C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000651

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV XA AG CD CM KE MP MR ML NI SF MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO IN AFRICA: FM REACHES OUT ON SAHARA

REF: A. A. RABAT 0469

B. B. RABAT 0625

Classified By: PolCouns Craig Karp. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Taib
Fassi-Fihri's spent early summer lobbying Sub-Saharan African
countries, mostly on Western Sahara. From 19 to 23 June, the
minister visited four Sub Saharan countries and he worked the
corridors of the African Union,s (AU) summit meeting in
Sharm-El Sheikh, Egypt from 29 June to 1 July. According to
the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of African
Affairs Abdellatif Bendahane, the minister,s efforts bore
mixed results. In Kenya, he solidified the shift of Kenya to
the Moroccan point of view and in Cameroon he won a positive,
but weak, statement from the Central African Heads of State.
In Niger, he sought inclusion in a regional security
conference. At the AU summit, the FM pushed for a strong
stance on Zimbabwe.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roadshow
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2. (C) From 19 to 23 June, Moroccan Minister of Foreign
Affairs Taib Fassi-Fihri and head of Moroccan intelligence
Mohamed Yassine Mansouri travelled to Niger, Kenya, Mauritius
and Cameroon. With the exception of Niger, the visits
focused on gathering support for the Moroccan position on
Western Sahara, the driving principle for most Moroccan
activities in Sub-Saharan Africa (reftel A). In Kenya, where
recognition of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
was frozen on 26 June 2007, the Minister met with
counterparts to continue to encourage Kenya's stance
regarding the SADR. In Mauritius, which recognized SADR in
June 1982, the Minister lobbied for a change in the Mauritian
policy, which is likely to be announced in the near future,
following on a similar change from the Seychelles.


3. (C) Fassi-Fihri used his travel to Cameroon to attend a
heads of state meeting of the Economic and Monetary Community

of Central Africa (CEMAC), composed of Cameroon, Gabon,
Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Congo and
discussed political ties and bilateral issues. At the end of
the conference, CEMAC issued a statement on the Western
Sahara calling for continued support of the UN's framework,
while welcoming Morocco's autonomy plan as a starting point
for future negotiations. Although the statement was a small
diplomatic victory for Morocco, Bendahane expressed
disappointment in the weakness of the declaration's language.



4. (C) The first stop on the Minister's trip, in Niamey,
Niger, he sought Nigerien assistance securing an invitation
from Mali to attend a counter-terrorism information-sharing
meeting in Bamako with Algeria, Chad, Libya, Niger,
Mauritania and possibly Burkina Faso. The meeting will focus
on Tuareg unrest and extremist activities of al-Qa'ida in the
Maghreb. Moroccan efforts have yet to produce an invitation
to the conference, their participation allegedly blocked by
Algeria (reftel B).

Engagement at the African Union Summit
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5. (SBU) The only country on the African continent
abstaining from membership in the African Union (AU), because
of the AU,s admission of the Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic (SADR), Morocco did not participate in the AU,s
Sharm-El Sheikh conference in Egypt. However; in a bold, but
unusual step likely facilitated by the host Egyptians, the
Minister worked the corridors of the conference. He sought
principally to gather support for Morocco's Sahara policy and
also to express displeasure regarding Zimbabwe,s recent
election. Morocco, who is at odds with Zimbabwe over their
support for the POLISARIO, communicated the message, &We
condemn the elections in Zimbabwe, we condemn Mugabe
directly, he is anti-democratic, and is bad for Africa.8
The Minister's presence in Sharm-El Sheikh also served to
counter POLISARIO lobbying efforts in the context of the
summit.


6. (SBU) Comment: According to Moroccan information, 21

RABAT 00000651 002 OF 002


African countries recognize SADR, eight recognize Moroccan
sovereignty over the territory, with the remaining countries
maintaining a neutral stance. Though some countries have
vacillated with their support for either cause, Morocco seems
to be gaining momentum with small African states with the
recent freezing of relations between the Seychelles and SADR
in March and the imminent change in position of Mauritius.
Several interlocutors though have expressed doubts about
further progress as Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa and
Ethiopia, regional powers on the continent all recognize, and
some of them provide support to, the SADR. End Comment.


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Riley