MOI BENMOUSSA TELLS AMBASSADOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000121 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND DRL/NESCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREL ASEC MO SUBJECT: MOI BENMOUSSA TELLS AMBASSADOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN SAHARA "NOT A PROBLEM." Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Riley's call on Interior Minster Chakib Benmoussa February 5 turned frosty over the human rights situation in Western Sahara. Benmoussa thanked the USG for support for the Moroccan peace effort and its autonomy plan. He praised the Embassy/GOM human rights dialogue, but shifted gears to protest our insistence at treating the Western Sahara as different from "the rest of Morocco." Police and justice activities there were the same as anywhere else, he insisted. At the same time, he said that both constitution and law in Morocco forbid actions that go against territorial integrity, and the government would enforce those laws against any protest, even if peaceful--until the laws were changed as part of the political solution. He brushed aside our concerns about impunity for serial police abusers in the Sahara. He decried the use by the Polisario of human rights complaints for political ends (a concern we see as somewhat valid). The Ambassador underscored our countries' close cooperation on a range of issues including counterterrorism, and he recognized the real progress made on human rights. But he made clear the USG and international community defended the right to peaceful expression. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Riley accompanied by PolCouns, called on Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa February 5. The Minister was joined by Director General Mohieddine Amzazi and Director for International Relations Rguibi. They discussed the phenomenon of identity appropriation on the Internet and the Minister expressed appreciation for USG efforts on the false Facebook posting in the name of Prince Moulay Rachid. ¶3. (C) The Minister expressed deep appreciation for the previous week's meeting between Secretary Rice and FM Fassi Fihri in Washington and for continuing strong USG support on the Sahara issue, noting we are going down the road together. The GOM wants a stable, long-term future in the Sahara and in our relations. ¶4. (C) The Minister noted that we had just held a good dialogue between the embassy and the Ministries of Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs on human rights in Morocco. This was important. Morocco had progressed significantly in human rights and had become a leader in the region in its openness. He admitted, however, that the situation in Morocco is not perfect and there is progress yet to be made. SAHARA IS THE SAME, HE SAID -------------- ¶5. (C) Benmoussa believed, however, that there was a confusion on the part of the USG and other observers that there is any difference between the situation in the Sahara and the rest of Morocco, and he felt that GOM efforts to clarify this had turned into a dialogue of the deaf. He had also seen reports from Human Rights Watch and the UN Human Rights Commission. In fact, he said, the situation in all of Morocco is the same--the same police, courts, the same standards. The justice system in Sahara functions correctly, according to Moroccan law. However, the state retains its responsibility to preserve order and the law. Moroccan law and the Constitution prohibit any activity that would impact negatively on territorial integrity. (NOTE: This also applies to Islam and the monarchy. END NOTE.) Secessionist activity, even peaceful, is illegal and would not be tolerated. It would not be tolerated in the rest of the country, for example if the north would try to secede. ¶6. (C) Benmoussa said Morocco has laid its autonomy proposal on the table in the UN-sponsored peace negotiations with the Polisario. Morocco encouraged discussion of the autonomy proposal in the Sahara, but not secession. He hoped to have an agreement, and said under an agreement the laws may be changed and debate could take place. Until that time the laws would be enforced. Outsiders may say that they should be allowed to demonstrate in the street, he said, but the government was responsible for order and could not permit actions that resulted in stone throwing and Molotov cocktails. "Preserving order is our right and duty." He said that the GOM never arrests people for private political discussions--in a home or in a cafe. The GOM allows pro-Polisario activists to travel abroad on Moroccan passports, he pointed out, where they criticize Morocco and then the GOM allows them to return. He noted that Morocco, like many states, criminalizes flag-burning. RABAT 00000121 002 OF 002 ¶7. (C) Benmoussa was particularly concerned about Polisario threats to return to the battlefield and noted their threats to restart the "intifada" which meant attacks inside the Sahara. He claimed the Embassy got all its information from separatist activists on the payroll of the Polisario. He decried their use of human rights for political ends and said the USG should ignore them. Instead, the GOM was unhappy about the embassy's amplification of their charges. He noted the Royal Human Rights Council, the CCDH, had opened an office in Laayoune this year. A government ombudsman office had also been established. He pointed out (correctly, in our view) that there is far less freedom of expression in the Polisario camps in Tindouf than anywhere in Morocco. Regardless, changes in the Sahara would not have any effect on the negotiations, because Polisario decision-making is actually done in Algiers. ¶8. (C) The Ambassador noted that the Embassy was preparing its human rights report and was required to note violations, particularly if violent. While acknowledging Moroccan progress in some areas, he insisted that individuals have a right to peacefully express their point of view, including publicly. He urged the GOM to ameliorate the situation both for human rights concerns and to improve the political environment for the negotiations. We were happy to have received GOM input through the human rights dialogue and were incorporating relevant items into the report. PolCouns clarified that the embassy had received extensive reports on repeated abuse by several individual security officers in Sahara that were unparalleled in Morocco and had conveyed the reports to the GOM. These reports came not only from opponents of Morocco, but also from those who favored Moroccan rule. Nevertheless, the abusers were still in place, which we were obliged to note. CONSULATE CASABLANCA -------------- ¶9. (C) Benmoussa raised the issue of the consulate in Casablanca and asked whether the security measure instituted last year would be able to be withdrawn before the coming local elections expected in the summer of 2009, implying that the government would like to see the defensive barriers removed. The Ambassador briefed him on our efforts to find a property in or near Casablanca and said we would certainly have committed to a new location by then, having purchased the property and possibly commenced some construction. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ***************************************** Riley