INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Morocco and Burkina Faso Consultations On Guinea

Published: Wed 20 Jan 2010 07:07 PM
VZCZCXRO3319
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRB #0034/01 0201924
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 201924Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1060
INFO RUEHRY/AMEMBASSY CONAKRY PRIORITY 0024
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU PRIORITY 0601
RUEHDS/USMISSION ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0994
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 0007
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0109
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0206
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0145
RUEHJL/AMEMBASSY BANJUL 0113
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 0067
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0526
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN 0044
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0663
RUEHPC/AMEMBASSY LOME 0572
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 1187
RUEHPA/AMEMBASSY PRAIA 0013
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0061
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000034
SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF, AF/W, NEA, NEA/MAG AND INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2020
TAGS: PINS PGOV MARR PREL MO UV GV
SUBJECT: MOROCCO AND BURKINA FASO CONSULTATIONS ON GUINEA
REF: A. RABAT 0022
B. RABAT 0008
RABAT 00000034 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: DCM Robert Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Moroccan Director General for Studies and
Documentation (DGED) Mansouri met with President Compaore,
Guinean General Konate and Guinean Captain Dadis Camara in
Ouagadougou on January 18. According to a senior Moroccan
MFA official, Mansouri assured Compoare that the GOM
appreciated his efforts to mediate the crisis in Guinea and
asked him to take a softer stance toward Konate as the leader
of the Guinea transition. To Konate, he offered Moroccan
political and material support for the transition. And to
Dadis, Mansouri promised continued Moroccan medical
assistance throughout his convalescence, but also strongly
dissuaded him from returning to Rabat. Looking to next
steps, the GOM urged the USG not to "rush" the International
Criminal Court's investigation, noting that while Morocco
does not condone "impunity" for the crimes that occurred in
Conakry, it also fears that an early ICC warrant for Dadis
Camara's arrest could destabilize the Guinea transition. End
Summary.
2. (C) On January 18, Ambassador Nasser Bourita, Director
General for Multilateral Relations and Chief of Staff to
Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri, offered DCM and PolCouns
a readout of Moroccan director of external intelligence and
national security advisor equivalent) Mohammed Yassine
Mansouri's trip to Ouagadougou. During his January 18 visit,
Mansouri met separately with Burkinabe President Blaise
Compaore, Guinean General Sekouba Konate, and Captian Moussa
Dadis Camara.
---------------------------------
Morocco's Messages in Ouagadougou
---------------------------------
3. (C) Mansouri delivered three separate messages to each of
his interlocutors, Bourita told us. First, he sought to reassure Compaore that Rabat greatly appreciated his personal
efforts to mediate the Guinea crisis, his close coordination
with Morocco, and Burkina Faso's willingness to receive
Dadis. Alluding to the Moroccan MFA's bitterness over its
perception that Compaore may have torpedoed French, Moroccan
and U.S. efforts to find an African country to accept Dadis
for resettlement -- and apparent Burkinabe anger at Rabat's
abrupt decision to send him by medical plane to Ouagadougou
(Ref A) -- Bourita said that Mansouri also calmed the waters
with Compaore and secured agreement for continued future
cooperation. Finally, Mansouri urged Compaore to "reflect a
bit" on his initial distrust of Konate, and to realize that,
given the circumstances and poor alternatives, he was not
necessarily a bad choice to lead the Guinean transition.
4. (C) In discussions with Konate, Mansouri assured him that
the GOM fully supported his efforts to lead the transition
and brainstormed with him as to what Morocco's most effective
roles might be, Bourita reported. Mansouri noted that
Morocco would be willing to offer materiel, funding and
observers for elections; economic and development assistance
to build water, electricity and other infrastructure; and, in
coordination with the U.S. and France, assistance in
rehabilitating and modernizing the armed forces.
5. (C) As for Dadis, Mansouri promised that Moroccan physicians would be with him throughout his convalescence in Ouagadougou, and that during that time the GOM would continue allow his wife and children, who remain in Rabat, to stay at Morocco,s expense. Dadis suggested that he wished to return to Morocco, Bourita said; however, Mansouri strongly dissuaded him. The GOM would send as many medical personnel
RABAT 00000034 002.2 OF 002
as necessary to Burkina Faso, Bourita added, but it would not
accept Dadis' return. "Since Dadis cannot come to Rabat,
Rabat will go to Dadis," he said with a smile.
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Don't Rush the ICC
------------------
6. (C) Looking forward, Bourita warmly welcomed the
opportunity for Morocco to continue working closely with the
U.S. and France on Guinea's transition. The GOM likewise
welcomed the ICC's eventual investigation and likely issuance
of an arrest order for Dadis. However, he cautioned, the GOM
did not wish to see the ICC process result in additional
instability in Guinea. "Camara is unstable, and therefore
dangerous," he said; for this reason, France and the U.S.
should take care not to "rush" the ICC process. Morocco does
not support or accept impunity for Dadis, Bourita emphasized,
but France, the U.S., Morocco and their African partners
"need to move at a rate that is in harmony with one another
and that does not disturb the process." He added that in
addition to Mansouri's message to this effect in Ouagadougou,
the MFA was reiterating it to France, Gabon and Nigeria,
among others. Finally, Bourita said that the GOM looked
forward to receiving an invitation from the African Union to
attend the international contact group on Guinea,s January
26 meeting in Addis Ababa.
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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
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