UN WESTERN SAHARAH REPORT WILL INCLUDE ENVOY'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000302

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PARIS FOR WILLIAM JORDAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF PBTS UNSC MO WI
SUBJECT: UN WESTERN SAHARAH REPORT WILL INCLUDE ENVOY'S
VIEWS

REF: STATE 33088

Classified By: Deputy political counselor Molly Phee
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The UN has confirmed that the
Secretary-General's upcoming report on the Western Sahara

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will include a realistic assessment of the state of play by
Personal Envoy Peter Van Walsum, including his determination
that neither a referendum with independence as an option nor
autonomy based exclusively on the Moroccan proposal is
currently politically realistic. The Secretary-General,
however, will not endorse Van Walsum's view as his own at
this stage. End Summary.


2. (C) Donatella Giubilaro, the Western Sahara action
officer in the UN's Department of Political Affairs, told
USUN April 2 that Van Walsum had completed his written
analysis of the status of Western Sahara negotiations and
submitted the text to the UN for inclusion in the
Secretary-General's next report on the Western Sahara,

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scheduled to be released April 14. (The other portion of the
text, pertaining to MINURSO, is prepared by the UN's
Department of Peacekeeping Operations and is also complete.)
Giubilaro confirmed that the draft report must now be
approved by the Secretary-General's office. She also
reported that Van Walsum's analysis makes clear his bald view
that neither a referendum with independence as an option nor
autonomy based exclusively on the Moroccan proposal is
currently politically realistic.


3. (C) Per reftel, Ambassador Wolff met with DPA U/SYG Lynn
Pascoe April 4 to urge support for Van Walsum's text. Pascoe
assured Amb Wolff that Van Walsum's proposed text would not
be changed. He also reported that Van Walsum's analysis is
critical of the Security Council for its role in perpetuating
the stalemate. In response to Amb Wolff's push to have the
Secretary-General endorse Van Walsum's report, Pascoe made

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clear that the Secretary-General would not adopt Van Walsum's
view as his own. The text of the report is likely to urge
the parties and concerned states to seriously consider Van
Walsum's assessment.


4. (C) Separately, USUN met with DPA Director for Africa
Sammy Kum Buo, who expressed sympathy for Van Walsum's
conclusion and a desire to break the stalemate. But Buo
argued that it would be imprudent for Ban to endorse Van
Walsum's views now. He explained that all the parties --
Morocco, the Polisario, and Algeria -- refuse to compromise
on their stated positions and therefore oppose Van Walsum's
conclusion. Buo said he had already been lobbied by the
parties and expected them to lobby the Secretary-General. He
also said Ban would be criticized by the NAM and states like
South Africa if he appeared to undermine the principle of
self-determination. Buo, who works closely with the NAM
through his work on Africa, said "these are my people and I
tell you they will give the SG a hard time." Finally, Buo
recalled that the Security Council remains deadlocked. He
concluded that Ban is too new in his job to adopt such a
controversial position, but did not rule out an evolution in
the Secretary-General's approach in the future.
KHALILZAD