VZCZCXRO1176
PP RUEHPA RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNK #0637/01 3071728
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021728Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7783
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 0220
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0269
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0598
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0339
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0714

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000637 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2013 
TAGS: PREL PGOV QA MR
SUBJECT: QATARI MEDIATION EFFORTS IN MAURITANIA 
 
REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 535 
     ¶B. DOHA 317 
 
Classified By: CDA Dennis Hankins for Reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
¶1.  (C) The Qatari royal family, specifically Princess 
Chiekha Maouze, is beginning to increase its diplomatic 
profile in Mauritania with the possibility of the first 
serious mediation talks being held in Doha by mid-month.  The 
Qatari Embassy, and by implication, Foreign Ministry are not 
central to these activities. 
 
¶2.  (C)   On October 30, AID Rep met with Abdelkader Ghessab, 
Executive Director of the bilateral Qatari Cooperation to 
discuss Mauritania's current political situation and Qatar's 
mediation efforts.  Early last week, a delegation from 
Qatar's Arab Democracy Foundation quietly conducted an 
information gathering mission to Mauritania as a pre-cursor 
to a Doha mediation, which is tentatively scheduled  between 
the November 10 African Union negotiations and the European 
Union's follow-on Article 96 meeting o/a November 20.  The 
Arab Foundation for Democracy is a Doha-based organization 
created last year by the Qatari Emir's third wife and foreign 
policy guru, Princess Cheikha Maouze bint Nacer El Mesned. 
The organization is headed by a Moroccan Secretary General, 
Mouhsin Marzougui.  The Princess also is the palace force 
behind the Qatari Cooperation program in Mauritania.  Ghessab 
termed Qatari policy in Mauritania as essentially the 
Princess' baby. 
 
¶3.  (C) In a November 2 meeting with Qatari Ambassador 
Mohamed Ben Kourdi Taleb el Nerri, Charge noted the 
Ambassador was not fully briefed on the details of the royal 
family's diplomatic activities -- for instance being unaware 
that the FNDD's Mohamed Jemil Mansour had made a trip to Doha 
in mid-September and stating "I have not been advised" about 
any possible Doha meeting in November.  Charge outline the 
U.S. position on the coup and the need for the 
re-establishment of constitutional order including the return 
of President Abdallahi.  Charge noted that Qatar had played a 
very supportive role to Mauritania's new democracy and that 
it could potentially play a useful role in the current 
crisis.  Charge encouraged the Ambassador to be sure Qatar 
fully coordinated its plans with other international 
initiatives -- noting the importance of the AU meeting in 
Addis Ababa on November 10 that would pull together all the 
international organization initiatives.  In his one 
substantive comment, the Qatari Ambassador said his 
government and the Arabs were disappointed that the African 
Union -- which they recognize as having the right to take the 
diplomatic lead -- has not been sufficiently engaged on the 
Mauritanian crisis (suggesting Qatar saw the need to fill the 
gap). 
 
¶4. (C) The AID Rep's meeting with Ghessab provided better 
information on Qatari efforts.  Ghessab said the Arab 
Democracy Foundation delegation, led former Moroccan minister 
Mohamed Oujar, met with "all the important actors" of the 
current political crisis including Abdel Aziz and  President 
Abdallahi.  Ghessab did not participate in the delegation's 
meetings, however, as the Princess's Mauritania-based 
representative, the team debriefed him.  He confided that 
when the delegation met with President Abdallahi, they were 
reportedly impressed by his lucidity.   At that point, 
Ghessab devolved his comment to an assessment he made soon 
after the coup, saying that Abdallahi is a cunning and 
strategic man.   Ghessab said he has no doubt that Qatar will 
help find a solution for the Mauritania crisis.  He opined 
that the likely result of the upcoming Doha meeting will be: 
1) release and immediate resignation of detained President 
Abdallahi 2) creation of an interim government comprised of 
neither junta nor Abdallahi-regime personalities; and 3) 
speedy elections.  (Comment: The FNDD is reportedly wary of 
the Qatari initiative and has indicated it will not 
participate in any Doha meeting unless President Abdallahi 
and Prime Minister Waghef are released first.  End Comment) 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment. It is unclear whether  the Qatar mediation 
effort will indeed succeed.  The Qatari press is fast to note 
the growing role Qatar has played as a mediator -- 
particularly in cooperation with the French.  President 
Sarkozy is due in Qatar next week and Mauritania strategy in 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000637  002 OF 002 
 
 
supposed to be on the schedule (Charge told the Qatari 
Ambassador that the U.S. position is very closely aligned 
with the Elysee's).  As an Arab country with significant 
financial clout, Qatar may be able to play an effective 
middleman.  Qatar is primed to receive international kudos 
for solving this complex political crisis, adding Mauritania 
to its growing list of crises it has attempted to resolve -- 
including Lebanon, Sudan and West Bank-Gaza.   Qatar's 
interest in Mauritania is more than merely diplomatic.  In 
recent years, Qatar has pumped significant money into 
Mauritania.  Its focus has curiously been in areas perceived 
as being potential Islamic extremist threat areas, including 
Boutilimit (Trarza region) and Nema (Hodh El Chargi region) 
with potential expansion into Atar (Adrar region), although 
Ghessab will not admit to that being the reason. 
HANKINS