WESTERN SAHARA: CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 001921 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2011 TAGS: PGOV PBTS PHUM MO SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARA: CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES REF: A. RABAT 01394 ¶B. RABAT 01405 Classified By: CDA Wayne Bush, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On October 13, Johannes Vander Klauuw, the country director for the UNHCR, called to say that Morocco has agreed to resume the confidence building measures (CBM's) in the Western Sahara. The CBMs have been stalled since May when family visitation flights were to go between Dakhla in the territory and the Tindouf camps. ¶2. (C) Poloff met with Nasser Bourita, Director of United Nations and International Organizations, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to discuss the resumption of the CBM's. Bourita said that the GOM had been pressured into agreeing to the resumption of the CBM's when it was the Polisario who had caused the measures to be halted. For Bourita, the GOM was blamed for a problem it did not cause. He noted that the "Polisario has been given room" to continue to manipulate the CBM's and has been given the power over the process by the international community. Bourita noted that the US and other governments concentrated only on the family visits when the CBM's also consisted of telephone calls, which were not suspended. ¶3. (C) Comment: The GOM's agreement to resume the CBM's is coupled with its desire to portray itself as working with all parties in resolving the Western Sahara issue. The decision is likely intended to reinforce the GOM's efforts to persuade the Security Council to extend MINURSO's mandate which is due to expire at the end of October. End Comment. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** BUSH