SENEGALESE STILL WANT TO PURSUE MEDIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000315

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV SG MR
SUBJECT: SENEGALESE STILL WANT TO PURSUE MEDIATION

REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 306

B. NOUAKCHOTT 290

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b and
d)


1. (C) During an April 30 meeting, Senegalese Ambassador to
Mauritania Mahmoudou Kane downplayed President Abdallahi's
decision to "delay" a visit to Senegal indicating that
Senegalese Foreign Minister Gadio would return to Mauritania
the week of May 3 to revive the mediation initiative.


2. (C) Kane told Charge Senegal was still interested in
facilitating a negotiated political settlement in Mauritania.
Looking at the planned June 6 elections, Kane saw that the
lack of political consensus, absence of strong opposition
candidates, and technical failings would likely do little to
resolve the political stalemate since a victorious Aziz will
be hard pressed to claim legitimacy. Kane noted that Aziz
had clearly been willing to delay the electoral process prior
to his resignation and Kane believed Senegal could at least
delay the process if serious talks took place. Kane saw
mediation possible either before or after the June 6
elections, but thought waiting until later would only further
complicate issues.


3. (C) Kane became a bit evasive when talking about the
format and policy foundation of any Senegalese-led mediation
except to underline that they would be done in conjunction
with the AU's Jean Ping. Kane suggested the talks, if they
happen, should not start with any pre-existing conditions --
implicitly rejecting FNDD demands that any mediation be based
on the previous anti-coup statements of the International
Contact Group on Mauritania (ICG-M). Either through lack of
knowledge or because he did not want to say, Kane was unsure
what role others in the ICG-M might play in a Senegalese
mediation. He said that press reports that UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon would participate in the talks were
incorrect, although he thought any final agreement would need
broad international support -- including from the SYG through
his Special Representative for West Africa Djinnit.


4. (C) Kane dismissed FNDD displeasure over the fact that
President Wade had received the credentials of the new
(Aziz-nominated) Mauritanian Ambassador to Senegal days
before President Abdallahi was due to arrive. "The don't
understand how diplomacy works," saying the Mauritanian had
been included with a group of others who has simply been
waiting for the credentials ceremony. Kane also downplayed
protocol concerns about whether Abdallahi would receive full
Head-of-State honors saying, "President Wade is investing a
great deal of his time and energy to finding a solution in
Mauritania." Kane underlined that Senegal has suffered in
the past from instability in Mauritania -- it does not want
to deal with the social and economic consequences of a new
refugee flow from its northern border.


5. (C) Comment: While the Senegalese mediation would hold
out some hope for the FNDD to, at minimum, delay the
electoral process, the details (or lack thereof) of the
Senegalese proposal are unlikely to appeal to Abdallahi and
the FNDD. That said, a third Mauritania visit by Gadio in a
month may make it difficult to say "no" to at least "talk
about talking." End Comment
HANKINS