Morocco is set to launch military exercises off the coast of the Sahara on Sunday, focusing on “maritime border surveillance and asserting control,” according to I24 News.
The Atlantic Ocean maneuvers near the Sahara coast will run until the end of the year, with Moroccan forces engaging in multiple drills involving live ammunition.
These exercises, planned near the Canary Islands, have raised concerns among officials there. They have asked Madrid for clarification, and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reassured them that the drills will take place in maritime areas far from the Canary Islands’ boundaries.
This will be the second set of such maneuvers off the Sahara coast. Moroccan forces previously conducted similar exercises in the same area for several weeks in May, following the European Court’s dismissal of a challenge by the European Commission regarding the renewal of the fishing agreement with Morocco, which includes the Sahara region.