Fernando López de Olmedo served as the Commander of Ceuta from 1998 to 2002. During his time as general commander, Fernando López de Olmedo sought to strengthen relations between the Spanish Legion and the Ceutan general public. He organized a number of cultural and athletic events. In December 1999, he held the Oath of Flag of the Four Cultures at the military barracks in García Aldave. He was Commander in charge of Ceuta during the 2002 Perejil Island crisis. He later recounted his experiences as commander during the crisis in his book, "Ceuta and the Parsley Conflict" ("Ceuta y el conflicto del Perejil").