UPDATE ON ICRC ACTIVITIES IN MOROCCO

S E C R E T RABAT 000448 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009 TAGS: MO PGOV PHUM PREL SUBJECT: UPDATE ON ICRC ACTIVITIES IN MOROCCO Classified By: POL/C Timothy Lenderking for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Over lunch March 2 in Rabat, visiting ICRC Regional Representative Bernard Pfefferle and Polcouns discussed the following issues: Western Sahara -------------- ¶2. (C) Pfefferle sought latest US views on the political situation in the Western Sahara. Polcouns said the US believed we were potentially entering a new political dynamic on the Western Sahara and encouraging the parties to focus on finding a way to start negotiations, centering on Morocco's expected release of an expanded autonomy plan in the near future. In the meantime, emboffs continued to visit the territory for first-hand assessments of the situation and the atmosphere following months of intermittent demonstrations. ¶3. (C) Pfefferle said he planned to meet with ex-POWs during his current visit to Morocco. He believed the ex-POWs continued to face serious difficulties in readjusting to their freedom. Even people from solid families, who had returned after decades and seemed to re-join their loved ones successfully, have moments "when they disappear from the conversation for several minutes." Pfefferle and Polcouns agreed the GOM did not appear to be doing much to ease the reintegration of the ex-POWs into society, although there are recent press reports that an ex-POW association has been formed. ¶4. (C) Pfefferle said ICRC continued to work with both the GOM and the Polisario, as well as with ex-POWs, to extract more information on cases of the missing and disappeared from the Western Sahara conflict. Guantanamo Detainees -------------- ¶5. (C) Pfefferle said ICRC staff had visited Morocco recently to interview two former Guantanamo detainees currently in prison (these were two of the five detainees repatriated to Morocco in August 2004). Pfefferle explained that the purpose of the interviews was to discuss detention conditions in Guantanamo, as ICRC was doing with former Guantanamo detainees worldwide, and that ICRC used the information gleaned to advise the US on improving conditions in the detention facility. He described US-ICRC cooperation on Guantanamo as "close." He noted that when they first returned from Guantanamo, the five Moroccan detainees showed little receptivity to meeting with ICRC officials, but that was changing. He said the GOM was fully cooperative with arranging the visits and allowing for private interviews in the prison. ICRC hoped to meet with the three latest returnees (February 2006) on subsequent visits. ICRC Humanitarian Projects with the GOM -------------- ¶6. (C) Pfefferle said the ICRC continued to work with the GOM on the possibility of establishing an MOU for prison visits in Morocco. The GOM had still not issued a decision on the matter, but Pfefferle was optimistic his meetings with the MOJ during the week would produce progress. ¶7. (C) ICRC continued to work with the Moroccan Ministry of Education to introduce principles of international humanitarian law in the Moroccan school system. Pfefferle said the GOM had embraced the project and was pursuing it vigorously, even at its own expense financially. The effort enjoyed the solid support of the Secretary General of the MOJ, Mohamed Lididi. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley