Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ALGIERS1426
2005-07-16 15:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:
POLISARIO LEADER IS WORKING TO RELEASE MOROCCAN
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001426
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PBTS AG
SUBJECT: POLISARIO LEADER IS WORKING TO RELEASE MOROCCAN
PRISONERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
Classified By: Marc J. Sievers, Charges d'Affairs a.i.
for reasons 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001426
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PBTS AG
SUBJECT: POLISARIO LEADER IS WORKING TO RELEASE MOROCCAN
PRISONERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
Classified By: Marc J. Sievers, Charges d'Affairs a.i.
for reasons 1.4 (d)
1. (U) On July 16 Algerian French-language newspapers El
Watan, Liberte and Expression, as well as the leading
Arabic-language newspaper El Khabar quoted a July 14 article
from French newspaper Le Monde stating that Polisario
"President" Abdelaziz, on a diplomatic mission to Spain,
announced his decision to release all of the Moroccan POWs
"as quickly as possible". Le Monde also reported Abdelaziz
as saying that the Sahrawis will inform the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of the decision and work
with them to sort out the technical details. There are
currently 408 Moroccan POWs held by the Sahrawis in prisons
located on Algerian territory. Some of the prisoners have
been held for more than 20 years.
2. (C) PolEc Chief and Poloff met with ICRC Algerian
representative Oliver Durr July 16 to ask whether the
Polisario had approached the ICRC. Durr told Emboffs that
the prisoner release has been in the works since mid-June and
Sahrawi "Ambassador" to Algeria Bissat told him last week to
"read the newspapers". Durr confirmed that the Polisario
asked the ICRC to be ready for the prisoner release, but has
not yet set a date. He commented that ICRC knew that
something was "in the air" when a scheduled June 13 meeting
between ICRC and the Polisario was canceled, and the desire
for a prisoner release became more clear during a June 27-28
meeting with Abdelaziz. He did not have any additional
details, since ICRC Tunis was responsible for the Western
Sahara portfolio. Durr added that ICRC needed to be notified
a week before the transfer to arrange the charter flights and
medical personnel. He was not sure if the release was backed
by international sponsors, such as France, Spain or the
United States.
SIEVERS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PBTS AG
SUBJECT: POLISARIO LEADER IS WORKING TO RELEASE MOROCCAN
PRISONERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
Classified By: Marc J. Sievers, Charges d'Affairs a.i.
for reasons 1.4 (d)
1. (U) On July 16 Algerian French-language newspapers El
Watan, Liberte and Expression, as well as the leading
Arabic-language newspaper El Khabar quoted a July 14 article
from French newspaper Le Monde stating that Polisario
"President" Abdelaziz, on a diplomatic mission to Spain,
announced his decision to release all of the Moroccan POWs
"as quickly as possible". Le Monde also reported Abdelaziz
as saying that the Sahrawis will inform the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of the decision and work
with them to sort out the technical details. There are
currently 408 Moroccan POWs held by the Sahrawis in prisons
located on Algerian territory. Some of the prisoners have
been held for more than 20 years.
2. (C) PolEc Chief and Poloff met with ICRC Algerian
representative Oliver Durr July 16 to ask whether the
Polisario had approached the ICRC. Durr told Emboffs that
the prisoner release has been in the works since mid-June and
Sahrawi "Ambassador" to Algeria Bissat told him last week to
"read the newspapers". Durr confirmed that the Polisario
asked the ICRC to be ready for the prisoner release, but has
not yet set a date. He commented that ICRC knew that
something was "in the air" when a scheduled June 13 meeting
between ICRC and the Polisario was canceled, and the desire
for a prisoner release became more clear during a June 27-28
meeting with Abdelaziz. He did not have any additional
details, since ICRC Tunis was responsible for the Western
Sahara portfolio. Durr added that ICRC needed to be notified
a week before the transfer to arrange the charter flights and
medical personnel. He was not sure if the release was backed
by international sponsors, such as France, Spain or the
United States.
SIEVERS