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Cablegate: Morocco Political Highlights

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 001702

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PI
PARIS FOR ZEYA AND DEA
LONDON FOR TSOU
ROME FOR ROSE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR PHUM MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS

REF: A. RABAT 1646
B. RABAT 1118
C. RABAT 1584

1. (U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE
PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

Table of Contents

- King Mohammed VI Presents Vision for African Development
- Spanish Foreign Minister Visits Morocco
- Polisario Invites Spanish NGOs to Western Sahara
- Europe to Send Humanitarian Aid to Sahrawi Prisoners
- Ali Salem Tamek Leads Hunger Strike
- Prison Sentences Reduced for Laayoune Rioters
- Demonstration in Sidi Ifni Dispersed
- Multiple Drug Seizures across the Country
- Illegal Immigration Successes

--------------------------------------------- -----------
KING MOHAMMED VI PRESENTS VISION FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT
--------------------------------------------- -----------

2. (SBU) In an address on August 5 to the Asilah
International Forum of Culture read by Royal Cabinet member
and Palace insider Mohamed Rochdi Chraibi, King Mohammed VI
outlined a vision for African development, emphasizing
in-depth structural reform and respect for the sovereignty of
states, the official Moroccan news agency Maghreb Arabe
Presse (MAP) reported. The King emphasized indigenous growth
through internal reforms focusing on modernizing
institutions, developing sustainable human resources, and
promoting democratic reform. He also called for development
through cooperation among African nations rather than
reliance on abroad. The King hailed the importance of
regional economic groups, such as the Arab Maghreb Union
(UMA), but emphasized that African states must protect and
respect sovereignty as well as "unanimously reject
balkanization and separatist movements." The King's message
made very clear that respect of sovereignty was key to the
success of any regional economic bloc, likely referencing the
current deadlock of the UMA resulting from the dispute
between Morocco and Algeria over the Western Sahara. The
Asilah International Forum of Culture, an annual conference
held in FM Benaissa's seaside hometown, runs from August
5-19. This year the conference's focus was on Africa with
the intent of bringing participants from all over Africa into
dialogue. However, it has been criticized by both embassy
officers and press sources as being poorly organized.

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-------------------------
SPANISH FM VISITS MOROCCO
-------------------------

3. (U) Spanish FM Moratinos visited Morocco as part of the
Asilah International Forum of Culture on August 6, according
to MAP. While in Morocco for his second annual appearance at
the Asilah Forum, Moratinos met with Moroccan FM Benaissa and
in a statement afterwards, urged the UN to find a quick
solution to the Western Sahara dispute. Moratinos went on to
say that Spain is willing to "fill the gap" left by the
departure of former UNSYG personal envoy, James Baker. In
addition to his statement on the Western Sahara, Moratinos
called on the Spanish people to overcome their stereotypes of
Moroccans and work toward mutual understanding through
"cultural, human, and political exchange." Moratinos'
statements come shortly after an open letter he had published
(Ref A), which criticized those pressuring the Spanish
government to side with the Polisario in the Western Sahara
conflict.

--------------
WESTERN SAHARA
--------------

4. (U) Polisario Invites Spanish NGOs to Western Sahara:
Polisario representatives in Madrid invited a number of
Spanish NGOs to the Western Sahara to "witness violations
committed by Moroccan occupying forces" according to a August
11 report from the Arabic-language daily Al Ahdath Al
Maghribia. The Polisario specifically mentioned the cities
of Laayoune, Dakhla, and Boujdour in their message aimed at
NGOs sympathetic to their cause, particularly in the Spanish
region of Galicia.
5. (U) European Aid for Sahrawis in Tindouf: The European
Commission granted 9.3 million Euros of humanitarian aid to
Sahrawis in the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps in Algeria
according to the French-language daily l'Economiste on August
11. The aid is intended to improve the living conditions of
those in the camps and will be coordinated by the European
humanitarian aid agency ECHO. The European Union has granted
108 million Euro to Sahrawis in Tindouf since 1993.

