INFORMING SPAIN ON THE WESTERN SAHARA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 000340 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/MAG FOR ROBERT EWING EUR/WE FOR GARY CLEMENTS AND ANGELA CERVETTI E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS SP UNSC WI SUBJECT: INFORMING SPAIN ON THE WESTERN SAHARA REF: STATE 20297 Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Poloff met with MFA Subdirector General for North Africa Manuel Gomez-Acebo on February 21 to discuss recent developments on the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Gomez-Acebo noted that he recently had spoken with NEA DAS Gordon Gray about the visit to Washington of a high-level Moroccan delegation and said that Spain was pleased to hear the U.S. emphasis on the need to address the principle of self-determination. He said that Foreign Minister Moratinos also received a high-level Moroccan delegation on February 8, which delivered much the same message. Moratinos plans to meet with Polisario "FM" Mohamed Uld Salek in early to mid-March. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Poloff met with MFA Subdirector General for North Africa Manuel Gomez-Acebo on February 21 to discuss recent developments on the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara (reftel). Gomez-Acebo, who visited Washington for consultations in early February, told Poloff that he had spoken with NEA DAS Gordon Gray about the visit of a delegation led by the Moroccan Minister of Interior to Washington. A similar delegation, also led by Interior Minister Benmoussa, met with Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, National Security Advisor Carles Casajuana, and Director General for the Mideast, Mediterranean and Africa Alvaro Iranzo in Madrid on February 8 and conveyed basically the same message. The Moroccan delegation also paid a brief courtesy call on President Zapatero. //SIMILAR MOROCCAN MESSAGE// ¶3. (C) The Moroccan delegation underscored to Moratinos that an intensive process is taking place in Morocco in order to achieve a successful solution that will respect the territorial sovereignty of Morocco, address the specific concerns of the Sahrawi people, and conform with international norms of autonomy. They mentioned Spanish and German models of autonomy but did not get into specific similarities. The delegation said that the plan would reserve the classic governmental competencies for Morocco, including customs, security and defense, etc. while the Sahrawi would be able to create a local police, some form of local taxation, an elected local Parliament, and would 
control social and cultural affairs and some form of local judiciary. Economically, the Sahrawi would also control agriculture and could share revenue from natural resources. Morocco is also preoccupied with assuring that there is sufficient and proportional representation of all of the tribes resident in Western Sahara, not just the refugees. The Moroccans said that the plan would include some form of consultation with the population and used the word "referendum" but did not clarify whether this would be a national referendum or a referendum exclusively among the inhabitants of Western Sahara. Lastly, the Moroccans made clear that this autonomy plan would be a one-off event applicable only as an exceptional case in the Western Sahara. Morocco would not alter its Constitution. ¶4. (C) Gomez-Acebo noted that the plan had no doubt evolved between the meeting in Madrid and the Washington meeting. He said that Moratinos had urged the Moroccans to be as generous as possible with sharing the actual content of the plan prior to its publication. According to Gomez-Acebo, the Moroccans did not tell the Spanish when the plan would be released nor in what manner. Moratinos stressed that the presentation of the plan should be done in a spirit of negotiation, not as a take it or leave it proposition. ¶5. (C) Moratinos also told the Moroccan delegation that dialogue with the Polisario is necessary prior to the plan's release. He said that a climate of dialogue must already exist prior to the plan's presentation in the Security Council or it will fail. Moratinos plans to meet with Polisario foreign affairs representative Mohamed Uld Salek in early to mid-March to urge PF consideration of autonomy. //MOROCCO'S COMING OUT?// ¶6. (C) The Moroccan delegation also took the opportunity to MADRID 00000340 002 OF 002 discuss Morocco's ongoing social and economic reforms, including actions to revise the Family Code and address women's issues. They told Moratinos that Morocco is also taking steps to combat corruption and has instituted a truth commission to document human rights abuses prior to 1999. The delegation said that Morocco is strongly committed to the goals laid out in the Barcelona Process, such as the principle of the Mediterranean neighborhood and the adoption of EU democratic and economic norms. The Moroccan delegation said that resolving the Western Sahara question would constitute a high point in this effort. //CT IN THE MAGHREB AND THE SAHEL// ¶7. (C) Gomez-Acebo said the Moroccans also expressed concern about the apparent new level of cooperation with Al Qa'ida among various groups of North African extremists, under the auspices of the Algerian GSPC terrorist group. The Moroccans were preoccupied with resolving this question, but Gomez-Acebo noted that they did not make the usual gesture of attributing the problem to the Algerians, signaling a recognition that the problem is now more regional in nature. //POST-MEETING SPIN BY MORATINOS// ¶8. (C) Moratinos told the delegation that he would not be able to make a completely positive statement in the press because the Moroccans had still not sufficiently addressed the principle of self-determination. He emphasized that any plan must be acceptable to both the Polisario and the UN in order to have any chance at success. After the meeting, Moratinos' told the press that both he and President Zapatero had underscored the need to "address the principle of self-determination." Moratinos said that Spain delivered two messages to Morocco: "the active commitment of Spain to work to overcome the deadlock in which the Western Sahara finds itself," and "the importance for the Moroccan proposals to instill a dynamic of dialogue among the parties within the context of the United Nations, on the road to finding a definitive political solution that is durable, mutually acceptable, and which addresses the principle of self-determination." Gomez-Acebo said the U.S. emphasis on addressing self-determination would be well-received in Madrid. //BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH MOROCCO AND ALGERIA// ¶9. (C) Gomez-Acebo noted with pleasure that the dates for the visit of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia to Algeria have been confirmed for March 13-15. He said the media criticism surrounding the inability to finalize dates was uninformed speculation, as the Algerians had gone to great lengths to secure the visit. Gomez-Acebo's office is extremely busy at present with the royal visit as well as the Morocco-Spain bilateral summit set for early March. The royal visit to Algiers provides a nice counter-balance for the Morocco meeting, as Algeria has been critical of Spanish attention to Rabat on the Western Sahara. ¶10. (C) Poloff asked Gomez-Acebo how Spain is managing the balancing act of maintaining good relations with these two feuding yet essential neighbors. Gomez-Acebo said that it takes hard work and consistent emphasis on increasing common ground and economic ties with both nations to the point where the Western Sahara is merely an aspect of the bilateral relationship, not the focal point. He noted that Spain has the advantage of not having been the dominant colonial power in either Algeria or Morocco, adding that France has clearly cast its lot with Morocco on this issue. "Walking a tightrope is not necessary if there is an increasingly stable base," he said, "We do not want to have to choose with whom we will dance." -------------- Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/ -------------- AGUIRRE