MOROCCO/SAHARA: COMPLAINTS ABOUT POLISARIO, BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 001807 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2012 TAGS: PBTS PHUM PREL PGOV AG MO WI SUBJECT: MOROCCO/SAHARA: COMPLAINTS ABOUT POLISARIO, BUT STILL GOING TO MANHASSET 3 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) MFA Director-General Hilale convoked Ambassador Riley and other P-5 Chiefs of Mission December 4 to discuss Sahara. Hilale said the GOM is concerned that the POLISARIO's General Congress will be held this year in Tifarity, on Moroccan-claimed territory but on the POLISARIO-controlled side of the berm, which was a violation of the cease fire agreements, and POLISARIO transportation of refugees there for the event was a violation of their refuge in Algeria. He complained the Congress would be used by the POLISARIO to falsely claim it is the sole representative to the Sahrawi people. Finally, he said the GOM is concerned that the Congress will conclude with instructions to the POLISARIO delegation to the Manhasset talks that it should only discuss the path to independence. This he said, was a strategy aimed at disrupting the talks. ¶2. (C) While not specifically, Hilale appeared to implicitly confirm press reports that Morocco had agreed to the next round at Manhasset January 7-9. He did not include any specific request for P-5 member states. ¶3. (C) We understand he also separately convoked the non-permanent UNSC members. Hilale provided a detailed non-paper covering his points. Embassy emailed the nonpaper Hilale provided to NEA/MAG. ¶4. (C) Comment: The GOM may be frustrated that the announcement of the agreement on date and place for the talks came from the POLISARIO, albeit in response to a GOM proposal. Hilale's concerns about the Congress limiting delegation flexibility is a reflection of the statement by King Mohammed VI last month that only autonomy should be discussed. We understand the last POLISARIO Congress, without major incident some five years back, also took place in Tifarity. In another reaction to the Congress, Morocco is planning to hold a meeting of the CORCAS on roughly the same dates in Smara, on its side of the berm, just across from Tifarity. We heard separately from the MFA that FM Fassi Fihri called Van Walsum December 3 to confirm Moroccan attendance at the talks. End comment. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ***************************************** Riley