DESPITE SOME SUPPORT, UNSC MEMBERS MOSTLY IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000755

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2018
TAGS: PBTS PGOV PREL UNSC WI MO
SUBJECT: DESPITE SOME SUPPORT, UNSC MEMBERS MOSTLY IN
LUKEWARM OPPOSITION TO ENVOY VAN WALSUM

REF: STATE 88765

Classified By: Jeffrey Delaurentis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: In response to reftel demarche, France showed
an enthusiastic commitment for the Secretary General's
Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Peter Van Walsum and a
fifth round of negotiations--as did non-UNSC member Spain,
which proactively told Poloff of Spain's support. Most UNSC
members, however, responded that Van Walsum was no longer a
viable mediator because he had lost his impartiality, or they
were non-committal. The French Mission, usually our strongest
ally on Western Sahara, has concluded that Paris and
Washington are isolated in the Council in support of Van
Walsum. End Summary.


2. (C) Poloff on 19-20 August delivered demarche reftel to
the New York Missions of UNSC members to support the
reappointment of Peter Van Walsum as the Secretary General's
Personal Envoy to Western Sahara and to urge them to push for
a fifth round of negotiations this fall. Besides France, the
Missions of the UK, Russia, Libya, and Croatia responded
positively to our demarche, albeit with some caveats. Second
Secretary Sofka Brown of the UK Mission supported our
position but worried that Van Walsum might view his ability
to proceed as compromised. First Secretary Denis Paletskiy of
the Russian Mission said that while Van Walsum had made
public his controversial views, Moscow would continue to
support him. He opined that the one-year extension of
MINSURO's mandate in April rather than the customary six
months removed any incentive for the parties to move out of
the impasse. Libyan Permanent Representative Attia Omar
Mubarak told Poloff that Libya supported Washington on this
issue and would like to remain apprised of all of USG's
efforts concerning Western Sahara. He also noted that after
four rounds of negotiations nothing substantive had taken
place, and Tripoli would try to encourage both sides to move
the issue forward. First Secretary Axel Kenes of the Belgian
Mission offered Brussels' tepid endorsement of Van Walsum,
but emphasized that "the negotiations are more important than
the person." He also said that Van Walsum's wife was ill, and
because of that, these negotiations probably were not a
priority. He advised that the UN needed to set a firm date
for the fifth round of talks before Fourth Committee debates
began to give them substance and to avoid unnecessary tedium.


3. (C) South Africa, Panama, and Costa Rica opposed extending
Van Walsum's term but strongly supported a fifth round of
negotiations. Counsellor Zaheer Laher of the South African
Mission said Security Council members should not become
involved in the Secretary General's decision about whom he
appoints as his envoy and stated that the Council should
remain neutral. Laher responded to Poloff's comment that one
side (the Polisario) seemed to be gaining effective veto
power over the nomination of the envoy by saying, "Morocco
has always had veto power in the Security Council concerning
Western Sahara issues." Nonetheless, Laher said Pretoria
agreed with Van Walsum's assessment that an independent
Western Sahara was not a realistic option and appreciated his
candor but that he had undermined his position as neutral
arbiter. Counsellor Jorge Corrales of the Panamanian Mission
said that despite Van Walsum's integrity, if one of the
parties to the conflict does not support the envoy, one
cannot have meaningful negotiations.


4. (C) In spite of demarches to their capitals, the Missions
of Burkina Faso, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam were
non-committal and could not provide firm responses to our
request. The Italian Mission was still awaiting guidance from
Rome.
Khalilzad