Spain speaks to a world in turmoil, By Owei Lakemfa        

On the eve of its National Day, Spain issued a strongly worded statement, saying: “The Government of Spain strongly condemns the Israeli shots that have hit the UNIFIL headquarters… The government strongly condemns Israel’s new assault on the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, which has caused further injuries among peacekeeping personnel.” It added that: “Attacks on peacekeeping operations are a very serious violation of International Humanitarian Law and Security Council Resolution 1701.”

The ground floor was full. The crowd would have been over 80 per cent diplomats. There were, of course, a number of Nigerian government officials and journalists too.

As the delightful broadcaster, Kemi Asekun and I conversed, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, walked through the crowd towards where we stood. Kemi decided to introduce me, and I hesitated; she went ahead in any case. The Customs chief smiled and said: “I know Owei.” Before I could recover, he said: “You went to Ife”. “Yes”. “I was there also and we were all troublemakers.” I apologised and we smiled.

The setting was the residence of the Spanish Ambassador in Nigeria. The impressive turnout might have been due to Spain’s status as a developed country, the first global super power, and the fact that members of the European Union (EU) would have turned out en-masse. But I also think it owes a lot to the charming personality of Ambassador Juan Sell, which cuts across all groups and divides, including political and ideological and, connects with people at the personal level.

The occasion was the 12 October National Day of Spain. The reception in Nigeria was three days later, during which Ambassador Sell reminded us all that while celebrations are days of joy and remembrance, they also help us reflect.

In reflecting on Nigeria’s transition from military rule 25 years ago, he said the path to transformation is steep; change is inevitable, but that reforms must not leave anyone behind. He added that Nigeria should be conscious of its eminent leadership position in Africa.

On the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), from which the Republics of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have decided to break away, the Spanish Ambassador said the region needs to remain united and that it should put the people first. He expressed his country’s full support and that of the EU for the regional body.

He also mentioned the EU Strategy for Africa in which human rights, peace, growth, stability, poverty reduction and good governance are intertwined.

Referring to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ speech to the General Assembly that the current world of impunity, inequality and uncertainty is unsustainable, Sell said humanity cannot continue this way. He mentioned some of the immediate challenges as the War in Ukraine and the roaring flames in the Middle East.

A surprise at this year’s ceremony was the presence, for the first time in 14 years, of the Catalan leadership. The last Catalan President that attended the Spanish National Day was José Montilla in 2010. But this year, President Salvador Illa attended, signalling a new beginning in the previously strained relationship between the region and the central government.

The national ceremonies in Madrid, over which King Felipe VI presided, were full of symbols depicting the country’s concerns and positions.

For instance, the flags of Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal and the Czech Republics, which along with Spain make up the Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP), were flown. The EFP is the NATO defence and deterrence military force in Northern, Eastern and Central Europe.

Also on display was the UN flag, which was escorted by a picket. It was in honour of Spanish soldiers on internationalist duties, especially those who are part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The UNIFIL headquarters in southern Lebanon had come under repeated attacks by the Israeli military.

On the eve of its National Day, Spain issued a strongly worded statement, saying: “The Government of Spain strongly condemns the Israeli shots that have hit the UNIFIL headquarters… The government strongly condemns Israel’s new assault on the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, which has caused further injuries among peacekeeping personnel.” It added that: “Attacks on peacekeeping operations are a very serious violation of International Humanitarian Law and Security Council Resolution 1701.”

But Israel pointedly rejected such pleas and in an arrogant tone, its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN to immediately evacuate the 10,000 peacekeepers from over 50 countries. To this, the UN responded that its peacekeepers are not leaving and that: “The UN flag continues to fly.”

A surprise at this year’s ceremony was the presence, for the first time in 14 years, of the Catalan leadership. The last Catalan President that attended the Spanish National Day was José Montilla in 2010. But this year, President Salvador Illa attended, signalling a new beginning in the previously strained relationship between the region and the central government.

Catalonia, with about 7.5 million people, has a distinct history spanning a millennium. In the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War, it tried to break from the fascist centre. On 1 October, 2017, Catalan leaders organised an independence referendum, which Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled illegal.

“Diversity is richness and this is something we share with Nigeria. How do we manage that linguistic diversity? These languages are official in their respective regions and they are not only much used and widely spoken, but they are even prioritised in education, in communication and administration. So, we understand this diversity as a very positive thing. Of course, this has to be translated into the political system and the financial system. Spain, through its constitution, has become one of the most decentralised in the world.”

So Catalonia’s attendance of the 2024 National Day, is a break for Spain. On why he participated in the National Day, the regional President Illa said that Catalonia “has to be present in the construction of a diverse Spain” and that it must “get involved again in order to listen to others and be heard.”  

The Spanish National Day, which was first celebrated in 1935 and made official in 1981, marks the 12 October, 1492 day that Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. That arrival greatly expanded the frontiers of Spain and its language which, today, is spoken by some 500 million people, including 50 million Americans.

In fact, before the United States of America was established, there existed the United States of Spain, which included large parts of today’s USA. These encompassed California, Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. That was when Mexico was part of Spain. But when the former became independent of Spain, the USA took away these areas. Also, during the Spanish-American Civil War of 1898, the USA seized Puerto Rico as a war booty, which it continues to colonise to this day.

A major lesson Nigeria can learn from Spain is the management of its diversity. Spain, in accommodating its nationalities as much as possible, has five official languages: Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician and Aranese. 

In an interview on 29 July, 2022, with Ambassador Sell, I asked him to explain how Spain manages its diversity. He replied: “Diversity is richness and this is something we share with Nigeria. How do we manage that linguistic diversity? These languages are official in their respective regions and they are not only much used and widely spoken, but they are even prioritised in education, in communication and administration. So, we understand this diversity as a very positive thing. Of course, this has to be translated into the political system and the financial system. Spain, through its constitution, has become one of the most decentralised in the world. Our regions are autonomous communities as we call them and they enjoy very large political and financial autonomy. Let me mention, for instance, that over two-thirds of the public expenses are done through the regions.”

Doubtlessly, the world would be a better place  if it manages its diversity as Spain has tried to do.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.