6. (SBU) Ali Salem Tamek Leads Hunger Strike: Pro-Polisario
human rights activist Ali Salem Tamek as well as five other
jailed human rights activists began a hunger strike on August
2 in protest of the conditions surrounding their detention,
MAP reported on August 6. The six are being held on charges
relating to the large May demonstrations in Laayoune (Ref B).
Tamek has been detained since July 22, and began the hunger
strike to protest his "kidnapping" and transfer from the
local Laayoune prison to the Ait Melloul prison (near Agadir
in southern Morocco) , according a August 8 report in the
Arabic-language daily Al Ittihad Al Ishtiraky. Two of
Tamek's colleagues were moved to a Casablanca prison on
August 2 while three remain in Laayoune, the Arabic-language
daily Al Ahdath Al Maghrebia reported on August 10. The
Laayoune Appellate Court prosecution states that all six are
in Laayoune and has rejected Tamek's claims, stating that he
has been provided his rights under the law. Tamek has a
history of run-ins with the government, having already spent
time in prison two other times since 1993. (Embassy Comment:
It is interesting to note that the demonstrations Tamek is
alleged to have incited began with the transfer of a Sahrawi
from the Laayoune prison to a prison in Agadir. End Comment)

7. (U) Prison Sentences Reduced for Laayoune Rioters: The
criminal chamber of the Laayoune Court of Appeal reduced the
sentences of ten people convicted for their actions during
the large May demonstrations in Laayoune according to a
August 6 report of the English-language daily Morocco Times.
Two other prisoners associated with the demonstrations had
their sentences reduced by the criminal chamber of the
Laayoune Court of First Instance. These reductions in
sentences follow previous reductions of sentences related to
the May demonstrations (Ref C) that had initially been as
high as 20 years.

------------------------------------
DEMONSTRATION IN SIDI IFNI DISPERSED
------------------------------------

8. (SBU) Police in Sidi Ifni (province of Tiznit) broke up a
group of demonstrators calling for the improvement of social
services, new roads, and more jobs in the region on August 7,
according to various media sources. The details of the
demonstration remain disputed, with the number of
participants ranging from 1,000 to 30,000 as well as
questions over whether the demonstration actually was
dispersed or needed to be dispersed by police. However, a
press release from an NGO coalition in the region claimed
that 30,000 people participated, and that they will continue
to hold demonstrations as long as "the legitimate claims of
the population are not met." Polfsn noted that the NGOs in
this region of Morocco are particularly popular, well
organized, and well funded, largely by European NGOs and
remittances.

---------
NARCOTICS
---------

9. (U) Over Two Tons of Hashish Seized in Agadir: Customs
officials in Agadir seized over two tons of chira (hashish
pollen powder), according to an August 6 MAP report. The
drugs were hidden in plastic bags packed in five kilo olive
cans in a container bound for Germany. Police have begun an
investigation to identify the drug traffickers.
10. (U) 178 Kilos of Hashish seized in Nador: Customs
officials in Nador seized 178 kilos of hashish from a van
bound for southern Spain according to a August 12 MAP report.
The driver, a Moroccan-born Dutch citizen, was turned over to
the Nador police for prosecution.

11. (U) Eighteen Kilos of Hashish Seized in Casablanca:
Police in Casablanca arrested a man in Casablanca with 18
kilos of chira as he was collecting money from smaller
dealers in the area, according to an August 9 report from the
French-language daily le Matin. The arrested man is
suspected of being part of a wider drug operation, which has
operations throughout the Casablanca area and gets its
supplies from the Ouazzane region.

-----------------------------
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SUCCESSES
-----------------------------

12. (U) The Maghreb Arabe Presse reported a number of
successful operations to apprehend illegal immigrants and
dismantle the networks that transport them. The Ministry of
Interior reported that between August 1-7 authorities
apprehended 262 illegal immigrants in operations across the
country. Additionally, on August 10 the Royal Gendarmerie
intercepted 30 would-be illegal immigrants bound for Europe
off the coast between Larache and Asilah. On August 9, police
in Larache dismantled a separate illegal immigration network,
arresting its boss. The Navy also apprehended 57 would-be
immigrants off the coast of Al Hoceima. Thus far in 2005,
around 7,600 illegal immigrants have been arrested, the bulk
of them from sub-Saharan African countries.
RILEY

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