DEMARCHING MOROCCO ON IOM ELECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000053 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR PRM AND NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019 TAGS: MO SMIG PREF PREL SUBJECT: DEMARCHING MOROCCO ON IOM ELECTION REF: STATE 04089 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Although Morocco is not a member of the African Union, PolCouns delivered demarche in favor of Bill Swing to MFA chief of staff and IO director Nasser Bourita January 18. PolCouns stressed the IOM membership's decision on term limits, even though this had not been made formally part of its mandate due to ratification delays in some member states. Bourita was familiar with the issue (note: post earlier lobbied on) and with both candidates and had favorable impressions of both. ¶2. (C) Swing is well known to the GOM for his service as Special Representative of the Secretary General in Charge of MINURSO, the mission in Western Sahara. He assured that this was a good experience and the GOM had no major issues with Swing. They did have some question regarding his age. They also believed that Swing's approach to migration was perhaps too focused on the humanitarian side and less the systematic side. ¶3. (C) Bourita said the GOM maintained a relatively good view of McKinley. He had been very good enduring the crisis in 2005 when a flood of Sub-Saharans stormed the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. McKinley did not point fingers at the GOM, unlike some in the international community, taking instead a problem-solving approach which was highly appreciated. The Moroccans also appreciated his support for developing countries and his social and economic development orientation regarding the complicated migration issue. McKinley is lobbying widely, he said. ¶4. (C) Regardless, while not providing a formal answer or any assurances, Bourita said that Morocco traditionally supports countries' nominees, rather than self-nominated individual candidacies. He did not expect this would be come a problem between us. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ***************************************** Riley