Tags: Morocco, Ouali Tagma, Africa, African Union, Western Sahara, SADR, lobbying, corruption, bribe, African Union Summit in Malabo, Senegal, Ivory Coast, South African, Dlamini Zuma,

His name is Ouali Tagma, and he was the Director of the Africa Division at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In June 2014, he was tasked with preventing the African Union Summit, held in Malabo on June 20, 2014, from including the issue of Western Sahara on its agenda. In an email addressed to the chief of staff of his minister, Loutfi Bouchaara, he warned that he had not yet received « the treatment for friends » for his mission. This was a reference to the 5,000 euros he planned to offer to the ambassadors of 30 African countries. « Without this, we won’t be able to do much. Please inform the Minister so that we can work with peace of mind. The Summit is shaping up to be difficult, » he wrote.

The mission to Addis Ababa is summarized as follows:

Mission Report for Addis Ababa

Period: June 4 to 10

Delegation Composition: Africa Director – Inspector General – United Nations Director – Director General of AMCI – Chief of Staff to the Delegate Minister.

Purpose: Mobilization of Ambassadors representing friendly countries.

Objectives:

Counter any decision contrary to the UN process of seeking a political solution to the Sahara dispute.

Promote and disseminate Resolution 2152 of April 29, 2014.

Prevent changes to the partnership format and safeguard the Cairo Format.

Continue contacts with delegations from countries that still recognize the fictitious entity.

Maintain complicity with friendly delegations.

Contact representatives of non-African countries (France, Spain, USA, Russia, China, and others if necessary).

Conduct courtesy visits to officials from institutions such as the ECA and the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Execution:

Multiple visits.

One or two meetings with Permanent Representatives.

Organization of lunches:

With the Group of Friendly Countries.

With certain leaders of this group.

Means:

Full coverage of hotel expenses.

Envelope for general expenses: rental of one or two vehicles, lunches, etc.

Individual envelopes of 5,000 euros for friends, as per the attached list (30 countries).

List of Countries:

Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, 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, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mauritania (Chair of the AU Council).

In Addis Ababa, Tagma reported on his « in-depth discussions with the Ambassadors of Senegal and Ivory Coast regarding the preparations for the AU Summit. » « These discussions revealed that the draft agenda adopted by the Committee of Permanent Representatives does not include any item related to the Sahara issue. »

« The Ambassadors of Senegal and Ivory Coast reaffirmed their determination to counter any attempts to instrumentalize the African Union (AU) on this issue. The Ambassador of Senegal assured me that he had drawn Mrs. Zuma’s attention to the risk of her embarking on a crusade against our country, » he added.

« Additionally, a working lunch will be organized at the Senegalese Residence on Saturday, to which a large number of Ambassadors from friendly countries will be invited. This lunch will be crucial for mobilizing our friends. »

On June 6, 2014, he organized a dinner at a restaurant in the city « in honor of the Ambassadors of African countries representing the core group of Morocco’s friends. Present were Ambassador Abdeljabar Brahim and members of the Moroccan delegation, as well as the Ambassadors of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Gabon, along with the Chargés d’Affaires of Niger, Guinea, and Gambia. The Ambassadors of the latter countries are currently in New York as part of their mission with the UN Security Council, of which they are members. »

« The atmosphere was very cordial and relaxed, » Tagma wrote in an email. « After thanking the Ambassadors and Chargés d’Affaires for accepting the invitation, our delegation emphasized that our country considers them its representatives and relies on their commitment to defend its just cause, to amplify the voice of reason and justice, and to counter the maneuvers of those who seek to divide Africa and drag it into outdated disputes. »

« All were unanimous in thanking our country and His Majesty the King for their commitment to Africa’s prosperity and peace, and they expressed their unwavering determination to counter any attempts to reintroduce the Sahara issue into the agenda of the pan-African organization. They expressed confidence and optimism that the issue is not on the Summit’s agenda and that no mention has been made of presenting a report on the Sahara for the Malabo Summit. However, they did not rule out the possibility of the issue being raised again within the Peace and Security Council (PSC), as was attempted last year, but they remain vigilant and ready to reject any such attempts. »

« Tomorrow, a broader lunch will take place at the Senegalese Residence. Senegal has, on its own initiative, decided to invite Kenya and Ghana to demonstrate that Morocco excludes no one. Some Ambassadors privately suggested that Morocco should be represented in Malabo by a strong delegation to continue showing our interest in Africa and to be able to counter any last-minute attempts to introduce the issue before the Heads of State. Senegal added that, as a member of the Drafting Committee, it will remain alert and ready to sound the alarm at any moment. »

In an email sent on June 18, 2014, Tagma summarized the results of his team’s lobbying efforts:

The lobbying efforts carried out both in Addis Ababa and Rabat with Ambassadors from member countries of the Security Council and Spain have borne fruit.

The Sahara issue is not on the Summit’s agenda.

The report on the Sahara issue has been postponed to a later date (January 2015).

The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) addressed the issue and, as expected, reiterated points from the latest UN Secretary-General’s report that favor the other party’s position.

The PSC, in its report, attempts to frame the Sahara issue as a decolonization matter and, in a pernicious manner, seeks to have the Heads of State validate Mrs. Zuma’s initiatives aimed at interfering in the settlement process.

Although there is no risk of the Summit addressing the issue, it would be advisable to maintain pressure and contacts with friendly countries.

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