MAURITANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SEES ALGERIA AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000818

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EPET MR AG
SUBJECT: MAURITANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SEES ALGERIA AS
HINDERING RESPONSE TO AQIM THREAT

Classified By: Ambassador Mark Boulware for Reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) Summary: The Mauritanian Foreign Minister sees
Algeria as hindering a regional response to the AQIM threat
-- both by seeking to exclude some regional countries
(presumably Morocco) from the conversation and dissuading
neighbors from cooperating with external partners like
AFRICOM. The Mauritanians see a certain amount of Algerian
self interest in the status quo by preventing petroleum
resources to be developed in northern Mali which could
provide an independent form of revenue for disaffected tribes
in southern Algeria. The Foreign Minister believes Algeria
has the means to eliminate the AQIM threat in northern Mali,
but does not have the interest. End Summary


2. (C) Algeria Blocking a Regional Response: During a
December 27 meeting with the Ambassador on a separate matter,
Mauritanian Foreign Minister Naha Mint Mouknass emphasized
the need for a coordinated regional response to the rising
AQIM threat evidenced by the two recent kidnappings in
Mauritania. She noted, "Neither we nor Mali have the
personnel or means to take on AQIM on our own," and
emphasized, "this needs a regional response." "Algeria is
the key to the solution," but she lamented Algiers has been
blocking progress towards the long awaited regional security
summit by demanding that "certain countries be excluded"
(she did not cite which country, but we presume she was
talking about Morocco. After seizing the policy lead in the
earlier Tamarassett conference, Mouknass suggested Algiers
has not done much else and, indeed, has tried to dissuade
countries in the region from accepting U.S. support through
AFRICOM. She added, however, that Mauritania very much wants
to receive U.S. assistance.


3. (C) Mauritanians Love Their Conspiracies: The Minister
went on to suggest that Algeria has an interest in seeing the
instability posed by AQIM in northern Mali. The status quo
prevents western companies from exercising their exploration
rights in the region. "The western companies don't dare go
there, but somehow SONATRACH (the Algerian state oil company)
seems to manage just fine." She saw Algeria interested in
ensuring that, if commercially viable petroleum reserves are
found in the northern Mali/southern Algeria region, the
pipeline will head north to be controlled by Algiers rather
than heading west towards the more economically rational
Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou. Aside from economic
interests, Mouknass said Algiers has a political desire to
control oil in that region because a routing via Mauritania
would allow the Tuareg and other tribes of the border region
to have the possibility of an economic base independent of
their capitals' largess. Mouknass decried Algiers' treatment
of their southern population as "second class citizens." She
went on to say that the Algerians have "perfect knowledge" of
the comings and goings of AQIM and have the means to prevent
AQIM from threatening Mali and Mauritania if they wanted to.


4. (C) Comment: The Foreign Minister's diatribe against
Algeria came as a bit of a surprise, although it is
consistent with rumors that Mauritania is prepared to take a
more overtly pro-Moroccan line in its foreign policy --
including a less neutral stance on Western Sahara. Her
comments were also a departure from blaming Mali for being
too cozy with AQIM. The Minister is known for her strong
personal ties with regional leaders, but she has not
expressed herself strongly in the past on regional security
dynamics. We would imagine her comments reflect discussions
with the Moroccans and probably discussions within the
Mauritanian security and foreign policy leadership --
particularly ideas voiced by President Aziz. We cannot
comment on what, if any, kernel of truth exists in the
Minister's conspiracy theory but raise it as a reflection of
deteriorating Nouakchott-Algiers relations. End Comment.
BOULWARE