分类： world

One month after a historic mass migration event that saw over 72,000 people cross into Ceuta — Spain’s North African exclave bordering Morocco — the tense standoff between long-term local residents and the remaining stranded migrants has boiled over into open violence, exposing deep rifts in Spanish national politics and reigniting a long-running territorial dispute between Madrid and Rabat.

On 30 and 31 July, tens of thousands of migrants, most of whom swam around a reinforced border fence to enter Ceuta from Moroccan territory, staged the largest single mass crossing at the Spanish-Moroccan border in modern history. Ceuta’s mayor confirms that at least 100 migrants lost their lives during the dangerous crossing. While the vast majority of arrivals returned to Morocco within hours of entering the exclave, several thousand — including a large number of unaccompanied children — have remained in Ceuta, sleeping rough on public beaches and city streets with limited access to basic services.

Anti-migrant demonstrations that began earlier this month initially stayed largely peaceful, but growing frustration over public safety strains and pressure on local public services has pushed protests toward increasing violence. On Thursday, dozens of local residents blocked Red Cross aid workers from distributing food and clean water to the stranded migrants. Following the blockade, a group of demonstrators set fire to informal migrant encampments on Trampolín Beach, the primary site where migrants have been sheltering, and violent clashes broke out between protesters and local police.

The Thursday violence came just hours after Spanish authorities arrested 12 migrants on charges of stone-throwing against a Spanish military vehicle. The attack shattered the vehicle’s windows and left all four military personnel inside injured. That same morning, local media received multiple reports of civilian vigilante groups patrolling city streets to hunt down and chase migrants. Multiple journalists and media crews covering the unrest have also reported being threatened by demonstrators.

The crisis has put the national Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez under intense fire from opposition parties, who accuse the administration of failing to manage the emergency effectively. Ceuta’s conservative mayor Juan Jesús Vivas, a member of the center-right opposition People’s Party (PP), framed the unrest as a consequence of unaddressed pressure on the exclave’s residents, telling Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 that “this is a city which has been under pressure, which has the right to normality,” adding that “the dignity of Spain is a stake right now in Ceuta.”

Sánchez’s government has hit back at opposition criticism, blaming right-wing parties for stoking public division and anti-migrant sentiment to score political points. In a statement to a congressional committee, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska noted that “we have heard during these weeks rhetoric and comments that contribute to the stigmatisation of immigrants and which feed social division at a moment when what we need is responsibility and statesmanship.”

A far-right Vox Party lawmaker, José María Figaredo, is currently under investigation for a potential hate crime following comments he made shortly after the mass crossing, when he called for migrants to be “hunted down, one by one.” PP congressmember Javier Celaya, who represents Ceuta, doubled down on opposition rhetoric Friday, arguing that “the [government] treats the invaders as victims when the real victims are us, the people of Ceuta.”

Local frustrations have been amplified by the national government’s recent plan to relocate stranded migrants from beach encampments into underused public buildings, including local sports centers, to process asylum claims in an orderly fashion and return those ineligible for protection to Morocco. Vivas and many local residents oppose the plan, citing concerns that relocation would move migrants into densely populated residential areas, worsening perceived public safety risks.

Earlier this week, the national government took over central management of the crisis from local authorities, after widespread criticism of its initial slow response to the emergency. Defense Minister Margarita Robles issued a public apology to Ceuta residents who “may have felt, or who even still feel, abandoned or not sufficiently cared,” as the administration unveiled plans to overhaul Spain’s outdated national immigration laws. On Friday, all political parties represented in Ceuta’s local assembly signed a joint statement condemning the recent wave of violence.

Beyond the domestic unrest, the crisis has also reignited longstanding geopolitical tensions between Spain and Morocco. Right-wing and far-left politicians in Spain have accused Morocco of orchestrating the mass crossing to exert political pressure on Madrid, pointing to past instances where Morocco has adjusted border enforcement to advance its political claims. Prime Minister Sánchez and his Socialist Party reject that accusation, framing Morocco as a reliable diplomatic partner that facilitated the immediate return of most migrants after the crossing.

