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