Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Friday in Melilla that the two North African cities were important, while also pointing to the courts’ jurisdiction over allegations against security forces. Ceuta and Melilla were “the best of Spain” and “Spanish through and through”, she said after the new commander of the Comandancia General de Melilla, Major General Fernando Ruiz Gómez. Regarding reports of alleged mistreatment of migrants at the border, she said these cases belonged in the hands of the courts; she gave no further details.
The occasion for the visit was the handover ceremony for Fernando Ruiz Gómez at Base Alfonso XIII. His appointment was published in the State Gazette in mid-October by means of Real Decreto 835/2026 . With this personnel decision, the Ministerio de Defensa is continuing the regular rotation at the head of the Comandancia General de Melilla. Spanish authorities regularly point to the garrison’s security and logistical role in Melilla in protecting the external border and cooperating with civilian authorities.
Robles’s appearance came amid intense debate over the handling of irregular migration at the land borders of the two cities. Human rights organisations and local representatives have repeatedly made allegations of violence in recent months. The government, by contrast, says that measures at the border fences are subject to the rule of law and that alleged breaches of duty are being investigated. Robles clearly distinguished her political expression of solidarity with Ceuta and Melilla from the legal assessment of individual incidents, which is a matter for the courts.
Government sources say that the Ministerio de Defensa cooperates with requests from judges and prosecutors insofar as they concern members of the armed forces. Specific responsibilities and any possible disciplinary proceedings depend on the results of ongoing investigations. This position was reaffirmed in Melilla on Friday: political signals of support for the two autonomous cities are to be accompanied by a strict separation from the legal examination.
With Fernando Ruiz Gómez taking office, the military command structure in Melilla is also in focus. The Comandancia General de Melilla coordinates the armed forces units stationed there and works closely with the state’s security bodies. The proceedings concerning the allegations of mistreatment now rest with the competent courts; substantive decisions are not expected until the investigations have concluded.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).