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Morocco Foils Attempt by 400 Migrants to Storm Ceuta

A migrant leaves the Spanish military ship 'Audaz' after arriving from an Italian port, following a prolonged standoff between Italian authorities and Spanish-registered private rescue boat 'Open Arms', at a port in San Roque, near Algeciras, Spain August 30, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A migrant leaves the Spanish military ship 'Audaz' after arriving from an Italian port, following a prolonged standoff between Italian authorities and Spanish-registered private rescue boat 'Open Arms', at a port in San Roque, near Algeciras, Spain August 30, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
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Morocco Foils Attempt by 400 Migrants to Storm Ceuta

A migrant leaves the Spanish military ship 'Audaz' after arriving from an Italian port, following a prolonged standoff between Italian authorities and Spanish-registered private rescue boat 'Open Arms', at a port in San Roque, near Algeciras, Spain August 30, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A migrant leaves the Spanish military ship 'Audaz' after arriving from an Italian port, following a prolonged standoff between Italian authorities and Spanish-registered private rescue boat 'Open Arms', at a port in San Roque, near Algeciras, Spain August 30, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca

Moroccan authorities reported on Friday that they foiled a mass attempt by over 400 Sub-Saharan migrants to storm Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta.

Nine migrants sustained minor injuries and were rushed to Fnideq’s hospital, said the local authorities of M'diq-Fnideq. They added that over 90 others were arrested and handed to security services, while the search continues to arrest the rest.

Meanwhile, Spanish authorities said that a group of 155 migrants forced their way into Ceuta from Morocco on Friday.

"They are all from sub-Saharan Africa, the majority from Guinea," a spokesman for the central government's office in Ceuta told AFP.

They broke through the barbed wire fence bordering Morocco early Friday morning, taking advantage of misty conditions, slightly hurting 12 police officers who tried to stop them, he noted. Several migrants were treated for cuts.

Further, 16 migrants were treated due to other injuries.

In the same context, a military source said that the royal guards have offered help in the sea to 156 irregular migrants, including 15 women and three children. They were facing difficulties onboard several inflatable boats.

Some of the migrants were in poor health. The royal guards provided the necessary medical care to the migrants, who were then brought safely to different Moroccan northern ports.

Meanwhile, Morocco has broken up 100 human trafficking networks and stopped 57,000 crossings this year, according to Government spokesperson Mustapha Khalfi.

The country officially rejected to establish shelter centers for migrants, as Europe is demanding. It considers that this suggestion would complicate the situation.

Rabat is demanding financial aid from the EU to face the illegal migration, knowing that in 2018 the total number of migrants wishing to reach Europe doubled compared to 2017.

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UN Envoy: What We See in Syria is a Mark of Collective Failure

Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)
Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)
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UN Envoy: What We See in Syria is a Mark of Collective Failure

Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)
Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said on Sunday he is closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria, where a dramatic shift in frontlines was seen in recent days.
“What we see in Syria today is a mark of a collective failure to bring about what has plainly been required now for many years – a genuine political process to implement Security Council resolution 2254,” the envoy said in a statement.
Pedersen noted that in Syria, a country torn by nearly 14 years of war and conflict, the latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security.
As an immediate priority, he said, “I strongly emphasize the urgent need for all to uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
“This is a clear message to all parties engaged in hostilities of any kind. I will continue to push for civilian protection and deescalation,” the envoy added.
Pedersen then recalled the times he repeatedly warned of the risks of escalation in Syria, of the dangers of mere conflict management rather than conflict resolution, and the reality that no Syrian party or existing grouping of actors can resolve the Syrian conflict via military means.
“I call for urgent and serious political engagement – among Syrian and international stakeholders - to spare bloodshed and focus on a political solution in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254,” he said.
The envoy then affirmed his will to continue to engage all parties and stand ready to use my good offices to convene international and Syria stakeholders in new and comprehensive peace talks on Syria.
Presented by the US, Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015.
It emphasizes the need for all parties in Syria to take confidence building measures to contribute to the viability of a political process and a lasting ceasefire, and calls on all states to use their influence with the Syrian government and the opposition to advance the peace process, confidence building measures and steps towards a ceasefire.
The resolution also expresses support for a Syrian-led political process that is facilitated by the UN and, within a target of six months, establishes credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance and sets a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution.
Since the adoption of the resolution, Geneva has hosted several meetings of the parties involved in the conflict in Syria. However, those parties failed to reach an agreement, especially after Moscow established in 2017 the Astana dialogue followed in 2018 by the Sochi process.
Resolution 2254 calls on the release of any arbitrarily detained persons, particularly women and children, and on the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) states to use their influence immediately to these ends.
It demands that all parties immediately cease any attacks against civilians and civilian objects as such, including attacks against medical facilities and personnel, and any indiscriminate use of weapons, including through shelling and aerial bombardment.