Morocco has reaffirmed its longstanding territorial claim to both Ceuta and its sister autonomous exclave Melilla, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Spanish government. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told congressional leaders that he “roundly rejected” Morocco’s claims, stating clearly: “I don’t speak about, nor have I spoken about, nor are we going to speak about Spain’s territorial integrity with Morocco or with anyone else.”

Norway has entered a period of national mourning following the peaceful death of its long-reigning and widely adored King Harald V at the age of 89, who passed away early Friday morning at Oslo’s Rikshospitalet while receiving treatment for a rare blood disorder he had been suffering from for a week. Within hours of the official announcement of his death, thousands of mourners streamed to the gates of the Royal Palace in Oslo, laying bouquets of flowers, national flags, and handwritten tributes, including a lit candle inscribed with the simple word “thanks” that captured the collective gratitude of the nation. Many in the crowd openly wept, sharing personal stories of connection to the monarch who was widely known as the “people’s king” for his approachable, empathetic leadership.

Immediately after the official confirmation of his father’s passing, 53-year-old Haakon VIII convened an extraordinary meeting of the Council of State with senior government ministers. Following the gathering, the new monarch confirmed he would retain the Norwegian royal family’s centuries-old motto “All for Norway” during his reign. Haakon’s wife Mette-Marit is now formally recognized as Queen, while his 22-year-old daughter Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra stands next in the line of succession, a position secured by a 1990 change to Norway’s succession laws that granted equal inheritance rights to firstborn female heirs. Ingrid Alexandra stood beside her father during Friday’s official meeting, marking her first public appearance in her new formal role as heir apparent.

Tributes to King Harald V have poured in from across Norway and the globe. European royal houses, including Britain’s King Charles III – who shares a second-cousin familial tie with Harald through his mother Queen Elizabeth II – joined heads of state, political leaders, and public figures in honoring his decades of service. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who laid a floral tribute at the palace and signed the official book of condolences after meeting the new king, emphasized that the entire country was “united in grief and gratitude.” In a televised national address, Støre noted that Harald’s legacy of steady, inclusive leadership would endure, extending particular sympathy to Queen Sonja, who was set to celebrate her 58th wedding anniversary with Harald on the day after his death.

Public figures across Norwegian society have also shared their remembrances. Star national footballer Erling Haaland, who met Harald at the palace earlier this summer following Norway’s performance at the FIFA World Cup, posted a public tribute on Instagram thanking the late king for “everything you meant to Norway.” For many Norwegians, including new residents and immigrants, Harald’s ability to make all members of society feel welcome defined his legacy. “He made us feel at home and he made us feel loved. So he was like a grandfather that I never had,” Biteya Terfassa, an Ethiopian-born Oslo resident, told reporters outside the palace Friday.

In a formal military tribute to the late king, the Norwegian Armed Forces fired a 21-gun salute at noon from Akershus Fortress in central Oslo. Later on Friday, a formal procession carried Harald’s remains from Rikshospitalet’s chapel to the Royal Palace, ahead of a formal funeral that has not yet been scheduled. Norway’s official period of national mourning will remain in place until the day of the funeral, with all flags across the country flying at half-mast, public portraits of the king displayed, and moments of silence held at all official and professional events. All non-essential work-related social gatherings have been canceled or postponed, including the planned wedding of Oslo Mayor Anne Lindboe, who rescheduled her own ceremony to honor the mourning period.

Haakon VIII assumes the throne at an unusually challenging juncture for the Norwegian royal family, which has faced a series of high-profile scandals and health crises over the past year. Earlier this year, Queen Mette-Marit faced intense public scrutiny after revelations emerged of a three-year friendship with disgraced convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for which she issued a public apology. Later in 2026, she underwent a life-saving lung transplant to treat pulmonary fibrosis, a condition she has lived with since 2018. Medical officials have stated she will not be deemed medically stable until 2027, meaning the new king must balance his demanding new official duties with ongoing care and support for his wife.

