Tags: Morocco, Western Sahara, United States, Barack Obama, human rights, Mohammed VI, Algeria
During his working visit to Washington in 2013, King Mohammed VI of Morocco made a discreet triple commitment with his host, President Barack Obama, regarding Western Sahara. This agreement was not mentioned in the official communiqué.
The agreement made at that time was revealed by Chris Coleman, the French hacker who in 2014 leaked dozens of confidential Moroccan diplomatic documents. It is mentioned in a cable sent on August 1, 2014, by the Deputy Ambassador of Morocco to the UN, Abderrazzak Laassel, to his minister, reporting a conversation with his American counterpart Rosemary DiCarlo, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN handling the Western Sahara issue. Here is the content of the cable:
Subject: National Issue / Phone Conversation with Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo
I have the honor to inform you that I received a phone call this morning from Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN in New York, responsible for the National Issue, who wanted to inform me that her authorities have the following concerns regarding the Western Sahara issue:
• The limitation by Moroccan authorities on the movement of UN personnel and MINURSO in Western Sahara,
• Regarding the political process, Christopher Ross has scheduled a visit to Morocco and wishes that this visit take place as soon as possible,
• The United States expects Morocco to quickly provide full support to Ms. Kim Buldoc, the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General,
• During His Majesty the King’s last visit to Washington, an agreement was reached to:
– Establish a program of regular visits by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to Western Sahara,
– Register more NGOs originating from Western Sahara,
– Cease the judicial prosecution of civilians by the military tribunal, but progress on these three issues is very slow
• During the last meeting between Ambassador Omar Hilale and Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative, she was « surprised » by Ambassador Hilale’s assertion that, as he was the one who concluded the terms of reference for the visit of OHCHR experts to Western Sahara, there had never been any discussion of regular visits or a visiting program to Western Sahara.
Finally, Ambassador DiCarlo informed me that these concerns will also be communicated by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat to the Moroccan authorities.
High Consideration
The Deputy Representative
Abderrazzak LAASSEL
A year earlier, in April 2013, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, had attempted to amend the resolution that the Security Council votes on annually in April concerning Western Sahara to extend MINURSO’s mandate, the peacekeeping force deployed in the former Spanish colony. Rice proposed expanding its mandate to include human rights, but Rabat, supported by several European capitals, refused.
On November 22, 2013, King Mohammed VI was received in Washington by President Barack Obama. The Obama administration came back with new proposals and secured a triple commitment from the monarch. The king agreed to establish a program of visits to Western Sahara by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; to legalize more Sahrawi NGOs; and to cease having Sahrawi civilians, and by extension Moroccans, be tried by military tribunals.
An email received by Minister Mbarka Bouaida provides more details on the conversations between Obama and Mohammed VI. Here is the summary of the meeting:
Subject: Summary of the Meeting Between HM King Mohammed VI and President Barack Obama on November 22, 2013
Obama:
-Praised the friendship between Morocco and the USA: Morocco was the first country to recognize the USA.
-Thanked HM for his contribution to the American initiative named after the late Ambassador Stevens: $1 million.
-Appreciated the cooperation between the two countries in counter-terrorism and the granting of the MCC.
-Congratulated Morocco on its political and economic reforms.
-Recognized Morocco’s stability.
-Western Sahara: The USA appreciates the measures taken by Morocco. The USA supports the autonomy plan.
-The USA asked Morocco to provide some elements to help advance the situation and avoid the status quo. Obama talked about imagining a new « packaging, » working with all parties together (he used the term “tension in the Sahara”).
Mohammed VI:
-Praised the exemplary cooperation between the two countries and encouraged its continuity.
In response to the Western Sahara issue, HM emphasized the need to involve Algeria as a key player in the dossier. HM reminded that the Polisario is based on Algerian territory and is supported by Algerian oil and the military. « We must start from the beginning » and identify Algeria as the true stakeholder in this issue.
