Grey geopolitics: Morocco and the strategic use of hybrid warfare in Spanish territories in North Africa.

Abstract

This dissertation examines Morocco's strategic use of Hybrid Warfare against the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa. By focusing on the roots of the conflict and the tools employed, the study aims to understand why and how Hybrid Warfare is the chosen approach and its implications. This analysis contributes to a broader understanding of Hybrid Warfare beyond traditional cases, emphasising its relevance in contemporary international relations. In this sense, the intention is to highlight an actor aiming to achieve traditional strategic goals through non-traditional methods. Furthermore, it aims to prove the utility of Hybrid Warfare as an analytical concept using pre- existing Hybrid Warfare frameworks. Three additional tools will be used to add complexity and depth to the analysis: coercive migration, economic coercion and diplomatic coercion. The goal is to frame events like the 2021 Crisis Migration in Ceuta or the change in the Spanish foreign policy position towards Western Sahara in 2022 within the Moroccan Hybrid Warfare strategy. Keywords: Hybrid Warfare, Morocco, Hybrid Threats, Spanish Territories in North Africa, Grey Zone, Coercive Migration, Economic Coercion, Diplomatic Coercion.