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RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NOUAKCHOTT 000605 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: IN A SIGNIFICANT MOVE, FAL ACKNOWLEDGES PAST HUMAN 
RIGHTS ABUSES AND DEPORTEES 
 
REF: A. 05 NOUAKCHOTT 1191 
     ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 562 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) 
 
-------------- 
(C) Key Points 
-------------- 
 
--  In a speech in the southern city of Selibaby May 12, Col. 
Fal for the first time used the word "deportees" in 
describing those who were expelled from Mauritania during the 
"1989 Events", insisting that a solution must be found by all 
Mauritanians, and not subject to pressure by groups or 
outside influences. 
 
-- "Our country experienced painful events in 1989," Fal said 
at a speech in the southeastern city of Kaedi on May 13, 
saying the human rights abuses were provoked by extremists 
who do not share Mauritanian values.  This is the first time 
a Mauritanian head of state has admitted such abuses even 
occurred. 
 
-- Public reaction to Fal's speeches was mixed, with many 
applauding the move to acknowledge these highly sensitive 
issues, and others calling on Fal to go further and take 
responsibility for what happened. 
 
------------ 
(C) Comments 
------------ 
 
-- Fal's acknowledgment of the human rights abuses and his 
use of the word "deportees" represents a significant step 
forward in addressing these extremely sensitive issues. 
 
-- These issues, which have smoldered for decades, have found 
new freedom under Fal.  They are drawing increasing focus 
from Mauritania's civil and political ranks (ref B). 
 
End Key Points and Comments. 
 
¶1. (U) Colonel Fal visited three of Mauritania's southeastern 
regions May 12-14 as part of a national presidential tour 
that began April 28.  Fal's speeches focused on the 
democratic transition and the National Constitutional 
Referendum scheduled for June 25, but also addressed other 
national topics such as the tens of thousands of refugees 
that fled south between 1989 and 1991 -- a period referred to 
as the 1989 Events -- to escape ethnic violence (ref B). 
 
----------------------- 
FAL DISCUSSES DEPORTEES 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Fal said in his speech in Selibaby May 12 
"I consider the question of deportees, whatever their number, 
to be a question that we must resolve," adding that "the 
solution must be acceptable to all Mauritanians."  Fall 
stressed that these problems were "Mauritanian problems," to 
which we must find "Mauritanian solutions." 
 
¶3. (U) Significantly, this is the first time since the events 
took place that a Mauritanian head of state has publicly used 
the word "deportees" to describe the victims. According to 
the Arabic text of the speech (delivered in Arabic) published 
in the official Arabic-language newspaper "ash-Sha'ab" and 
confirmed by several people who heard the speech, Fal used 
the word "deportees" (mouba'doun).  However, in the French 
translation provided by the French-language official 
newspaper "Horizons", the word was translated as "refugees". 
 
¶4. (U) Fal introduced the topic by saying he wanted to raise 
"the issue of what some call deportees."  I want to discuss 
this issue in front of you...and with those listening on the 
other side of the river," (in Senegal).  He went on to say 
that the refugee problem "doesn't merely concern one group or 
one tribe or one ethnicity...but it concerns all Mauritanian 
people and the Mauritanian State." 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000605  002 OF 003 
 
 
FAL DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) At his speech in the southeastern city of Kaedi the 
next day, Fal spoke in both Arabic and French, and for the 
first time used the French term "passif humanitaire", a term 
loosely translated to mean human rights abuses, but 
understood throughout Mauritania to mean the government 
abuses during the 1989 Events, to include extrajudicial 
killings, deportations, expropriations and stripping of 
citizenship. 
 
¶6. (U) He said, "Our country experienced painful events in 
1989," adding that "these events were triggered by extremists 
that totally ignored our values."  He then reiterated that 
any solution must be a national one, adding, "We do not want 
solutions that lead towards hate, division and intolerance. 
Hate and settling of accounts have brought nothing to the 
peoples of the world but evil and desolation.  Forgiveness, 
mutual acceptance, dialogue and creativity, on the other 
hand, are what we need to bring about our own solutions to 
our own problems, on the basis of our national realities." 
 
¶7. (U) According to "Horizons," Fal emphasized that the 
Mauritanians had "the intelligence and capacity to find our 
own solutions...at our own pace, slowly but surely.  And we 
will step up the speed when the conditions allow us to." 
However, several observers noted Fal used the expressions "a 
camel's pace" and "a horse's pace" to describe the two speeds 
meaning that Fal had, intentionally or not, alluded to the 
difference between the Moorish nomadic culture and the 
Afro-Mauritanian sedentary culture. 
 
¶8. (U) Fal's only other public reference to the subjects came 
in response to an October 10, 2005 press conference question 
about the return of Mauritanian refugees from abroad, in 
which Fal said "it would be cowardly to avoid addressing a 
national issue," and that the interim government would look 
for a "Mauritanian solution" to the issue at the appropriate 
time (ref A). 
 
--------------- 
PUBLIC REACTION 
--------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Public reaction to the speeches was mixed.  In a 
meeting with Ambassador May 16, Cisse Amadou Cheikhou, 
president of the Afro-Mauritanian political party Alliance 
for Justice and Democracy, said "we are glad that Fal has 
acknowledged what happened...but now he must take 
responsibility."  Cisse said that only by this transitional 
government taking responsibility will the next government be 
obliged to take additional steps to resolve what happened. 
 
¶10. (C) Cisse and others commented on the tone of Fal's 
speech.  "He appeared angry when he spoke," Cisse said, 
explaining that "Fal felt he was under attack in the southern 
region that was most affected by the 1989 Events."  "He felt 
a tremendous pressure to address the events to try and lessen 
this pressure," he said. 
 
¶11. (C) Cisse also believes that Fal and others in the 
government are afraid of the current charges being filed 
against former President Taya in Belgium for crimes committed 
during the 1989 Events.  "Fal and members of the Military 
Council for Justice and Democracy were close to these events, 
and they don't want to be tried alongside Taya," Cisse 
explained. 
 
-------------------------- 
SUPPORT FOR THE REFERENDUM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12. (U) The majority of Fal's speeches focused on other 
national issues, in particular, the National Constitutional 
Referendum scheduled for June 25.  Fal urged listeners to 
support the referendum, saying that "it is essential for our 
people that the Constitutional revisions be approved."  Fal 
explained how the amendments would limit the presidential 
term to five years, limit presidents to serving two terms, 
and make the constitution "un-amendable."  Fal said such 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000605  003 OF 003 
 
 
changes would help to "stop the prolonging of power," whereby 
a leader comes to power and refuses to leave. 
 
¶13. (U) Other national issues Fal addressed included the 
elimination of corruption, the need to reduce racial 
tensions, and the importance of the Mauritanian people 
deciding for themselves what the future of their country 
should look like. 
LeBaron