WESTERN SAHARA: INFORMAL MINURSO VIEWS ON CURRENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000561

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: INFORMAL MINURSO VIEWS ON CURRENT
EVENTS

REF: RABAT 539

Classified By: Pol/C Tim Lenderking for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) MINURSO Political Officer Alexander Sporys (please
protect) visited Rabat March 22-24 for consultations with the
P-5, Spanish, and South Africans at the request of SRSG
Bastagli. Sporys called on Polcouns March 23. SRSG Bastagli
is expected in Rabat for follow-on discussions in early April.

Atmospherics of the King's Visit to Western Sahara
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Sporys noted the King's visit was well underway in
the Western Sahara (Ref A). On instruction from the GOM,
Laayoune had been scrubbed of most overt signs of the UN
presence. MINURSO had been ordered to park its vehicles
inside the UN compound, and the UN planes and helicopters had
been moved from their prominent parking sites on the tarmac
at Laayoune airport. MINURSO staff, including SRSG Bastagli,
had all been asked to quit their quarters at the city's
premier hotel, the Parador, a week earlier, to prepare for
the hotel's facelift prior to the King's arrival. Sporys
said there is a royal suite at the hotel but it is rarely
used, whether by the King or anyone else from the royal
family. MINURSO staff were taking the evictions
good-naturedly and were temporarily relocating to other
quarters in the city for the duration of the visit.


3. (C) Sporys said there were some small demonstrations
against the King's visit, but the Moroccan security presence
was massive and it was clear nothing could get out of
control. Many schools had closed, and the students made
ready to wait in front of their buildings to be bused to
various locations to show support to the King. (comment:
Sporys, who grew up in the Czechoslovakia and despises
anything that smacks of totalitarianism, likened the scene to
"North Korea," which seems harsh. This is standard practice
in Morocco, and many kids enjoy the fanfare and the time out
of school. Sporys did add, though, that a number of young
people seemed to be caught up in the festivities and, more
than normal, would tell MINURSO staff they encountered on the
streets that, "The Sahara is Moroccan.").


4. (C) Sporys was intrigued by the visit to the Western
Sahara by Libyan envoy al-Dam, and his meeting with the King
on March 20 in Laayoune. Sporys thought it ironic given
Libya's past support for the Polisario, and the fact that the
Polisario still carried around weapons supplied by Libya.

Moroccan Violations
--------------


5. (C) Sporys said the huge Moroccan security presence in
Laayoune constituted a violation of the military agreement
governing the Western Sahara conflict, and MINURSO would
report the violation to the Security Council as per normal
procedures. Sporys said he had been out fishing the week
before and counted 60 vehicles in a convoy heading into
Laayoune from the north. The vehicles include "Spanish
humvees" with mounted weapons. MINURSO understood that
special precautions were necessary for the King's visit and
was not suggesting the Moroccans had offensive purposes in
mind with the build-up. MINURSO had already informed the
Moroccans in writing via FAR General Bennani about the
issuance of the violation, and the official Moroccan response
was that the build-up was done in order to combat illegal
migration.


6. (C) Sporys added that MINURSO was in the process of
finishing its contribution to the upcoming SYG report on the
Western Sahara. MINURSO would comment on the situation on
the ground, but UN Envoy Van Walsum would draft the section
dealing with broader political developments.

Morocco's Autonomy Plan
--------------


7. (C) Sporys hypothesized that the Moroccan autonomy plan
would be the "framework agreement plus." From what he was

picking up in Laayoune, he was skeptical the GOM was serious
about sharing the wealth from resource extraction in the
Western Sahara with the Sahrawis. "Everything goes to
Rabat," he said.

Events on the Ground and in Tifariti
--------------


8. (C) Sporys commented that Polisario relations with
MINURSO were poor. "They don't really like us," he said.
The Polisario feels MINURSO is in Morocco's pocket (comment:
while the GOM feels MINURSO is pro-Polisario...),will never
be able to deliver on the holding of a referendum, and is
disappointed MINURSO cannot be more aggressive with the GOM
on human rights violations.


9. (C) Polcouns thanked Sporys for MINURSO's interventions
with both sides during the SADR anniversary celebrations in
Tifariti in late February, in which MINURSO played a useful
role in defusing tensions. Sporys said the Moroccans were
greatly exaggerating Polisario activities in Tifariti; the
Polisario did not have the money or resources to build a
parliament or other institutions east of the berm, as Morocco
alleged. "There is nothing in Tifariti but a few old
buildings and cement foundations," Sporys said.
Nevertheless, the SADR anniversary festivities, which MINURSO
observed according to the military agreement, did manage to
attract several Algerian ministers (comment: The Turkish
Embassy in Rabat claims there were 50 Algerian officials
present) and the South African ambassador based in Algiers.

Visit of UN Human Rights Commission
--------------


10. (C) Sporys said a visit by the UN High Commission for
Human Rights (postponed several times) was expected for five
days starting March 29. The delegation would spend time in
Laayoune, Tindouf and Rabbouni. He remarked it was unclear
how much leeway the group would have to interview people in
Laayoune, but time would tell.

******************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
******************************************

Riley