TERRITORIAL (DIS)CONTINUITY DYNAMICS BETWEEN CEUTA AND MOROCCO: CONFLICTUAL FORTIFICATION VIS-À-VIS CO-OPERATIVE INTERACTION AT THE EU BORDER IN AFRICA

ABSTRACT This contribution examines the development of territorial dynamics on the Ceuta‐Morocco border region in the context of the structural Spanish‐Moroccan rebordering that followed Spain's EU entry. The evolution of border practice is canvassed through the confronting notions of territori...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie 2011-02, Vol.102 (1), p.24-38
Main Author: FERRER-GALLARDO, XAVIER
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
Bgi / Prodig
border
Border regions
Ceuta
Ceuta, Spain
co-operation
conflict
Economic relations
European Union
Fortifications
Human geography
Morocco
Political and economic geography
Political conflicts
Political geography
Power relations
Security
Sovereignty
Spain
territorial (dis)continuity
Territoriality
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Summary:ABSTRACT This contribution examines the development of territorial dynamics on the Ceuta‐Morocco border region in the context of the structural Spanish‐Moroccan rebordering that followed Spain's EU entry. The evolution of border practice is canvassed through the confronting notions of territorial discontinuity and territorial continuity. Clearly, current territorial dynamics between Ceuta and Morocco are characterised by both the existence of conflictive geopolitical cross‐border dialectics and the implementation of fortifying securitisation measures. However, simultaneously, the border region is also marked by intensifying patterns of cross‐border interaction which are sourced in the rising potentialities of economic and urban cross‐border co‐operation. In this light, the paper seeks to map the present intertwining of these apparently disagreeing territorial trends. To conclude, the paper underlines the ongoing modification of relational power between Ceuta and Morocco. It depicts the strengthening of local cross‐border co‐operative practices as a potential tool to cope with persistent sovereignty disputes in the border region.
ISSN:0040-747X
1467-9663
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00575.x