WESTERN SAHARA: MINURSO REPORTS CONTINUED CALM IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000355 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, IO; GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2009 TAGS: KPKO MO PBTS PHUM PREL SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARA: MINURSO REPORTS CONTINUED CALM IN TIFARITI REF: RABAT 344 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Tim Lenderking for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) MINURSO Political Officer Alexandr Sporys telephoned Polcouns at 8 pm local time February 27 to brief on the day's activities in Tifariti. Sporys said MINURSO peacekeepers based in Tifariti had observed part of the day's festivities in keeping with MINURSO's mandate. MINURSO estimated that 2500 Polisario soldiers participated in military parades during the day, but there was no march toward the berm and there were no provocative demonstrations staged. Sporys said MINURSO had no reports of counter- demonstrations on the Moroccan side of the berm, and none have been reported in the Moroccan press as of February 28. Sporys added that other Polisario troops were deployed on high ground around Tifariti in the event of a Moroccan attack. ¶2. (C) Sporys explained that while the events were peaceful, the accumulation of forces nevertheless constituted a violation of military agreement number one, and the incident would therefore be reported to both sides and included in the Secretary General's report on the Western Sahara due in SIPDIS April. Sporys noted as an aside that MINURSO had begun drafting the report in Laayoune in light of an internal deadline of March 17 to get the report to New York. ¶3. (C) Sporys continued that the focus of February 28 was mine-destruction. According to its website, the Polisario claims to have destroyed several thousand mines on February 28, and the Swiss-based NGO Geneva Call called on the GOM to undertake similar action. ¶4. (C) Sporys noted that in light of the events in Tifariti, MINURSO peacekeepers in Tifariti and Bir Lahlou were under a special monitoring order that would remain in effect until March 2, when MINURSO believed the anniversary events would be fully concluded. That said Sporys indicated that most events were disbanding as of the evening of February 27. ¶5. (C) In contact with DAO late February 27, MINURSO Force Commander Mosgaard reported that according to military agreement number one there should be no concentration of forces even in the area of limited restriction, i.e. the area beyond the thirty kilometer range from the berm (the so-called no-man's land). He stressed that while the military accumulation did constitute a violation, the Polisario did not display any offensive capabilities beyond some personal weapons and some 150 camels, which the Moroccan military was informed about. Echoing Sporys's comments, he said there were some forty BMPs (armored personnel carriers) and ZSUs (anti-aircraft guns) placed in defensive positions in the hills around Tifariti to counter a possible Moroccan air attack. He admitted that civilians on both sides of the berm were nervous about the possibility of a military confrontation. He reiterated to DAO that both Moroccan FAR General Bennani and Polisario President Abdulaziz, in his meetings with them, had agreed to keep things calm. Mosgaard said he hoped he had convinced the Polisario to abstain from demonstrations toward the berm in the future as well but acknowledged only time will tell. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley