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Morocco Leaks: Action Plan in Africa

Rabat, June 6, 2013

Memo on the Action Plan for Implementing Morocco’s Strategy to Counter the Offensive in Africa by Adversaries of Its Territorial Integrity

Based on Morocco’s strategy to counter maneuvers by adversaries of its territorial integrity, particularly in Africa, the following action plan must be implemented.

While leveraging Morocco’s strengths and numerous achievements, this action plan must aim to overcome, or at least circumvent, various obstacles that risk weakening Morocco’s position. It should also consolidate all gains made by Morocco to reinforce its standing.

Additionally, a third, broader axis is essential: Morocco must define a strategy for repositioning itself in Africa, given Africa’s status as a strategic priority in Morocco’s foreign policy and its emergence as a new frontier for the global economy and growth.

Morocco’s counteroffensive must fundamentally aim to thwart any attempt to involve the African Union (AU) in the Sahara issue and to persuade the AU to recognize the centrality of the UN-led process in seeking a political solution to this dispute.

The primary objective is to prevent the AU Executive Council, during its upcoming session in January 2014, from adopting any decision reintroducing the defunct OAU Settlement Plan or the 2009 AU resolutions calling for a self-determination referendum in the Sahara territory.

Instead, this opportunity must be used to support the United Nations (UN) in its efforts to find a political solution to this issue and to prevent the AU from sabotaging the ongoing negotiation process.

Operationally, the measures Morocco must undertake fall into two categories: those to be agreed upon and implemented jointly with friendly countries, and unilateral measures to strengthen Morocco’s capacity for action.

1. Measures to be Coordinated with Friendly Countries:

A core group or « first circle » of friendly countries must be established. Morocco will share its strategic elements with these nations and coordinate the action plan to be implemented. This core group will act as intermediaries for any concerted actions Morocco wishes to pursue within the AU.

This group may include Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Burkina Faso.

To this end, an initial meeting should be organized as soon as possible with the Foreign Ministers of these countries.

A second group of countries should be formed, consisting of those that support Morocco’s territorial integrity, namely Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Cape Verde, Togo, Niger, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Cameroon, Seychelles, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Kenya, and Rwanda.

This second group should serve as a relay and support system to assist in all actions undertaken by the first-circle countries within the African Union (AU).

This approach should also be extended, following the same framework, to the ambassadors of these countries in Rabat, who should be fully involved.

A coordinated approach should be agreed upon with the Foreign Ministers of these friendly countries to directly engage their Permanent Representatives in Addis Ababa.

A comprehensive memorandum on the Sahara issue should be prepared and distributed to all relevant interlocutors as a reference for these efforts.

A detailed report on the Sahara issue should be submitted to the AU Presidency and the Chairperson of the AU Commission so that it can be included in the comprehensive report that the latter will present before the Executive Council in January 2014. This report should also be distributed to the representatives of all AU member states, except Algeria.

2 / Measures to Strengthen Morocco’s Capacity for Action

A task force should be established to ensure the implementation and follow-up of all actions defined within this strategy. This task force, which may be chaired by the Secretary-General, should include representatives from the Ministry (the relevant Directors of African Affairs, the United Nations, Public Diplomacy, diplomats, and a member of the Minister’s Cabinet), as well as independent figures.

This task force will be responsible for overseeing the preparation of all memorandums and reports that Morocco will be required to produce.

This task force should have substantial resources and means, in line with the stakes involved. A budget of 1 million dollars should be allocated to it.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Addis Ababa should play a central role in implementing this strategy and should be provided with the necessary resources and means to fully carry out this new mission. In this regard, an initial step should involve appointing four diplomats to this post, each with a letter outlining their mission. A request could also be submitted to the DGED to strengthen its office in Addis Ababa.

His Majesty the King’s Ambassadors in Africa should be fully involved in this process. They may be instructed to raise awareness among their host countries about the key aspects of Morocco’s strategy in preparation for the upcoming AU Executive Council meeting. The outcomes of these efforts could serve as the basis for the meeting of African Ambassadors, which would be highly advisable to hold this summer.

3 / Actions to be Undertaken at the International Level

To strengthen its position, Morocco will need to undertake additional actions.

At the UN Level:

-Steps must be taken with the Secretary-General of the United Nations to inform him of the maneuvers aimed at sabotaging the negotiation process and justifying the AU’s reappropriation of the Sahara dossier.
-Morocco must also express its refusal to allow the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to report to the AU on his mandate.
-Denouncing the Situation of the Sequestered Populations in Tindouf:
-Efforts should be made with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council) to pressure them into seriously addressing the issue of human rights violations against the sequestered populations in the Tindouf camps.
-Strengthened by UN Security Council resolutions, this approach aims to put Algeria in a highly uncomfortable and vulnerable position on this issue.

Mobilizing Media and Human Rights Organizations:

The engagement of national and international media, as well as Moroccan and international human rights NGOs, is essential in this regard.

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Brief on the Mission to Addis Ababa

Period: June 4 to June 10

Delegation Composition:

• Director of Africa
• Inspector General
• Director of the United Nations
• Director General of AMCI
• Chief of Staff of the Minister Delegate

Purpose: Mobilization of Ambassadors Representing Friendly Countries

Objectives:

1. Counter any decision that contradicts the UN-led process for a political solution to the Sahara dispute.
2. Promote and disseminate Resolution 2152 of April 29, 2014.
3. Prevent any modification of partnership formats and safeguard the Cairo Format.
4. Continue engagement with delegations from countries that still recognize the fictitious entity.
5. Maintain close coordination with friendly delegations.
6. Contact representatives of non-African countries (France, Spain, United States, Russia, China, and others if necessary).
7. Make courtesy visits to officials of institutions such as the ECA and the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Agenda:

• Multiple visits.
• One or two meetings with Permanent Representatives.
• Organization of luncheons:
  • With the Group of Friendly Countries.
  • With some key leaders of this group.

Resources:

• Full coverage of hotel expenses.
• General expense fund: rental of one or two vehicles, luncheons, etc.
• Individual envelopes of €5,000 for friendly representatives (list attached, 30 countries).

List of Countries:

Senegal, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Comoros, Djibouti, Niger, Mali, Eritrea, Gambia, Burundi, DRC, Congo, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea (Host country of the Summit), Chad, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mauritania (Chair of the AU Council).

SOURCES :

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