Margarita Robles attended the handover of command at Melilla’s Base Alfonso XIII. Fernando Ruiz Gómez made readiness and continuous improvement priorities in his new role.
The ceremony centred on the handover of the Comandancia General de Melilla’s guidon and the unit’s history. On 23 October 2026, General de División Fernando Ruiz Gómez formally took command of the formation, succeeding General de División Luis Cortés Delgado, who entered the reserve. The Comandancia supports Spain’s permanent detachments in North Africa, including the positions at Vélez de la Gomera, Alhucemas and the Chafarinas Islands.
The military ceremony took place at the Explanada de los Héroes at Base Alfonso XIII. Lieutenant General Julio Salom Herrera, chief of the Mando de Canarias, presided over it. The Melilla formation depends on that command. Ruiz Gómez arrived at the post after commanding the Brigada “Guzmán el Bueno” X. Defence Minister Margarita Robles attended during her third official visit to Melilla in the current legislature. She stressed the ties between the armed forces and the city’s population, along with the role of Ceuta and Melilla within Spain. She described the two cities as “lo mejor de España”.
Ruiz Gómez said preparation and continuous improvement would be priorities in his new post. He described the command as a responsibility passed from one generation of service members to the next. He also spoke of the Comandancia’s place in Melilla’s society and the need to respect its different sensibilities.
The Comandancia General has long played a role in the city and in the defence of Spain’s North African territories. Established in 1893, it is among the country’s military formations with the longest histories. Its responsibilities include sustaining the permanent Spanish position at Vélez de la Gomera. It also supports the detachments in Alhucemas and the Chafarinas Islands.
Ceuta has also featured in political coverage of migration, including Milei’s claims about arrivals. At the Melilla ceremony, attention centred on the command’s military role and its ties to residents.
The formal procedure began with Ruiz Gómez’s oath of office and the signing of official documents in the historic hall of the Grupo de Regulares de Melilla n.º 52. The ceremony then moved to the Explanada de los Héroes, where representatives of the Comandancia General’s constituent units took part in a military parade. Melilla’s president, Juan José Imbroda, and Government delegate Sabrina Moh Abdelkader were among the civilian authorities attending.
The Guion de la Comandancia General de Melilla was handed over during the ceremony, marking the transfer of responsibility from Cortés Delgado to Ruiz Gómez. The formation depends on the Mando de Canarias and is part of the Fuerza Terrestre.
