SPAIN: The Spanish naval frigate Numancia arrived in North African waters yesterday from its home port in Rota to reinforce Spain's military presence in the region four days after Moroccan troops invaded the tiny Isla de Perejil.
Twelve Moroccan soldiers set up camp on this barren uninhabited rock 5 km off the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the Moroccan mainland last Thursday and raised the Moroccan flag on territory claimed by Spain.
The Numancia will join the frigate Navarra, two corvettes and half a dozen Civil Guard launches which are already patrolling the waters off the city enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Spain maintains a military presence of about 6,000 men in the enclaves and on other tiny islands off the coast. Units of the Spanish Legion based in the enclaves were placed on full alert and military helicopters were hovering overhead yesterday in case Morocco should consider further incursions.
While building up its military might in the region, Spain says it hopes to solve the problem through diplomatic means and with the support of the European Union. The president of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, telephoned the Moroccan prime minister Mr Yusufi on Saturday to express his concern.
Denmark, which assumed the EU presidency this month, yesterday urged Morocco to withdraw its troops immediately.
Some cynics suggested Perejil Island (the name means 'parsley' in Spanish) was a wedding gift for King Mohamed of Morocco who celebrated his marriage in an extravagant three-day festival at the weekend.
Mr Mohamed Achaari, the Moroccan government spokesman, said he hoped a peaceful solution could be reached shortly, but he gave no indication that they would leave the island.
"Spain has no reason to dramatise the situation," he said. He claimed that Morocco had taken over the island to prevent it being used as a departure point for illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.
There are sufficient legal niceties surrounding these tiny islands to keep a team of lawyers busy for months. Relations between the two countries have been deteriorating for some time, with differences over fishing grounds, illegal immigration and agricultural imports, but always with Ceuta and Melilla in the background.
They came to a crisis last October, when Morocco withdrew its ambassador from Madrid, although the Spanish ambassador has remained in Rabat.
The Perejil crisis is an embarrassment for Spain at a time when Madrid is closer than ever to an agreement with Britain for joint sovereignty over Gibraltar.
Spain categorically refuses to recognise any similarities between its territories and the Rock: "Ceuta and Melilla have always been Spanish, even when Spain was still made up of independent kingdoms and principalities," said former foreign minister, Mr José Pedro Perez Llorca.
Although the Perejil invasion is Moroccan sabre-rattling, Spain is taking it seriously. The Secretary of State for Security, Mr Pedro Morenes, flew to Ceuta yesterday to hold meetings with local officials and to reassure the Ceutis that Spain would never abandon them.