WESTERN SAHARA: THOUGHTS ON THE USG APPROACH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000601

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PREF KPKO MO
SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARA: THOUGHTS ON THE USG APPROACH
TOWARDS AUTONOMY

REF: RABAT 572

Classified by Ambassador Thomas Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: As we prepare for UN discussion of the
renewal of the MINURSO mandate, Embassy Rabat would like to
offer several thoughts for consideration on the USG's
approach to the very delicate Western Sahara process. The
Moroccans have been conducting extensive and far-reaching
consultations on their (still evolving) autonomy plan all
over the world. Unfortunately, the Moroccans have made no
efforts so far to obtain POLISARIO concurrence nor even any
genuine outreach to the Sahrawi population. The U.S. could
embrace autonomy as a potentially promising basis for a
long-term settlement, but we should resolutely avoid
endorsing the Moroccan plan per se. We must remain steadfast
in our position that any settlement must be the result of
direct negotiations among all parties. We are convinced that
any unilaterally-imposed solution is doomed to failure, and
an approach with which we should not be associated. End
summary.


2. (C) Later this month, the Security Council will consider a
new resolution to extend MINURSO's mandate. In the past few
months, the Moroccan government has been pursuing an
unprecedented diplomatic offensive to build international
support for its approach toward autonomy in the Western
Sahara and thus break out of a long-standing stalemate. As
the USG deliberates its next steps in the rapidly evolving
Western Sahara process, Embassy Rabat would like to offer
several thoughts for consideration.


3. (C) In their extensive travels around the world, senior
Moroccan delegations have gradually revealed more and more
details of their proposal for autonomy in the Western Sahara.
To our knowledge, the Moroccans have not yet offered a
complete and comprehensive proposal to anyone. Indeed it
appears that the Moroccans have been constantly revising and
recalibrating their plans, adjusting to input and feedback
provided by their interlocutors in Washington and other key
capitals.


4. (C) The adjustment and amendment of a proposal of such
import as a result of consultations is a healthy and
encouraging process. What is discouraging, however, is that
there is no evidence that the Moroccans have yet held any
consultations on their autonomy proposal with POLISARIO or
the Sahrawi public. In multiple visits to the territory, and
discussions with Sahrawis and local Moroccan officials from
all parts of the spectrum, it is clear that there has so far
been no meaningful Moroccan effort to obtain Sahrawi "buy-in"
to their approach on autonomy.


5. (C) In this context, we believe the U.S. should avoid
making any statements of endorsement for Morocco's Saharan
autonomy proposal. The U.S. has long maintained that a
solution to the Western Sahara dispute must be the result of
a process of negotiation between the parties concerned. This
principled position has garnered broad international
consensus and has allowed the U.S. to maintain its position
as an even handed broker in efforts to reach a settlement.



6. (C) We strongly believe that a six-month rollover of the
MINURSO mandate is essential to maintaining the peace and
creating the conditions necessary for a permanent resolution
to the conflict. We also believe it appropriate and
desirable for the U.S. to publicly welcome Morocco's renewed
and vigorous efforts to settle the dispute, and we could note
our belief that autonomy for the territory appears to offer a
promising potential basis for a permanent solution. We
should avoid, however, endorsing Morocco's autonomy proposal
per se, and instead continue to press for a solution that is
agreed by all parties as the product of a negotiation
process.


7. (C) The relative merits of Morocco's autonomy plan as
developed so far are ultimately unimportant. The right
autonomy plan is not one that appears good to us, but one
that can be negotiated and ultimately accepted and endorsed
in some form by all parties. We are convinced that any
unilaterally-imposed "solution" will only prompt retrenchment
and hostility from the POLISARIO and their Algerian sponsors,
and ultimately prove to be a recipe for extending the
conflict. In fact, we believe a unilateral approach will not

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only take us back to square one, but risks tainting the
concept of autonomy, which we continue to believe offers the
best basis for a durable (negotiated) settlement.

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RILEY