POLISARIO DENIES MOROCCAN ALLEGATIONS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001002 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2016 TAGS: PREL PBTS PHUM WI AG MO SUBJECT: POLISARIO DENIES MOROCCAN ALLEGATIONS OF DISTURBANCES IN TINDOUF CAMPS REF: A. RABAT 1032 ¶B. NEA/MAG - EMBASSY ALGIERS E-MAIL OF JUNE 2 Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) ¶1. (U) The Algerian press June 4 ran a statement issued by the Polisario flatly denying Moroccan reports that "pro-Moroccan" demonstrations had been forcibly suppressed in the Tindouf camps (ref B). The Polisario statement included an invitation to the UN High Commission for Human Rights to visit the Tindouf camps to investigate the Moroccan allegations. ¶2. (SBU) Econoff spoke by phone June 4 to the UNHCR office director in Tindouf, Hossam Mu'alem. Mu'alem said he had heard that there may have been a personal altercation between two Sahrawi men in one of the Tindouf camps on/about June 2, but he said the situation was now completely calm and added that the incident in the camps was limited to the two men and was of a personal nature to the best of his knowledge. Mu'alem said there had been no interruption in telephone services in the camps whatsoever. ¶3. (C) Polisario "Charge" in Algiers Cheikh Doua told DCM June 4 that the Moroccan report of a disturbance in the camps was a "complete lie." There had been no demonstrations, riots, or problems, he said, adding that Polisario had invited the UN High Commission for Human Rights and "any interested NGO's" to visit the Tindouf camps to see for themselves if there were interest in doing so. ¶4. (C) Regarding the UN visit to the Western Sahara and Tindouf in late May (ref A),Doua said the delegation had not held any official meetings in Algiers because their mandate was to assess human rights conditions in the Western Sahara, a subject that did not involve Algeria directly. He confirmed the delegation had transitted Algiers going to and from Tindouf, but according to him, the GOA did not cancel any meetings in Algiers since none had been scheduled. ERDMAN