Additional controversy has come from Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, who was raised as part of the royal family after Haakon married Mette-Marit. In June, Høiby was convicted of rape and multiple related offenses, and sentenced to four years in prison, a ruling he is currently appealing. Though Høiby holds no formal royal title, his high profile within the royal household has drawn sustained negative attention to the family.

Despite King Harald V retaining high personal approval ratings until his death, polling published earlier this year by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten found public support for the monarchy itself has fallen from 72% in 2024 to 54% currently. Still, royal analysts interviewed by the BBC noted that Haakon VIII is widely viewed as a respected, hard-working public figure, and expressed confidence that he can steady the institution and navigate the current challenges facing his family and reign.

One week after a United Nations court rejected a final humanitarian appeal to release the convicted former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, the 84-year-old war criminal died in his Dutch prison cell while serving a full life sentence for genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the 1990s Balkan Wars.

Mladic’s passing on Thursday has reignited bitter divides across the former Yugoslavia, with Serbian leaders lambasting the UN tribunal for its refusal to grant early release, while families of his thousands of victims say his death in custody closes one chapter of long-sought justice.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic issued a harsh rebuke of the court’s decision on Friday, framing the rejection of Mladic’s early release as an unethical, unprecedented act. Multiple requests for compassionate release had been submitted by Mladic’s family and the Serbian government over recent years, centered on claims that Mladic’s advanced age and severe declining health justified releasing him to end his life in his home region.

“That was uncivilized behavior, unprecedented and without excuse,” Vucic told reporters in Belgrade. “We can now see that they wanted Mladic to die behind bars.”

Mladic, one of the most notorious figures of the 1992–1995 Bosnian War that killed over 100,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, was captured by Serbian authorities in 2011 after 16 years as a fugitive. In 2017, the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced him to life imprisonment for orchestrating the 1995 Srebrenica massacre – Europe’s first formally recognized genocide since World War II – which saw more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys systematically executed after Mladic’s forces overran a UN-declared safe haven. Mladic’s troops also led the 44-month siege of Sarajevo, the longest siege of a capital city in modern European warfare, established concentration camps for non-Serb civilians, and carried out widespread ethnic cleansing campaigns across Bosnia.

In its August 20 ruling rejecting Mladic’s final release request, Mechanism President Judge Graciela Gatti Santana explained the decision by noting that the convict received comprehensive, high-quality compassionate medical care in detention, and was granted an expanded family visitation program that allowed for consistent, meaningful contact with loved ones. The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which inherited the cases of the now-closed Yugoslav war crimes court, opened an official inquiry into Mladic’s death this week, with the lead judge visiting the Dutch detention center on Friday to investigate the circumstances of his passing. The tribunal has not yet released any additional public comment on the death.

Public reactions to Mladic’s passing have mirrored decades of division over the Balkan wars and his legacy. In Mladic’s hometown of Kalinovik, Bosnia, and in majority-Serb communities across the region, residents held candlelight vigils this week, honoring Mladic as a national hero who defended Serb interests. Many residents insist the convictions against him are fabricated propaganda. “He could not have been a better man. Everything else is just a bunch of lies. He would not touch anyone, child, no one. It’s all lies,” said Stojanka Visnjevac, a Kalinovik local.

For survivors and families of Mladic’s victims, however, his death while in custody brings a long-awaited measure of closure. Fazila Efendic, a Srebrenica survivor who lost multiple family members in the 1995 massacre, said that for victims, the outcome is a confirmation of justice. “We, the victims, are satisfied, when we know that he was convicted to life in prison,” she said. “For us, it is important that he is convicted and that he served his sentence until he died.”

Discussions around Mladic’s burial have already sparked new regional tensions. Vucic confirmed Friday that Mladic’s family will choose the final resting place, and that the Serbian government will support a dignified burial if the family requests interment on Serbian territory. He declined to confirm or deny earlier unconfirmed reports that Mladic would receive a state funeral – a prospect that triggered widespread outrage from leaders and victim groups across Bosnia and the wider Balkans. As of Friday, the Serbian government had not received official confirmation of when Mladic’s remains will be transferred from the Netherlands to his family.