Perejil Island crisis

Perejil Island crisis
Perejil Island at far left, near Ceuta
Date July 18, 2002 Location Perejil Island 35°54′50″N 5°25′08″W / 35.91389°N 5.41889°W / 35.91389; -5.41889Coordinates: 35°54′50″N 5°25′08″W / 35.91389°N 5.41889°W / 35.91389; -5.41889 Result Moroccan soldiers removed by Spanish military Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Spain	Morocco
Commanders and leaders
José María Aznar Federico Trillo	Ahmed Midaoui
Strength
Grupo de Operaciones Especiales Spanish Legion Spanish Navy Spanish Air Force Guardia Civil	Moroccan Auxiliary Forces • 8 Sub-Officers Moroccan Navy * 1 gunboat
Casualties and losses
None	All land troops captured and released in the same day

Moroccan soldiers removed by Spanish military

The Perejil Island crisis was a bloodless armed conflict between Spain and Morocco that occurred on July 18, 2002. The incident took place over the small, uninhabited Perejil Island.

Perejil Island (Isla Perejil in Spanish and Jazirat Laila in Arabic) is a small rocky island under Spanish 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 of Ceuta, which borders Morocco, and 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) from mainland Spain. The island itself is unpopulated, only seldom visited by Moroccan shepherds.

Tensions rose on July 11, 2002, when 12 Moroccan soldiers landed 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 the Spanish Civil Guard, in charge of coast guard service in Spain, approached the island from Ceuta during its routine check, when the crew spotted the Moroccan flag flying. The officers decided to disembark 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.

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. Following protests and calls to the return of the status quo ante bellum 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 the Chafarinas Islands. Spain reacted by deploying a frigate, three corvettes, and a submarine to Ceuta and Melilla, 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.

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Wikipedia