MOROCCO POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 002389

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG, DRL

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CAPTION ADDED

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2015
TAGS: MO PBTS PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: MOROCCO POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS

REF: RABAT 2287

Classified By: Poloff Marcel Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (SBU) Contents

- Israeli Participation in EuroMed Assembly Sparks
Controversy
- Mauritanian President Receives Warm Welcome by the King
- Morocco Renews Demand for Release of Moroccan Hostages in
Iraq
- Morocco-South African Relations Still in the Tank
- Istiqlal Opts for Socialist Allies over Islamists
- Survey Shows Poor Conditions in Moroccan Prisons
- Join a Protest, Earn a Quick 30 Euros

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Israeli Participation in EuroMed Assembly Sparks Controversy
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2. (C) As part of the Euro-Mediterranean (EuroMed)
Parliamentary Assembly,s extraordinary session held in Rabat
November 20-21 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the
Barcelona Process, two Israeli parliamentarians (Deputy
Education Minister Majali Wahbe and Punlun Daniel (phonetic)
participated in the event alongside Syria and other Arab
countries. Protesting Israeli participation, the Moroccan
Association for Human Rights (AMDH) organized a sit-in on
November 20 that drew 50-100 people, according to various
Moroccan press sources. The French-language daily
L,Economiste reported November 21 that the two Israeli
parliamentarians threatened to leave the assembly, saying
they did not appreciate being used as a "punching ball" by
Arab parliamentarians. Other Moroccan press reported that
two well-known Moroccan journalists who participated in the
sit-in decided to leave the demonstration after alleged
Islamists began chanting slogans against Royal Advisor Andre
Azoulay. (NB: Royal Counselor Andre Azoulay is the most
senior Jewish official in the Moroccan government and has
traditionally served as a Palace,s link to the Moroccan
Jewish community and to the Israelis).

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Mauritanian President Receives Warm Welcome by the King
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3. (U) In his first trip to Morocco since he came to power
in early August, Colonel Ould Vall, Chairman of the
Mauritanian Military Council for Justice and Democracy
(CMJD),was well-received by King Mohammed VI during his
two-day state visit to Marrakech November 21-22. Morocco, it
seems, pulled out all the stops to welcome the new regime in
Nouakchott, as Vall met with the King, Prime Minister Jettou,
Foreign Minister Benaissa, and other senior GOM officials.
In addition to discussing the overall strengthening of
bilateral ties, the King and Vall chaired the signing of
three cooperation agreements in the fields of drinking water,
fisheries, and agriculture. (NB: Colonel Vall is a graduate
of the Military School of Meknes.)

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Morocco Renews Demand for Release of Moroccan Hostages in Iraq
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4. (U) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation on
November 20 released a statement strongly reiterating its
demand for the unconditional release of two Moroccan citizens
being held captive in Iraq. The two Moroccans, Abdelkrim
al-Mouhafidi and Abderrahim Boualem, were taken hostage
October 20 by an Iraqi group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
According to the Maghreb Arab Press website, the NeoMaroc
association, a local NGO, plans to soon hold a rally calling
for the liberation of the two Moroccans and to denounce an
"act that is contrary to Islam and all international
conventions." The two Moroccan hostages are now featured in
a box each day on the front page of French-language daily Le
Matin, along with a caption noting how many days they have
spent in captivity.

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Morocco-South African Relations Still in the Tank
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5. (C) TDY South African Charg Janice Strachan told
Polcouns November 15 that the GOM continued to drag its feet
on agrement for the new South African Ambassador (NB: The
previous South African Ambassador departed this past summer
and was replaced temporarily by Strachan, a mid-level MFA
official. Relations between the two countries plummeted when
South Africa recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
(SADR) in 2004, prompting Morocco to withdraw its ambassador
from Pretoria). Strachan reported that she has access to the
MFA when she needs to, but said her government is incensed
that the GOM has not even acknowledged receiving the request
for agrement. Strachan will end her six-month stint in
Morocco in December, and said a temporary successor has not
yet been identified.

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Istiqlal Opts for Socialist Allies over Islamists
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6. (SBU) Istiqlal party executive committee member and upper
house parliamentarian, Mohamed El Ansari, told Poloff
November 16 that there was serious debate with the committee
leading up to party leader Abbas El Fassi,s announcement on
November 11 that Istiqlal would join forces again with its
2002 elections ally, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces
party (USFP),for the 2007 parliamentary elections. El
Ansari confided to Poloff that while he and several others on
the committee favored an alliance with the Islamist Party for
Justice and Development (PJD),especially in light of the
USFP,s recent courting of leftist opposition parties (NB:
Istiqlal is a center-right party),a majority of the
committee voted to stick it out with the USFP. El Ansari
said that while he will honor the party,s decision, which he
noted was decided democratically, he does not rule out a day
when Istiqlal and the PJD are seen as allies.

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Survey Shows Poor Conditions in Moroccan Prisons
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7. (U) The Moroccan daily L,Economiste on November 22
reported the Moroccan nongovernmental organization, the
Moroccan Observatory of Prisons (OMP),had recently completed
a survey of prisoners incarcerated in Kenitra, Souk Larbaa,
Sale, and Casablanca. According to the daily, the 331
prisoners who responded to the questionnaire revealed that
conditions are poor in these four prisons, including physical
and mental abuse. Prisoners apparently become accustomed
over time to being incarcerated, as the survey indicated
reports of abuse decreases as the period of imprisonment
increases. Prisoners also described problems with health
services and family visits.

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Join a Protest, Earn a Quick 30 Euros
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8. (SBU) PolFSN reported that during a recent visit to
Algeciras in southern Spain, he happened upon a pro-Polisario
demonstration taking place in the center of town. To his
surprise he noticed a number of apparently non-Sahrawi
Moroccans participating in the demonstration. PolFSN
approached several of the Moroccans to ask why they were
demonstrating for the Polisario. "Thirty Euros," was the
eager response.
Riley