VZCZCXRO8303
PP RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHAS #0891/01 1371717
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171717Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1115
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 1312
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ALGIERS 000891 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2016 
TAGS: PREL AG MR
SUBJECT: VISIT TO ALGERIA OF MAURITANIAN LEADER CONFERS 
DEGREE OF LEGITIMACY 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman: Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
--------------------- 
 
¶1. (C) The May 6-7 visit of Mauritanian Military Council 
President Val to Algeria has given Val a strong seal of 
regime approval, bilateral ties a boost in a number of areas, 
and the Algerians an IOU of sorts on issues of concern.  We 
believe the visit falls in the context of Algerian efforts to 
shore up support from neighbors and friends to the south and 
elsewhere in Africa in the face of:  1) continuing 
differences with Morocco and impasse over the Western Sahara; 
2) Algeria's desire for strengthened regional cooperation 
against terrorist groups operating in the Sahel; and 3) 
irritation with Libya's proposal to unite desert tribal 
groups in a "Greater Sahara" entity and its recent dispatch 
of a senior envoy to meet with Mohammed VI in the Western 
Sahara (i.e.,"occupied territory.")  The Val visit 
definitively ends a period of tentativeness and even coolness 
in Algerian-Mauritanian relations in the wake of the coup 
that brought Val to power last year, in contravention of 
African Union principles.  It also follows PM Ouyahia's visit 
to Nouakchott last fall for meetings of the mixed bilateral 
commission as well as a first-time meeting between Val and 
President Bouteflika on the margins of a recent regional 
summit. 
 
¶2. (C) Underscoring his new legitimacy in Algerian eyes, Val 
was treated with full military honors on arrival, a canon 
salute and national anthems, ambassadors assembled along a 
red carpet to greet him individually, and a state lunch with 
official toasts.  At the same time, Bouteflika, both in his 
toast and in the Joint Communique, made clear the importance 
Algeria attached to continued efforts to build democracy in 
Mauritania.  On several issues, most notably the Western 
Sahara and Middle East peace issues, the communique language 
was considerably more muted than Bouteflika's toast language, 
apparently reflecting Nouakchott's ties with Israel, Val's 
personal ties to Morocco (where Algerian newspapers report he 
did his military training), and (according to the Mauritanian 
ambassador) Mauritania's desire to remain as neutral as 
possible on the Western Sahara dispute. (End Summary and 
Comment) 
 
JOINT COMMUNIQUE:  POSITIVE BILATERAL DEVELOPMENTS 
AND SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN MAURITANIA 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3.  (C) The May 7 Joint Communique signaled a further, 
significant step toward rapprochement and normalization of 
bilateral relations which had cooled in the wake of the coup 
that brought Val to power in violation of African Union 
principles enshrined in the "Algiers Accord." The communique 
characterized the results of the visit as marking "a major 
stage" in their relations and giving new impetus to the 
development of their bilateral cooperation, specifically 
highlighting "realistic" cooperation in the area of energy, 
mining, and fishing.  The Mauritanian Ambassador told 
Ambassador the visit had been a major step forward for 
Mauritanian-Algerian relations and placed special importance 
on the agreement to construct a road directly linking Algeria 
and Mauritania.  He also said there had been full agreement 
on counter-terrorism cooperation and the benefits of moving 
forward to set up a regional defense cooperation framework to 
facilitate regional efforts against terrorist groups using 
southern Algeria and the Sahel as a base of support for their 
operations. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On the issue of democratic evolution in Mauritania, 
the communique cited President Bouteflika's support for the 
"courageous steps" taken in the wake of the peaceful "change" 
(i.e., the bloodless August 2005 coup) to consolidate "the 
democratic process in Mauritania and the building of a 
society where justice and democracy reign."  Bouteflika also 
helpfully reinforced the importance of building democracy in 
his official toast.  Noting that Algeria was following "in a 
spirit of tolerance" the changes that occurred the previous 
years, he said Algeria viewed Val's efforts to strengthen the 
democratic process in Mauritania as an affirmation of his 
desire to lay the foundation for "authentic change."  These 
efforts indicated Val's "sincere intentions" and attested to 
his determination to honor his commitments to build a just, 
democratic, and prosperous society for the Mauritanian people. 
 
