VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0739/01 2211355
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 081355Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8964
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 4871
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3662
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 6041
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3800
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 5099
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 4249
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1087
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0852

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000739 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR PRM, IO/PSC, PM/WRA, AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2018 
TAGS: PREF PBTS UNHCR PREL KHDP WI AG MO
SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARA: UNHCR MANEUVERING AROUND A 
POLITICAL BERM 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: United Nations High Commissioner for 
Refugees (UNHCR) Western Sahara Operations Director Sergio 
Calle-Noreno (protect) said that he had received an agreement 
in principle from the Government of Morocco (GOM), the 
Polisario, and Algeria in May to attend a conference in 
Geneva in July to discuss and sign an accord on allowing land 
crossings between Moroccan and Polisario controlled territory 
as part of the UN's Confidence Building Measures (CBM) 
program in Western Sahara.  However, recent Polisario 
statements criticizing UN Special Representative Peter Van 
Walsum and threatening to reconsider participation in the 
Manhasset process have had a chilling effect on the May CBM 
thaw.  Calle-Noreno has built a coalition of embassies in 
Rabat willing to fund the demining and other equipment 
necessary to facilitate land crossings and does not want to 
miss this window of opportunity.  As a result of intensive 
recent advocacy on his part, all three parties have 
tentatively agreed to meet in Geneva under UNHCR auspices in 
September, but Calle-Noreno is concerned that the commitments 
are not firm.  He urgently requested USG assistance in 
convincing the three parties to move forward on this issue. 
End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Air Transport: Low Volume, High Cost 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (C) On July 29, United Nations High Commissioner for 
Refugees (UNHCR) Western Sahara Operations Director Sergio 
Calle-Norena met with PolOffs to brief the Embassy on the 
state and status of UNHCR's CBM program in Western Sahara. 
Currently, the CBMs consist of a weekly reciprocal UN family 
reunification flight that ferries approved family members 
between the Polisario camps near Tindouf and Laayoune, 
Dakhla, and elsewhere in Moroccan-controlled territory.  Each 
aircraft (which is leased from MINURSO on a fee for service 
basis) carries approximately 37 people (less when weather and 
temperatures dictate).  The selection process for 
participation in the family unification visits is detailed 
and involves time-consuming verification steps.  In 2004, the 
first list of approved beneficiaries was drawn up and was 
updated in December 2007 and January 2008.  Five thousand 
people have participated in the program so far, but 30,000 
individuals remain on the list. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Land Crossing: Higher Volume, Lower Cost 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Calle-Noreno and UNHCR believe the most affordable 
and efficient way to increase both the frequency of family 
unification visits and the number of participants is to 
encourage the three parties to cooperate on clearing a 
section of the berm dividing the territory to allow for land 
crossing via bus.  Both sides of the berm are heavily mined. 
On the Moroccan side, up to 40 km west as far as Makhbas 
would need to be demined and, on the Polisario side, up to 12 
km east as far as the "border" with Algieria require 
demining.  In addition to demining along the main roadway, 
clearing would be necessary up to 100 meters off each side of 
the road. 
 
¶4.  (C) Crossing by land would allow between 87 and 100 
individuals to travel per busload at a fraction of the price 
of the current air exchange.  The specially reinforced and 
modified buses necessary to traverse the terrain would 
represent a one-time cost of between USD 80,000 and 100,000, 
but annual operating outlays would be negligible in 
comparison to the aircraft usage fees. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Proposed Berm Breach Provokes Algerian Military 
Concerns 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5.  (C) Calle-Norena acknowledged Algeria's concerns that 
dismantling part of the berm and demining at Kilometer 75 
(the most geographically feasible spot to create a land 
crossing) would open an unprotected straight-line route to 
Tindouf from Morocco.  For this reason, he said, the Algerian 
 
Government considers demining a strategic threat and wants 
firm security assurances and practical mitigating measures. 
It will agree, according to Calle-Noreno, only if there is 
parallel dismantling and an agreed amount of artillery and 
heavy military equipment and a mutual draw down of troops on 
both the western and eastern sides of the line near the berm 
breach point. 
 
