FNDD AND RFD FEEL THEY ARE NEGOTIATING "UNDER THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000354

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV MR KDEM PHUM
SUBJECT: FNDD AND RFD FEEL THEY ARE NEGOTIATING "UNDER THE
GUN"

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 336

Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Mark M. Boulware, for reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The FNDD and RFD have accepted Senegalese
President Abdoulaye Wade's invitation to travel to Dakar on
May 28 for a last negotiation. They stated they are
accepting "in good faith" but reiterated their distrust of
the Senegalese and the Libyans. According to FNDD and RFD
emissaries, Gadio gave them a document with a solution that
would "open the door to their acceptance of General Aziz's
agenda." FNDD and RFD will continue negotiating but insist
on the suspension of the electoral agenda, the release of
political prisoners and refuse to accept the Senegalese
document as a basis for negotiations. Both parties suspect
the Senegalese are looking to "blame the negotiation's
failure" on them. They would prefer the international
community get involved and the European Union and the United
States provide guarantees. They feel they are negotiating
under the gun with the elections only eleven days away and
fear a possible spread of violence due to increased
repression. End summary.


2. (C) On May 26, FNDD co-leader and UFP President Mohamed
Ould Maouloud and RFD Vice-President Mohamed Abderrahmane
Ould Moine updated Ambassador Boulware on the Senegalese
mediation. Maouloud summarized the outcome of last week's
meetings between Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane
Gadio and the different parties to the crisis. He stated
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had told Gadio he was opposed
to the liberation of the political prisoners, one of the
opposition's pre-conditions for a second meeting (Reftel).
According to Ould Maouloud, the mediators, who could not
deliver the pre-conditions, still insisted that the
opposition meet with Aziz. Ould Maouloud realized that the
Senegalese had no "capacity to pressure" Aziz. The
opposition made it clear that "they did not see the point of
a meeting if the General was not willing to stop his
unilateral agenda."


3. (C) In order to save the mediation, the FNDD and RFD
told Gadio all they wanted was for Aziz to stop his campaign
until the talks took place. Note: Aziz only delayed the
beginning of his campaign for 24 hours. End note. In this
last meeting, Gadio provided them with a document with a
pre-made solution and asked them to consider accepting. The
FNDD was surprised to find out it supported Aziz's agenda and
"opened the door for the opposition to participate in his
agenda." Upon returning to see Aziz, the mediators were told
that the General had made enough concessions and that he was
heading to Kifa to start his campaign.


4. (C) Ould Maouloud explained they received a letter from
Wade on May 24 inviting all parties to send five
representatives to Senegal for a last negotiation. The FNDD
and RFD accepted but insist on having their pre-conditions
met and reject the Senegalese document as an acceptable basis
for negotiations. The meeting will take place on May 28 and
the FNDD and RFD delegations will travel to Dakar on May 27.
Note: Local press stated Aziz will participate but no formal
confirmation has been provided. End note.


5. (C) Ould Moine said that President Wade had met with the
RFD to tell them they "should not count on the international
community." He said he had "experience working with these
countries and that they would do nothing in the end." Note:
By "these countries," he seemed to mean Western countries.
End note. The RFD interpreted these statements as Wade's way
of "forcing them" to accept his terms. According to the RFD,
the African Union has been "hijacked" by Qadhafi and the
Senegalese.


6. (C) Ould Moine believes that the purpose of the

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negotiation and the pre-made solution is to "blame the
negotiation's failure on the opposition." According to him,
Senegal and Libya are positive that the FNDD and RFD will not
accept a unilateral solution and that the negotiation will
fail. He said the RFD felt the EU and the US have given them
"the cold shoulder." "All we ask for is credible and
transparent elections and this is impossible in a country
that is so divided," he stated. "I fear there is no solution
to this problem" For him, the only solution would be a
negotiation guaranteed by the EU and the US. "If the
international community does not take the reigns, we are
headed towards failure," he suggested. According to Ould
Moine, the mediators have encouraged them to accept the
pre-set solution without discussion as the "international
community is fed up and the opposition needs to come to terms
with reality."


7. (C) The Ambassador reaffirmed US support for the
mediation and desire for all parties to find a consensual
solution. He made it clear that "not just any solution will
do." He stated he doubts the AU and the international
community will accept a unilateral solution.


8. (C) Ould Maouloud and Ould Moine feel like they are
"negotiating under the gun." They believe that either they
accept the solution proposed by the Senegalese or Aziz will
be allowed to move forward with his agenda. "Aziz will get
himself elected while we are at the negotiation table," they
stated. They stressed that if the elections take place, the
political class in Mauritania will be excluded from politics
and it will become impossible to restore political order.


9. (C) Ould Maouloud told the Ambassador he wants the
international community to issue a statement calling for
"calm and inclusive dialogue" and a "solution that respects
terms described in the February 20 International Contact
Group statement." Ambassador reminded them that the US had
issued a statement along these lines a week ago.


10. (C) Ould Maouloud and Ould Moine denounced the regime's
violent repression on May 25 of RFD and FNDD demonstrations
in front of UFP party headquarters in Nouadhibou. They said
it was the first time in history a regime had violated party
headquarters. Note: Local press reported that anti-riot
police tear gased, beat and arrested demonstrators right in
front of UFP party headquarters. This is the first time the
regime has arrested demonstrators. End note. They stated
that reaction to the regime's prohibition to demonstrate
during the campaign could be violent and "the country could
go up in flames." They requested the US and the international
community express their concern about the violent repression
of demonstrations to Director General of Surete Nationale
General Hadi, who they consider responsible. "The mediation
cannot take place in such an environment," they stressed.


11. (C) Ould Maouloud and Ould Moine ended the meeting by
asking the Ambassador if he knew what the format of the
Senegalese meeting would be and who would participate on the
EU side. The Ambassador said he did not but would inquire.



12. (C) Comment: The Senegalese mediation continues
despite the climate of mistrust. At the same time, General
Aziz's campaign keeps moving ahead full speed. The FNDD and
RFD are still calling for, and counting on, international
community support. With the election only 11 days away, they
might be disappointed in their hopes. Nevertheless, we
encouraged them to work toward a solution until the last
minute. End comment.



BOULWARE