US embassy cable - 05RABAT1118

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001118 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2009 
TAGS: KPKO, MO, PBTS, PHUM, PREL 
SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARA:  POLICE USE VIOLENCE TO PUT DOWN 
DEMONSTRATIONS 
 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Peter Chisholm for Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d) 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  Embassy contacts in Laayoune confirm news 
reports that significant demonstrations have taken place in 
Laayoune between May 21-25.  More than twenty persons have 
reportedly been arrested and as many are reported to be 
injured, some seriously.  Large numbers of police and 
military were deployed on the streets of Laayoune, but 
MINURSO reports the demonstrations have mostly died down, 
though the atmosphere in Laayoune remains charged.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (C) MINURSO Chief of Staff Philippe Elghouayel told A/DCM 
May 27 that the demonstrations started after Moroccan 
authorities decided to transfer a Sahrawi prisoner from 
Laayoune jail to a prison in Agadir (southern Morocco). 
Relatives and tribesmen of the inmate gathered at the gates 
of the jail to protest the move, since moving the prisoner to 
Agadir would mean less contact with relatives and that the 
prisoner was being moved out of Sahrawi territory and into 
Morocco proper.  Elghouayel said what began as a small mostly 
tribal protest turned more overtly political as pro-Polisario 
elements joined in.  The demonstrations were not continuous 
he said but generally started around 9 pm and lasted until 
midnight, from May 22-26.  Elghouayel said a MINURSO vehicle 
inadvertently drove past a crowd of demonstrators at one 
point and was pelted with stones.  Polisario flags were on 
display, and the crowd was chanting pro-Polisario slogans. 
 
Charged Atmosphere 
------------------ 
 
3.  (C) Elghouayel said that press reports (including on 
al-Jazeera) characterizing the demonstrations as an 
"intifada" were overblown, and even pro-Polisario elements 
were not couching the activity as such.  MINURSO had no 
information that the Polisario had called for an "intifada." 
He was not surprised at the demonstrations, however, given 
the charged atmosphere in Laayoune.  He said several recent 
developments had inflamed the atmosphere:  on May 17, the 
Polisario launched an international tender for offshore oil 
and gas exploration, declaring that this decision was 
prompted by "the inevitable independence" of the territory; 
on May 21, the Polisario celebrated its 32 anniversary, with 
Bouteflika's now well-known letter reaffirming Algerian 
support for Saharan independence; and on May 24 King Mohammed 
announced his decision to pull out of the Arab Maghreb Union 
summit. 
 
4.  (C) In a written report to DPKO shared with Embassy 
Rabat, MINURSO notes that "the underlining tension can be 
felt, in particular the pro-Polisario sentiment amongst local 
Saharans.  Because of the overriding tribal characteristics 
of the local population, the prevailing discontent seems 
confined within a specific group, although a general feeling 
of discontent does exist because of social hardship, 
unemployment, and discrimination.  The discontent, although 
rising, will likely not translate into civil unrest, despite 
consistent attempts to make it more widespread." 
 
Pro-Polisario Views 
------------------- 
 
5.  (C) President of the Association for the Victims of the 
Violations of Human Rights Committed by the Moroccan State 
Driss Dahan provided his version of events to Poloff on May 
26.  He said that a number of protesters were arrested during 
four days of protests involving several thousand 
demonstrators in neighborhoods throughout the city of 
Laayoune, including Mattala, Al Quds, Smarra, Sci Kimma, and 
Sharia Tan Tan.  Dahan said there has been a general feeling 
of frustration for months with the lack of progress towards a 
political solution to the Sahara issue and there have been 
several demonstrations involving hundreds of protesters since 
December.  The larger demonstrations began four days ago when 
police tried to transfer a Sahrawi prisoner El Hadi Ahmed 
Mouhmoud (alias Al-Karnan) from a jail in Laayoune to a 
facility in Agadir in southern Morocco.  Al Karnan reportedly 
tried to resist the prison transfer, renounced his Moroccan 
citizenship and was beaten by police.  Word of the incident 
spread out of the Laayoune jail four days ago and large-scale 
protests began the same day, according to Dahan.  Serious 
police repression began two days ago when authorities 
attempted to arrest one demonstration leader, El Koutoub El 
Hadith El Hafed, at his home two days ago.  Protesters, 
eventually numbering more than one thousand, staged a sit-in 
in front of El Koutoub,s house.  Police reportedly dispersed 
the demonstrators, arrested 38 protesters, and injured 20 
persons, including seven persons who were seriously injured, 
according to Dahan.  One man who carried a POLISARIO flag was 
badly beaten, arrested and tortured in jail, Dahan alleged. 
Some Sahrawis saw the injured man in the hospital, and Dahan 
said police later used the man to negotiate with protesters. 
 
6.  (SBU) POLFSN called another Sahrawi contact, Mohamed 
Daha, who said police struck him in the head during a May 25 
demonstration.  Daha said fewer Sahrawis were arrested (about 
20), but he confirmed a report also provided by Dahan, that 
police have detained the entire family belonging to one 
Mohamed Al Araby.  Daha said no curfew has been announced, 
but police are behaving as if there is a curfew and chasing 
people off the streets by 6 pm.   Both men said that groups 
of Moroccan settlers are marching around neighborhoods 
chanting provocative slogans with police escorts.  Both said 
that demonstrators negotiated with police to hold a one-hour 
sit-in in front of the courthouse on May 26.  Both men said 
the demonstrations, the violent police response and the 
tension in the city closely resemble the tense situation in 
the territory in 1999, that led to severe police repression. 
Dahan asked for the Embassy to intervene with Moroccan 
authorities to permit Sahrawis to have a time and place for 
political demonstrations in order to air their grievances and 
to let off steam.  He said a violent confrontation between 
police and the civilian population was in no one,s interest 
at this time. 
 
Where Have All the Young Men Gone? 
---------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) Elghouayel noted separately that political activity 
in the Tindouf camps appears to have heated up as well.  He 
said there was a rise in "passionate speeches" from younger 
residents in the lead-up to the 32nd anniversary 
celebrations.  Since about that time, though, Elghouayel says 
almost all of the adult male residents of the Tindouf camps 
have departed.  While this happens every year around the time 
of the Polisario anniversary, Elghouayel thought it unusual 
that the men had not yet returned.  Elghouayel lamented that 
Polisario restrictions on MINURSO movements prevented MINURSO 
peacekeepers from investigating the situation more 
thoroughly.  He added that MINURSO troops had also noted 
movements of Polisario military vehicles toward the south. 
 
EU Interest 
----------- 
 
8.  (C) Dutch DCM Caroline Vejiers called A/DCM May 27 to 
seek information on the demonstrations, noting that as EU 
president the Dutch were interested in what was taking place 
and would review the situation with EU colleagues in Rabat. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
9.  (C) The Polisario appear to be flexing their muscles, 
reminding the Moroccans and the international community they 
are alive and well.  The timing of these demonstrations can 
be no coincidence, given the renewed tension between Morocco 
and Algeria.  While we have no reason to believe a return to 
armed struggle is imminent or even being seriously 
contemplated (and nor does MINURSO), the Polisario clearly 
wants to demonstrate that they are still a force to be 
reckoned with and that they cannot be marginalized without 
consequences.  Along those lines, we note that Polisario 
President Abdulaziz wrote to the Security Council May 26 to 
request help in "protecting the Sahrawi population repressed 
by Morocco."  We have also seen press reports of clashes 
between Sahrawi students and Moroccan security forces on a 
Rabat university campus on May 27 which we are  investigating. 
 
RILEY