «Rif Observatory for Human Rights,» an organization linked to the party. In a related statement, «Yuba» El Ghadioui, the group's spokesperson, called on France and Spain to «recognize the existence of the Rif State and its right to reclaim its lands,» according to the same source. To recall, following the Battle of Anoual in 1921, France and Spain allied to defeat Mohamed Abdelkrim El Khattabi's forces. Their mission was accomplished in 1926, notably through the deployment of chemical weapons against Rif fighters and civilians, a historical fact that this separatist movement appears to gloss over. Ali Aarrass, who was previously imprisoned on terrorism charges in both Spain and Morocco and released in April 2020, had earlier urged Spain to «protect Melilla from a potential attack by the Moroccan regime.»
