By Guillermo Martinez
CEUTA, Spain, Oct 13 (Reuters) – Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited Ceuta’s Muslim cemetery on Tuesday where most of more than 100 migrants who died in July’s mass crossing into the North African enclave from Morocco were buried.
The visit, the first by Spain’s head of state since 2007 and in Felipe’s 12-year reign, followed rising friction between Madrid and Rabat, which claims the tiny territory of Ceuta and Spain’s other North African enclave, Melilla, as its own.
The streets of the 84,000-person territory, which covers less than 20 square km, were packed with thousands of Ceutans waving Spanish flags to greet the royal couple.
“I am a Spaniard, Spaniard, Spaniard,” they chanted.
The Moroccan government has historically opposed Spanish royal visits to the two cities, which Madrid considers part of its territory since the 17th and 15th centuries, respectively.
The two kingdoms have traded barbs over border management following the crossing by more than 72,000 migrants from Morocco.
Addressing civilians in Ceuta, the king said Morocco’s relationship to Spain and the EU must be grounded in respect, “while always adhering to the principle that Ceuta is Spain; Ceuta is Europe.”
In a speech to parliament last Friday, Morocco’s King Mohammed did not mention the royals’ planned visit but said the current migration cooperation model with Spain had reached its limits.
While most of the migrants who managed to get into Ceuta later returned, at least 10,000 remain, straining local resources and fuelling some Spaniards’ criticism of the central government ahead of a November 29 general election.
The leftist government has sought to present the royal visit as a gesture of support for Ceuta and its residents but right-wing opposition parties accuse Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of failing to defend Spanish sovereignty over the enclave.
“It’s a real treat that they’re coming to Ceuta for the first time, and they really ought to come more often, because Ceuta is part of Spain and His Majesty the King doesn’t need to ask permission to visit any city in Spain,” said Ceuta resident Isabel Bermejo, 57.
At the cemetery, the royal couple stood solemnly in front of the graves, most of which were marked only with numbers as the victims were never identified.
The couple were accompanied by Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Christian religious leaders, representing the four religions present in Ceuta.
On Wednesday, the royal couple will visit Melilla, 370 km (230 miles) southeast of Ceuta.
(Reporting by Guillermo Martinez in Ceuta, Mireia Merino and David Latona in Madrid, Additional reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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