– HM calls for the opening of borders and questions why Algeria continues to close them in blatant violation of the UMA charter. This closure only increases illegal trafficking. Algeria refuses access to UN rapporteurs in Tindouf. Algeria refuses to allow a census in Tindouf. Morocco is open to Spanish parliamentarians, the media, and NGOs. It is an anachronistic and even schizophrenic situation.
Obama:
– We are committed to facilitating dialogue between the two countries. Algeria needs to broaden its perspective. But what can Morocco propose?
Mohammed VI:
– Proposal to create a mechanism between Morocco and the USA at the foreign affairs level.
It is not normal that this issue keeps coming up without progress.
J. Kerry:
– As part of the strategic dialogue, I plan to travel to Algiers, and I will discuss it there.
Obama:
– Several problems recur frequently. Assure that the Sahara is not the oldest problem in the world. That said, the USA calls on all countries in the region to cooperate together against terrorism and any possible exploitation of extremism. We are committed to facilitating dialogue between the two countries. Algeria needs to see a broader perspective.
– I offer my support for anything you wish to discuss regarding reforms in women’s rights, organic laws, etc.
– We are moving in the right direction.
– Security: The USA appreciates Morocco’s structures with NATO Mediterranean Dialogue. What is your approach regarding Libya and Tunisia? What is HM’s assessment?
Mohammed VI:
– Libya is a major hub for all kinds of trafficking. One cannot talk about establishing democracy without the concept of the state and institutions. Qaddafi left nothing behind. Libyans are asking us to train military elites and to intervene with Gulf countries to assist them. The French and Italian experiences did not work. We will start with small groups of 200. Their Chief of Staff will visit Morocco soon.
Obama:
– We hope to build a strong Libyan state. The Libyan president must be able to make decisions and control at least part of the country. If we have a strong state, the USA can mobilize an international campaign to support the country’s reconstruction. We can provide considerable technical assistance. Libya is a rich country and does not need money. Libya needs governance. The USA needs advice from Morocco to achieve this.
Mohammed VI:
– The Prime Minister requested to meet me alone. He does not trust his close team. Libya needs a minimum of security and trust.
Obama:
– We must start small. Obama thanks Morocco for its support in Syria and wishes to know HM’s assessment. The USA aims to preserve the integrity of the Syrian state. The USA does not want to keep Al Assad and is already considering a transition mechanism with the involvement of Russia and Iran. If these two countries decide to help Al Assad stay in power, they will push him to run in the next elections.
Mohammed VI:
– We have 700 young Moroccan fighters who have joined jihad, and some of them (300) are returning via Algerian borders with intentions to reoffend.
Obama:
– Our teams are closely monitoring this. There are other nationalities as well, such as Swedes, French… Russia needs to be aware of this risk.
– Regarding Mali, the USA thanks HM for the efforts made in Mali.
Mohammed VI:
– Morocco is highly sought after in sub-Saharan Africa. We have experience in training imams in Mali and Niger. HM plans to return to Mali in January 2014. The idea is also to launch the concept of food security in Africa. Through OCP, we have developed phosphate processing techniques based on energy and water rationalization. Today, we can enrich phosphate with gas. There is significant cooperation with Gabon, for example. We are considering opening a factory in Africa.
Regarding Islam, we are engaging in several projects with countries like Senegal as well. The concept of brotherhood between countries is working well. We do not have money, and we do not give money.
Obama:
– Morocco is a leader in the field of access to electricity in the region. These are very interesting projects, and we could consider cooperation in this regard. Regarding Islam, I had a conversation with the Saudi king and told him that we need to take time to think about how to educate imams. We need to learn from you Moroccans.
Mohammed VI:
– Saudi Arabia is very different. King Abdullah is very open but cannot change anything as they have two education systems: fundamentalist Islamic schools.
– We need to support a vision of Islam that is moderate, respectful, and inclusive of women’s rights and individual freedoms.
Obama:
– Every religion has its extremists, even Buddhism. Morocco is fortunate to have strong leadership.
– I thank HM for inviting me to Morocco, and I promise to come, but I am not sure if it will be during my presidential term or afterward. In any case, I will visit Morocco.
END OF MEETING
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