US embassy cable - 05RABAT1702

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. 
 
------------------------- 
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