TUNISIA DOES NOT ACCEPT THE MAURITANIAN COUP BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000965

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/MAG (MNARDI, VSTEWART, JPATTERSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KEDM TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIA DOES NOT ACCEPT THE MAURITANIAN COUP BUT
WILL NOT MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT

REF: A. A) STATE 84915

B. B) STATE 91116

C. C) TUNIS 903

D. D) TUNIS 917

Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) The Ambassador raised the Mauritanian military coup
during his August 29 meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs
Abdelwaheb Abdallah stressing the strong and growing
opposition to it. The Minister,s said the GOT responded
immediately through the Arab Maghreb Union. he also cited
Tunisia's membership in the Arab League and the African Union
and noted those institutions had also registered opposition
to the coup. He said the new government in Mauritania knows
the GOT's position very well, especially the concern it has
for former president Abdallahi being under house arrest. He
did not give any indication that the GOT would consider
issuing its own public statement condemning the coup.


2. (C) The Ambassador passed Abdallah a non paper (delivered
earlier via diplomatic note as well) detailing the US
position and the statement by the President of the UNSC. The
Ambassador encouraged the GOT to make a public statement
condemning the coup. The Minister responded saying, "we were
among the first to react to the coup." He said, President
Ben Ali and Libyan leader Col. al-Qadhafi directed the
Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) to go to
Nouakchott and deliver a protest on behalf of the Maghreb
leaders immediately after the coup (reftel b). He added that
Tunis, unlike some other Maghreb countries, had not agreed to
receive a special delegation from the new military
government. Then he concluded the Mauritanian junta knows
the GOT's position very well, especially its concern that a
legally elected president like Abdallahi is essentially being
held in prison. The Minister regretted that Maghreb Union is
unable to agree on actions with respect to political issues
due to internal differences.


3. (C) Although Abdallah appeared to be expressing the
GOT,s genuine opposition to the coup; he made it clear that
it was not inclined to make any public statement except in
the context of a group. The Ambassador explained that a
public statement of opposition would be useful in pressing
the Mauritanian military to reverse its actions. Abdallah
agreed that the overthrow of Mauritania,s democratically
elected president, which had been a progressive symbol for
Africa, was a serious blow against democracy and had no
legitimacy. However, he said, by rejecting the Mauritanian
delegation, sending the Secretary General of the AMU to
Nouakchott, joining in statements from the Arab League and
the African Union Peace and Security Commission, Tunisia has
made its public position clear. Now, the Minister said, he
was waiting to see whether the military regime will implement
its commitments to restore democracy. Abdallah ended by
saying that Tunisia has interests there. There is a sizable
Tunisian community in Mauritania and they also have
commercial interests including telephone and airline
companies.
GODEC