ALGERIANS ON MOROCCAN RAPPROCHEMENT EFFORT: CURB

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 000555

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018
TAGS: PREL ECIN MO AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIANS ON MOROCCAN RAPPROCHEMENT EFFORT: CURB
YOUR ENTHUSIASM

REF: A. RABAT 401

B. RABAT 417

Classified By: DCM Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: While expressing general support for dialogue
and rapprochement in principle, Algerian officials from the
Customs service to Prime Minister Belkhadem have voiced
frustration at what they perceive as the unilateral and
non-consultative manner in which Morocco launched its recent
initiative to reopen the borders between the two nations.
Deep suspicion remains about Moroccan motives, particularly
as the timing of the latest initiative coincided with public
U.S. and French backing for the Moroccan autonomy plan for
the Western Sahara. Contacts at Belkhadem's National
Liberation Front (FLN) tell us that the PM's April 27 visit
to Tangier was a positive event, but that the road towards a
real Maghreb Union is a long one they would be reluctant to
travel without a change in Moroccan behavior. End Summary.

"WHERE DID THIS CALL COME FROM?"
--------------


2. (C) Asked why Algeria rejected Morocco's call to reopen
the land border between the two countries, Belkhadem stated
to the press on May 11 that he "did not know where that call
came from." Parliamentary VP and FLN old-timer Mohamed
Seghir Kara told us May 11 that the Moroccan initiative took
the Algerian government by surprise and "brought back
memories of the unilateral manner" in which Morocco closed
the two countries' shared land border in 1994. Belkhadem
went on to tell the press that Algeria felt abandoned and
isolated in the 1990s, when a UNSC blockade was imposed on it
and airlines could not fly into or out of the country. At
that time, he said, Algeria should have received help from
its neighbors and instead was sealed off further when Morocco
accused Algeria of involvement in terror attacks in
Marrakech, then imposed visa rules on Algerians and closed
the border. Belkhadem concluded that "joint committees"
should be reactivated as a first step to discuss smuggling,
drugs and illegal immigration.


3. (C) During a May 13 meeting, MFA Deputy Director for
Multilateral Affairs Abdelmalek Bouheddou told us that the
MFA's official position was the one voiced by Belkhadem.
Bouheddou said that he and his colleagues had no objection to
rapprochement in general, but doubted the sincerity of this
initiative due to the manner in which the Moroccans presented
it. Privately, Bouheddou expressed a view that many of our
contacts have shared with us -- that empirically they see
Morocco as a country that "has trouble with every single one
of its neighbors except the Atlantic Ocean." He referred to
differences with Spain over Ceuta and Melilla, tensions with
Algeria, the Western Sahara dispute, and even a diplomatic
row with Senegal earlier this year over Western Sahara that
resulted in a mutual recall of ambassadors.

MOROCCAN BEHAVIOR "INSULTING"
--------------


4. (C) FLN Spokesperson Said Bouhedja told us on May 12 that
his party supported the reopening of the border in principle,
ultimately aspiring "to establish a union of the Maghreb
peoples." He noted, however, that progress depended upon a
decision by the leaders of the region to settle "outstanding
issues" that affect the aspirations of the Maghreb peoples,
with the first of those issues being the Western Sahara
dispute. Bouhedja stressed that the Western Sahara remained
a major obstacle to the formation of a true Maghreb Union,
reiterating Algeria's support for decolonization under the
auspices of the UN. Bouhedja, like Kara a day earlier, said
that Moroccan statements and actions were "unilateral" and
"inconsistent with democratic principles," as Morocco sought
to use the media to deliver a message rather than accepted
official channels.

PALPABLE SUSPICION ON THE GROUND
--------------


5. (C) While Belkhadem's high-profile visit to Tangier made
headlines here, it remains difficult for us to secure
Algerian participation in programs in Morocco at the working

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level. We tried repeatedly with several ministries and
sub-agencies, especially the Algerian Customs service, to
line up Algerian participants for a transshipment conference
in Tangier. The Director of Cooperation at Customs told us
this week that they would not send anyone to a conference in
Morocco because things had "heated up" between Algerian
Customs and its Moroccan counterpart. He hinted that while
the Moroccans publicly called for a reopening of the border,
the reality on the ground was that the border had recently
grown more tense, and did not want to expose Algerian customs
officials to "harassing behavior" on the part of the
Moroccans.


6. (C) COMMENT: Clearly the status of bilateral relations
between Morocco and Algeria depends on where you stand. With
Algerian principles offended by recent Western Sahara
developments they see as favoring Morocco, and with their
pride wounded by Morocco's "unilateral" (and uncomfortably
public) call to reopen the border, genuine rapprochement
appears distant for the moment. Old-school FLN regulars like
Kara and Belkhadem are quick to proclaim the principle that
Morocco and Algeria represent "one people" with shared
histories and values, but Algerian "principles" present major
obstacles to steps forward when the Algerians feel they have
not been consulted or otherwise rubbed the wrong way.
Bouhedja's suggestion that Morocco, by going public with its
border initiative, was using the media to make itself look
good at Algeria's expense was echoed by Kara as well.
FORD