------------------- 
Pieces in Place... 
------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) In May, Calle-Noreno said he had gotten agreement 
from the three parties to meet in Geneva in July at UNHCR 
headquarters to resolve final issues and publicly sign an 
accord on the land crossings.  However, recent tensions over 
statements by UN Special Representative Peter Van Walsum on 
the "realism" of Morocco's autonomy proposal and the 
Polisario's subsequent unofficial refusal to attend the next 
Manhasset round if Van Walsum is still in place led all sides 
to call a halt. 
 
¶7.  (C) In the past two months, through intensive "shuttle 
diplomacy" between Moroccan, Polisario and Algerian 
ministries and power brokers, he succeeded in obtaining 
tentative verbal agreements to resume the planning process 
and build towards a rescheduled Geneva conference, to be held 
from September 13-19 or 22-26. 
 
¶8.  (C) As part of his May round of negotiations, 
Calle-Noreno approached foreign embassies in Rabat to solicit 
financial and political support. He reported that the Nordic 
Countries (Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway) all 
committed to funding demining.  The German government offered 
to provide appropriate buses for transport as well demining 
services.  The Dutch also offered buses and demining support. 
 However, he is concerned that interest and commitments may 
evaporate if the land crossing initiative appears to be mired 
in Manhasset politics or far from an agreement. 
 
------------------- 
...But Nudge Needed 
------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Calle-Norena requested USG assistance in urging 
Morocco and Algeria to support and move forward on the CBM 
initiative, particularly since no date has been set for 
Manhasset V.  He felt that the U.S. was well positioned to 
push the Moroccans toward agreeing to meet in Geneva in 
September, and believed the USG could play a similarly useful 
role in Algiers.  He said that framing the CBMs as a 
"humanitarian concern" rather than a political issue could 
help make it more palatable to the antagonists. 
 
¶10. (C) Calle-Norena has discussed this issue extensively 
with the Moroccan regional Governor of Laayoune and Boujdour 
Mohammed Dryef, senior Polisario leadership, Moroccan 
Ministry of Interior (MOI) Director-General Mohiddine Amzazi 
(Deputy Secretary equivalent), MOI Governor Khalid Zerouali 
(Under Secretary equivalent), and Algerian MFA Director of 
Human Rights and General Political Affairs Lazhar Soualem. 
Amzazi gave him a tentative verbal agreement on the September 
Geneva meeting, but made public Moroccan commitment 
conditional on Calle-Noreno's obtaining firm commitments from 
Algiers and Tindouf.  Calle-Noreno is currently in Algeria 
until August 12 attempting to firm up support there. 
 
----------------------- 
UNHCR Personnel Changes 
----------------------- 
 
¶11.  (C) Calle-Norena also touched on upcoming personnel 
changes at UNHCR.  He is scheduled to transfer out of his 
position in the fall and will be succeeded by Fatiha Sadi, a 
Sudanese national and Senior Nutritional Officer in Geneva. 
Her appointment is causing some concern in Rabat as she 
served with UNHCR in Tindouf from 2002 to 2004.  Calle-Noreno 
said that some within the Moroccan Government see her as 
tainted as a result.  His Moroccan interlocutors expressed 
their unhappiness to Chim and other UNHCR officials in Geneva 
but the Moroccan Government has not "yet" submitted a formal 
request for Sadi to not occupy her position. 
 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶12.  (C) While Morocco does not oppose the CBM program, it 
certainly is not enthusiastic or committed to it.  Comments 
from MFA and MOI officials lead us to believe that the GOM 
tolerates the program as the "cost of doing business" on the 
international stage, but would not consider it a loss if it 
ended or was curtailed.  However, because Morocco is so 
conscious of its international image, it is loathe to appear 
obstructionist or uncooperative, and will not take actions in 
the humanitarian field that would make it appear so.  The CBM 
program is one of the few current areas of success in the 
Western Sahara peace process.  All three parties may be 
willing to move on this area to show their commitment to 
progress as a counterpoint to the perceived Manhasset 
stalemate.  After appropriate consultations with the affected 
embassies and other actors, it might be productive for the 
Department to instruct Embassy Rabat and Algiers to approach 
their respective host governments and encourage support for 
this next phase of the CBM program.  End Comment. 
 
 
***************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
***************************************** 
 
Riley