VZCZCXRO6503
PP RUEHPA RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNK #0818 3621417
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281417Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8976
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE

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