BUT SIGNS OF DIFFERENCES ON SOME REGIONAL ISSUES 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶5.  (C) Despite subtle indications of differences on some 
regional issues, the communique also expressed "total 
 
ALGIERS 00000891  002 OF 003 
 
 
satisfaction" with the convergence of views on the issues 
that had been discussed.  Bouteflika in his toast alluded to 
these differences in noting that the visit "will permit (both 
sides) to eliminate everything that could hinder the dynamic 
of their cooperation."  Among the regional issues cited in 
the communique were: 
 
-- Arab Maghreb Union:  Both sides expressed their 
"unshakable support" for the Arab Maghreb Union, which was 
termed a "strategic option," as well as their willingness to 
contribute to efforts to realize the aspirations of the 
"Maghrebian peoples" for development, stability, and 
integration.  Elaborating on this theme and clearly alluding 
to the Western Sahara dispute, Bouteflika in his toast 
underscored Algeria's attachment to Maghreb integration, 
adding that this goal is a function of the will of "all 
concerned peoples" of the region.  It is thus a matter of 
liberating this will so that it can be fully realized by 
eliminating the "corridors of tension" and permitting the 
Sahrawi people to exercise their legitimate right to 
self-determination, as guaranteed in the UN Charter and 
consolidated in UN Security Council resolutions. 
 
-- Western Sahara:  Through omission, differences over the 
Western Sahara were evident.  The sparse language of the 
communique simply noted that the two sides affirmed their 
support for relevant UN "decisions" aimed at finding a 
peaceful, just, and permanent solution.  There was no 
reference to UN resolutions per se, no reference to 
self-determination for the Sahrawi people, no reference to 
the Baker Plan as the desired basis for a solution, and no 
reference to the efforts of UN Personal Representative Van 
Walsum (which Algeria fears will the lead away from the 
current UN and legal framework for dealing with the Western 
Sahara).  In this context, it is notable that Val, in his 
toast, expressed Mauritania's "support for UN efforts to 
achieve a permanent solution" to the Western Sahara question. 
 The Mauritanian ambassador confirmed to Ambassador that the 
Algerian side had wanted more robust language on the Western 
Sahara but that Mauritania wanted to keep out of this 
problem, avoid details, and limit itself to supporting a 
solution in a UN framework. 
 
-- Middle East Peace:  There was also a significant contrast 
between the muted language of the communique and the sharper 
tone of Bouteflika's toast, a difference no doubt reflecting 
Mauritania's more nuanced view of the Israel-Palestinian 
issue and the fact that it has diplomatic relations with 
Israel.  In the communique, both sides reiterated their 
solidarity with the Palestinian people and affirmed that the 
Beirut peace plan adopted by the Arab League in 2002 
constitutes "the" basis for a comprehensive, just, and 
permanent solution permitting the Palestinian people an 
independent state "on their territories," with "El Qods" as 
its capital.  Whereas Val simply repeated the communique 
formula in his toast, Bouteflika was predictably sharper, 
noting "concern and bitterness" over the escalation of the 
situation in the Middle East, the impasse in the peace 
process, and Israel's policy of "faits accomplis."  He said 
Algeria condemned the "blockade" that "certain countries" 
were trying to impose on the Palestinian people and 
criticized double standards, while reaffirming support for 
the Arab League plan and the urgent need to rehabilitate the 
Road Map. 
 
-- Iraq:  The communique expressed deep concern over the 
situation in Iraq, underlined support for their efforts to 
enable Iraq's new constitutional institutions to carry out 
their role, and affirmed the importance of preserving Iraq's 
national sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The 
communique also helpfully condemned terrorist actions 
targeting Iraq, which undermined its national unity and 
security and stability in the region.  In his toast, 
Bouteflika was again predictably more expansive, reaffirming 
UNSC 1546 and noting that Iraqi suffering and preservation of 
its territorial integrity would only come about with the end 
of occupation and interference in its internal affairs (the 
latter a subtle allusion to Iran.) 
 
-- Sudan/Darfur:  The communique briefly welcomed the Darfur 
Peace Agreement, hoping it would be a prelude to a new era of 
peace and harmony for "all the children" of Sudan.  In his 
toast, Bouteflika hailed the efforts of Sudanese President 
Bashir to resolve the Darfur ciris and the role of the 
African Union in guaranteeing the success of the 
negotiations; hoped the new agreement would help convince 
other parties to sign the agreement; expressed optimism about 
the agreement between the Chadian and Sudanese presidents 
brokered by Qadhafi; and called upon the international 
community to supports efforts of the parties to reach a 
 
ALGIERS 00000891  003 OF 003 
 
 
definitive solution to the Darfur crisis in close 
coordination with the African Union. On the margins of the 
airport departure ceremony, Bouteflika expressed to 
Ambassador his great appreciation for the positive U.S. role 
in concluding the Darfur Peace Agreement. 
ERDMAN