MFA CRITICAL OF SYG'S WESTERN SAHARA ENVOY VAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001137

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG FOR ROBERT EWING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/22/2017
TAGS: PGOV AG FR MO PGOV PREL SP UK WI UNSC
SUBJECT: MFA CRITICAL OF SYG'S WESTERN SAHARA ENVOY VAN
WALSUM

REF: STATE 35098

PAGE 02 RUEHFRA1137 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001137

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL DEMARCHE, THE MFA'S
CHRISTIAN TESTO (DAS-EQUIVALENT FOR THE MAGHREB) AGREED THAT
IT MADE SENSE TO PRESS FOR DIRECT MOROCCAN/POLISARIO TALKS.
HE WAS CRITICAL OF PETER VAN WALSUM, THE UN SYG'S PERSONAL
ENVOY FOR THE WESTERN SAHARA. TURNING TO UNSC DYNAMICS, HE
EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER SOUTH AFRICA'S SUPPORT FOR THE
ALGERIAN LINE ON THE WESTERN SAHARA CONFLICT, AND UNCERTAINTY
ABOUT THE UK AND RUSSIAN POSITIONS. HE SAID IT WOULD BE
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE FOR FRANCE TO TRY TO BUILD A COMMON EU
POSITION ON THE QUESTION. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) POLOFF SHARED REFTEL DEMARCHE ON MARCH 22 WITH
CHRISTIAN TESTO, MFA DAS-EQUIVALENT FOR THE MAGHREB AND TUDOR
ALEXIS, DESK OFFICER FOR MOROCCO. TESTO AGREED THAT IT MADE
SENSE TO PRESS FOR DIRECT CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN MOROCCO AND
THE POLISARIO BEFORE THE MOROCCANS FORMALLY PRESENT THEIR



PAGE 03 RUEHFRA1137 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001137
AUTONOMY PLAN TO THE UNSC, WHETHER OR NOT THE POLISARIO
ACCEPTS THE INVITATION. HE ASKED TO BE APPRISED OF THE
POLISARIO RESPONSE.


3. (C) TESTO WAS SHARPLY CRITICAL OF PETER VAN WALSUM, THE
SYG'S PERSONAL ENVOY FOR THE WESTERN SAHARA. DURING VAN
WALSUMS VISIT TO PARIS IN EARLY MARCH (WHICH, TO THE QUAIS
DISMAY, WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY VISITS TO EITHER SPAIN OR
MOROCCO),TESTO FOUND HIM SURPRISINGLY UNINFORMED ABOUT HIS
BRIEF AND OBLIVIOUS TO THE POLITICAL EQUITIES AT PLAY. "HE
HAS A FUNNY WAY OF DOING HIS JOB . . . HE HAS NOT BEEN
FOLLOWING HIS (WESTERN SAHARA) DOSSIER VERY CLOSELY, AND HE
THINKS NOTHING HAS CHANGED. HE HAS NO SENSE OF THE POLITICAL
RISK THAT THE KING (MOHAMED VI) HAS TAKEN, AND HAS NOT EVEN
REALIZED THAT FOR ALGERIA THE WESTERN SAHARA IS A MERE
POLITICAL CARD TO PLAY, WHEREAS FOR THE MOROCCANS IT IS A
VITAL STRATEGIC ISSUE WITH DIRECT REPERCUSSIONS ON NATIONAL
STABILITY," TESTO SAID DISPARAGINGLY.

4. (C) TESTO SAID THAT DUE TO THIS LACK OF VISION, VAN WALSUM
IS ADVISING SYG BAN KI MOON TO REMAIN "NEUTRAL" AND TO AVOID



PAGE 04 RUEHFRA1137 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001137
ANY ENDORSEMENT OF THE MOROCCAN AUTONOMY PLAN. "I TRIED TO
IMPRESS UPON HIM THAT THE MOROCCAN PLAN REPRESENTS THE FIRST
REAL MOVEMENT ON THIS ISSUE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND THAT
SPAIN AND FRANCE ARE NOW -- FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER -- ON THE
SAME LINE ABOUT THE WESTERN SAHARA, BUT HE WOULDN'T BUDGE,"
TESTO LAMENTED. HE ADDED: "WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT VAN
WALSUM PUBLICLY BECAUSE HE'S THE SYG'S REPRESENTATIVE, BUT
HE'S A PROBLEM."


5. (C) TURNING TO THE UNSC DYNAMICS, TESTO SAID HE WAS
CONCERNED BY THE SOUTH AFRICANS, WHO HAVE "ADOPTED 100
PERCENT" THE ALGERIAN POSITION. HE ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN
ABOUT THE BRITISH AND RUSSIAN POSITIONS ON THE WESTERN
SAHARA, WHICH HE CHARACTERIZED AS "AMBIGUOUS."


6. (C) TESTO SAID THAT FRANCE HAD NO INTENTION OF TRYING TO
BUILD AN EU CONSENSUS IN SUPPORT OF THE MOROCCAN PLAN. "IN
BRUSSELS, THEY ARE EVEN WORSE ON THIS QUESTION THAN VAN
WALSUM . . . THE NORDIC COUNTRIES KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE
WESTERN SAHARA, AND IF YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN IT TO THEM THEY SEE



PAGE 05 RUEHFRA1137 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001137
IT ONLY AS A QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND SELF-DETERMINATION.
THEY'RE VERY RIGID, SO IT'S BETTER NOT TO ENGAGE WITH THEM
AT ALL AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL." AS FOR
THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, TESTO UNDERSCORED THE QUAI'S
BELIEF THAT THE SAHRAWIS CAN ADEQUATELY EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT
TO SELF-DETERMINATION VIA A REFERENDUM THAT OFFERS THEM AN
UP-OR-DOWN VOTE ON THE MOROCCAN AUTONOMY PLAN, WITHOUT
OFFERING THEM A SEPARATE OPTION OF VOTING FOR INDEPENDENCE.
"IF THEY VOTE YES, THEN THEY'VE EXERCISED THEIR RIGHT TO
SELF-DETERMINATION, AND IF THEY VOTE NO, THEN WE CAN GO FROM
THERE," HE SAID.
PLEASE VISIT PARIS' CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT:
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/PARIS/INDEX.C FM

STAPLETON