STAFFDEL PHELAN'S WESTERN SAHARA MEETINGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000498 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND H LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA ROME FOR ROSE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2011 TAGS: PREL PBTS OREP MO SUBJECT: STAFFDEL PHELAN'S WESTERN SAHARA MEETINGS Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Wayne J. Bush for Reasons 1.5 (b ) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Staffdel Phelan and EconCouns visited Laayoune, Western Sahara on March 18 as swarms of workers readied the city ) festooned with Moroccan flags -- for King Mohammed VI's imminent arrival. MINURSO officials briefed Phelan on the mission's activities, previewed the draft SYG report to be released in April, and discussed potential security threats. Hamid Barez, Morocco's Deputy Coordinator with MINURSO, reviewed the GOM positions, but was not very forthcoming on the King's schedule of activities or his expectations for the visit. He said Mohammed VI planned to "expand" the royal Saharan council and consult with local stakeholders on the autonomy plan being developed. Phelan urged the GOM to present a concrete and clear autonomy plan that would serve as the basis for real negotiation. End summary. MINURSO Briefing -------------- ¶2. (SBU) MINURSO Force Commander General Kurt Mosgaard, the Secretary General's Special Representative Francesco SIPDIS Bastagli, and Political Officer Carmen Johns briefed SFRC Staffer Michael Phelan and EconCouns on the situation in Western Sahara, prospects for MINURSO's future, and expectations for King Mohammed VI's imminent visit, the King's first visit to the Western Sahara since March 2002. MINURSO officials thanked Phelan for Senator Lugar's role in the August 2005 POW release and for his continued interest and engagement in Western Sahara. Bastagli and Mosgaard noted that MINURSO's recently expanded activities -) including the addition of night patrols )- made them a more effective monitoring force; however, they reported a decreasing number of violations. Bastagli described the success of the family visit and telephone call programs, part of the UN's CBM program. Imploring the United States and other UN members not to overlook the less urgent and immediate concern Western Sahara, Mosgaard said that the MINURSO force could not be reduced or assigned more restrictive duties ) "it is already at the minimum operable level." Bastagli and Mosgaard explained that the vast majority of civilian UN employees in Western Sahara support the military. Only a few positions would be saved if the UN �0A;decided to curtail confidence building measures and refugee-related activities. ¶3. (C) Bastagli gave Phelan and Econcouns an overview of his draft of the SYG's report (that he was to transmit to DPKO on March 19),noting Van Walsum and the Secretariat in New York were likely to edit it thoroughly. He noted that the report described the expanding MINURSO role, underscored the need to make progress on the long-standing stalemate, and analyzed the social impact on the Saharan people. It outlined three simple choices: 1) Remove MINURSO, leaving de facto Moroccan control of the region; 2) reduce MINURSO's role to simply monitoring of the cease fire, which would save little money and reduce MINURSO staff only slightly; or 3) extend the status quo and maintain confidence building measures and refugee related activities. ¶4. (C) EconCouns thanked MINURSO officials for their constructive role defusing tensions during the late February 2006 30th anniversary of the founding of the Saharan Republic. Mosgaard and Johns reported that Moroccan General Benanni told them he could not rule out Moroccan military action should the POLISARIO continue building civic structures in Tifariti in the buffer zone. (Comment: It is unclear whether this was an authentic report of a Moroccan threat, a veiled attempt to justify MINSURO's continued existence, or both. End comment) GOM Gives the Party Line -------------- ¶5. (C) Since most Moroccan officials in Laayoune were seized with preparations for the King's arrival, Hamid Barez, the GOM's Deputy MINURSO Coordinator briefed Staffdel Phelan. Barez recounted the decades of disappointment that led to today's mistrust and reiterated Morocco's search for a solution within unquestioned Moroccan sovereignty. Phelan recalled Senator Lugar's role in the August 2005 POW release and noted that his visit testified to the U.S. Senate's continued interest in the issue. Phelan emphasized that Lugar and his colleagues believe that the onus is on Morocco to present a concrete, clear, and reasonable autonomy proposal that can serve as the basis for real negotiations. If the GOM can announce such a detailed plan, the USG and the U.S. congress will expect the other parties to respond appropriately. Phelan reminded Barez that the GOM should not be negatively swayed by Algeria's public polemic, but should concentrate on private exchanges in the context of negotiations toward a solution. Barez did not share details of the King's itinerary ) "no one can know" ) but noted Mohammed VI planned to consult with local stakeholders on his autonomy plan and to expand the royal council for Saharan affairs. At one point, apparently slipping up, he described the situation with regard to Moroccan administration of the provinces and included the phrase "for the time being," indicating some sort of change was generally expected. Fit for a King -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Laayoune was undergoing the requisite orgy of decoration that precedes any royal visit in Morocco. Hundreds of new Moroccan flags and colorful banners placed around the city, clearly visible on approach to the airport, lent a festive mood to the remote and rather lackluster city. Royal Moroccan tents and Saharan tents were erected in parking lots and public plazas. Workers were repainting everything in sight ) from the roof of the control tower at the airport, to curbs and flag poles throughout the city. New flower beds and rows of palms were being planted. The plastic chairs in the airport lounges were removed in favor of overstuffed divans covered in lush fabrics. Fights to sleepy Laayoune were overbooked and there was not a single available hotel room in the whole city. The staffs of Laayoune's three hotels were suspended and replaced with palace cooks, waiters, and chambermaids. Even Bastagli was evicted from his hotel suite for the preparation and duration of the visit. ¶7. (U) Staffdel Phelan did not have an opportunity to clear this message ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley