

Currently released so far... 12689 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
2011/05/13
2011/05/14
2011/05/15
2011/05/16
2011/05/17
2011/05/18
2011/05/19
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
AF
ASEC
AR
AEMR
AMGT
AE
AU
AID
AORC
APER
AS
AM
AFIN
AMED
AJ
AGR
ACOA
ANET
ASIG
ABLD
AL
AA
APECO
AGAO
AY
AGMT
APEC
AINF
AG
ACS
AECL
AFFAIRS
ABUD
ASUP
ADANA
AADP
AMCHAMS
ARF
ASEAN
ADPM
ATRN
ALOW
APCS
ADCO
ACAO
AORG
AROC
AO
AODE
ACABQ
AX
AMEX
AFGHANISTAN
AZ
AND
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
ACBAQ
AFSI
AFSN
AC
AUC
ASEX
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
ASCH
AFU
AMG
ATPDEA
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AORL
ADM
AN
AIT
BU
BR
BL
BO
BA
BB
BG
BM
BBSR
BH
BEXP
BK
BD
BTIO
BT
BE
BY
BF
BX
BP
BRUSSELS
BILAT
BIDEN
BC
BMGT
BWC
BN
BTIU
CH
CG
CF
CU
CE
CVIS
CASC
CO
CS
CA
CIDA
CBW
CW
CMGT
CI
CODEL
CY
CPAS
CJAN
CD
CWC
CDG
CIA
CL
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CT
CR
CBSA
CEUDA
COM
CFED
CV
CACS
CARSON
CLINTON
CN
CONS
CM
CAC
CIC
COPUOS
CDC
CONDOLEEZZA
CICTE
COUNTER
COUNTRY
CBE
CKGR
CHR
CVR
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CLEARANCE
COE
CARICOM
CB
CSW
CITT
CACM
CDB
CJUS
CTM
CAN
CLMT
CBC
CNARC
CIS
EG
EZ
EUN
ECON
ETRD
ECPS
EFIN
ENRG
ETTC
EPET
EINV
EAID
EAIR
EWWT
EU
EAGR
EC
ELAB
EIND
EN
EMIN
ESENV
ENNP
EFIS
ELTN
ET
ECIN
EFTA
ES
EINT
EI
ENGR
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ENVI
ETRDECONWTOCS
ECINECONCS
ELN
ELECTIONS
ENVR
EXTERNAL
EXIM
ETRO
ENIV
ESA
ER
EK
EUR
EFINECONCS
EUMEM
EUREM
EPA
ERNG
ENERG
ECA
ETRC
EINVEFIN
ETC
EAP
ECONOMY
EINN
ECONOMIC
EXBS
ECUN
ENGY
ECONOMICS
EIAR
EINDETRD
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
EFIM
EAIDS
EREL
EINVETC
ECONCS
ETRA
EAIG
EUC
ERD
ETRN
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EEPET
EUNCH
IS
IZ
IR
IC
IO
IN
ID
IGAD
IT
ILC
IAEA
ITU
ICAO
IMO
IBRD
IMF
ICJ
IAHRC
ITF
INRA
INRO
IWC
IQ
IV
ICRC
ICTY
INRB
IEFIN
ILO
ITRA
ITALY
IBET
ISRAELI
IL
INTELSAT
IRC
IDP
ICTR
IRAQI
IPR
IIP
INMARSAT
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
INTERNAL
IRS
IA
INTERPOL
IEA
INR
IZPREL
IRAJ
IF
ITPHUM
ISRAEL
IACI
INDO
IDA
ISLAMISTS
KSPR
KNNP
KWBG
KAWK
KISL
KPAO
KN
KS
KIPR
KCRM
KDEM
KIRF
KJUS
KHLS
KSCA
KOMC
KAWC
KV
KFRD
KWMN
KTIP
KPWR
KSUM
KGHG
KTIA
KTFN
KIRC
KCOR
KACT
KMDR
KGIC
KOLY
KUNR
KIDE
KMPI
KPKO
KCFE
KVPR
KRAD
KPAL
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KTEX
KTDB
KFSC
KZ
KSEP
KFLU
KE
KU
KPLS
KRVC
KRIM
KSTH
KG
KFLO
KPOA
KICC
KDDG
KPRV
KTBT
KBCT
KSAF
KMOC
KDRG
KBIO
KREC
KSTC
KVRP
KBTR
KMIG
KENV
KNSD
KCGC
KWAC
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KWMM
KPRP
KNEI
KPAI
KO
KVIR
KX
KMCA
KCRS
KMFO
KID
KCIP
KNAR
KR
KCRCM
KBTS
KSEO
KHDP
KFIN
KOCI
KGIT
KNUP
KPAONZ
KNUC
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KSCI
KTLA
KHIV
KCSY
KTRD
KMRS
KNPP
KJUST
KCMR
KTER
KRCM
KCFC
KSAC
KCHG
KREL
KFTFN
KCOM
KLIG
KDEMAF
KAID
KGCC
KICA
KHUM
KSEC
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KWWMN
KOM
KWNM
KRFD
KRGY
KIFR
KWMNCS
KPAK
KOMS
KHSA
MPOS
MOPS
MARR
MTCR
MNUC
MASS
MX
MCAP
MAR
MTRE
MASC
MK
MG
MTCRE
MI
MD
MA
MO
MY
MU
ML
MRCRE
MAS
MEDIA
MC
MR
MIL
MW
MARAD
MAPP
MZ
MP
MOPPS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MEPN
MEPI
MEETINGS
MERCOSUR
MT
MCC
MIK
MAPS
MV
MILITARY
MDC
MEPP
MASSMNUC
MUCN
MQADHAFI
NATO
NG
NL
NZ
NT
NW
NO
NU
NS
NPT
NASA
NI
NK
NSG
NE
NORAD
NAFTA
NP
NATIONAL
NSSP
NSF
NA
NGO
NV
NR
NDP
NIPP
NZUS
NH
NC
NEW
NRR
NAR
NATOPREL
NPG
NSC
NPA
NSFO
OPDC
OPRC
OEXC
OTRA
ODIP
OIIP
OVIP
OPIC
OPCW
OAS
OREP
OSCE
OSCI
OES
OFDP
OECD
OCS
OIC
OPAD
OVP
OHUM
OFFICIALS
OIE
OTR
OMIG
OSAC
OBSP
OFDA
ON
OCII
PREL
PGOV
PARM
PINR
PTER
PHUM
PK
PREF
PM
PHSA
PA
PINS
PE
PBTS
PCI
PO
PL
POGOV
PAK
PEL
PGIV
PROP
PP
PBIO
POL
POLITICS
POLICY
PINL
PBT
PMIL
POV
PTBS
PG
POSTS
PALESTINIAN
PROV
PNAT
PINF
PRL
PAS
PDOV
PRAM
PREO
PAHO
PHUMPGOV
PAO
PREFA
PSI
POLITICAL
PAIGH
PARMS
PROG
PTERE
PRGOV
PORG
PS
PGOF
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PNG
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PSEPC
PNR
POLINT
PGOVE
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PGOC
PY
PLN
PHUH
PF
PHUS
PU
PARTIES
PCUL
PGGV
PSA
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PHUMPREL
RS
RU
RW
REACTION
RCMP
RSO
RO
RP
ROOD
RM
ROBERT
RICE
REGION
RSP
RF
RIGHTS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RELATIONS
RFE
REPORT
SY
SP
SOCI
SMIG
SNAR
SCUL
SC
SU
SO
SI
SENV
SZ
SW
SA
SR
SF
SEVN
SN
STEINBERG
SEN
SG
SYR
SWE
SK
SH
SNARCS
SAARC
SNARIZ
SPCE
SARS
SNARN
SCRS
SYRIA
SL
SENVKGHG
SAN
ST
SIPDIS
SSA
SPCVIS
SOFA
SANC
SHI
SHUM
SIPRS
TSPA
TSPL
TU
TBIO
TRGY
TPHY
TS
TP
TW
TBID
TI
TF
TZ
TD
TT
TN
TNGD
TC
TX
TH
TL
TIP
THPY
TV
TK
TERRORISM
TO
TRSY
TURKEY
TINT
TFIN
TAGS
TR
US
UNSC
UNGA
UK
UP
UNCHC
UN
UNMIK
UNCSD
UY
USTR
USOAS
UNHRC
UNFCYP
UG
UNAUS
UNESCO
UNIDROIT
UNO
UV
UNHCR
USUN
UZ
USNC
UNCHR
UNCND
UNEP
USEU
USPS
USAID
UE
UNVIE
UAE
UNDP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNDESCO
UNC
UNPUOS
UNDC
UNICEF
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 09ALGIERS1117, POLISARIO RESTRICTS ACTIVITIES SEEN TO THREATEN
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09ALGIERS1117.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09ALGIERS1117 | 2009-12-16 09:21 | 2010-12-03 21:30 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Algiers |
VZCZCXYZ1148
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHAS #1117/01 3500921
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 160921Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 9254
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3169
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8239
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001117
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2019
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM PBTS MARR PTER AG MO UN
SUBJECT: POLISARIO RESTRICTS ACTIVITIES SEEN TO THREATEN
NATIONALIST GOALS
REF: ALGIERS 1082
Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Bosshart.
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
¶1. (C) Summary: Embassy contacts with UNHCR and American
NGOs working in the Polisario camps near Tindouf say that
individual Sahrawis have been involved in smuggling
activities, but the Polisario "government" severely
punishes anyone caught trafficking persons or weapons that
could aid terrorists. Polisario also restricts the
refugees from accessing extremist websites in the camps.
All such activities are seen as harmful and a liability to
the Polisario's political goals. Extremists in the region
have issued threats against Westerners residing in the
camps of which the extremists have informed the Polisario.
They perceive the Sahrawi people as too close to the West
and not pious enough, in part, these contacts believe,
because Sahrawi religious leaders have encouraged Western
NGOs to participate in seminars on inter-faith dialogue and
women's issues. End Summary.
Polisario Reacts Harshly to Trafficking of Weapons, Persons
--------------------------------------------- --------------
¶2. (C) Political officers met in Algiers on December 7
with XXXXXXXXXXX church in Wisconsin that
participates in educational and gardening projects in the
Sahrawi refugee camps. XXXXXXXXXXX assessed that some
Algerians and Sahrawis participate in smuggling activities
in and around Tindouf and in Western Sahara. However, the
Algerian government and the Polisario Front respond harshly
to any involvement in the trafficking of weapons, persons,
or drugs. They view such activities as a major liability
to the Polisario's nationalist cause and demands for
Sahrawi self-determination. XXXXXXXXXXX said that sometime
in the past year, the Algerian government detected three or
four 4x4 vehicles that it believed were transporting
smuggled goods from Mauritania to an AQIM stronghold south
of Tindouf. With the Polisario's approval, two Algerian
attack helicopters fired on the vehicles to send a message
to Sahrawis and Algerians not to engage in similar
dealings. He told of a Spanish man who paid some Sahrawis
to smuggle his 14 year old "girlfriend" out of the camps
via Mauritania, and said that when the Sahrawi government
found out, everyone involved was severely punished and
thrown in a "dark cell." He assessed that the Polisario is
fairly good at controlling the territory it administers but
that, like Algeria, it cannot monitor every inch of such a
vast land.
¶3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXX said that Algeria and the Polisario turn
a blind eye to the smuggling of products such as cigarettes
and diesel and that the eastern part of Tindouf is known as
"Kandahar" because of the large black market there for
smuggled goods. He said that he sees many Algerians
participate in the trade. Algerian registered cars are
often seen driving off the road, probably transporting such
goods. (Note: Residents and workers in the camps have
Sahrawi-registered plates.) The Algerian government is
building more roads in the area and will soon require
people to use specific routes to travel to Tindouf
(Algeria), Mauritania, or other places, in order to stem
the transportation of smuggled goods. He said that it is
hard to know where the items originate. Locals view the
borders as artificial, and there is a lot of corruption and
smuggling on both sides of the Algerian-Moroccan border.
Echeverria commented that the Sahrawis look at the Algerian
army officials who control checkpoints on the roads near
the camps with respect, but see the Algerian gendarmes that
monitor the border with Morocco as corrupt and incompetent.
Polisario Increases Security Measures Amidst Extremists'
Threats
--------------------------------------------- ----------
¶4. (C) The American NGO workers told Poloff that Islamic
extremists have issued threats against Westerners residing
in the camps of which the extremists have informed the
Polisario. The extremists appear to believe the Sahrawis
cater to the West and are not pious enough. They are
incensed by the fact that many American NGO workers are
connected with U.S. churches and for several years have
participated in annual interfaith dialogue seminars at the
invitation of Muslim religious leaders in the camps.
Nevertheless, they said there have been no incidents
against Westerners in the camps, despite the fact that
extremist bases are not far away. The Sahrawi are very
protective of the foreign workers and at times have
supplied extra security to the foreigners traveling outside
the camps. (Note: The NGO contacts could provide no
addition information on the location or identity of the
extremists.)
¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXX, for security reasons and
because of informants for the Polisario and Morocco on both
sides of the berm, the Polisario carefully vets any
newcomers to the camps to ensure that they are not a risk
to others or to the Polisario's political goals. New
settlers are required by the Polisario to stay in a safe
house for approximately two weeks until their identities
and backgrounds are verified. There is a particular fear
that young men are prone to political or religious
corruption. The Embassy's American contacts explained when
a refugee family hosted some Western NGO workers in their
home, a Sahrawi man whom the family did not know came to
visit the workers, at which point the family became highly
suspicious and protective, and began inquiring around the
camp about the man's background.
¶6. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX and the American NGO workers agreed that
the poor living conditions in the camps and the lack of
opportunities there could make Sahrawi youth susceptible to
extremist recruitment or trafficking activities. However,
they did not personally know individuals involved in those
activities. The American NGO workers believed there is a
limited amount of private drug use in the camps.
Echeverria explained there is an internet cafe in each of
the four refugee camps at which the refugees are allowed to
view almost anything on the internet, including pornography
and Moroccan press reports, but not extremist websites. He
said that anyone caught doing so was taken aside for
questioning and then closely monitored.
Many Sahrawi Seeking Independence
---------------------------------
¶7. (C) XXXXXXXXXXX said that Sahrawis who receive their
education elsewhere continue to return to the camps because
they believe the Sahrawis should have their own country.
Echeverria and the American NGO workers confirmed that they
had heard of Sahrawi youth threatening to resume violence
against Morocco. They said that some youth see war as the
only option, but that older Sahrawi who have lived through
the war with Morocco during the late 1970s and 1980s
support a peaceful solution. Echeverria commented that
many of the refugees have relatives in Spain and could
obtain residency permits there but choose not to, although
some cannot afford to go. Some emigrate to
Moroccan-controlled areas of Western Sahara by crossing the
berm or the Algerian-Moroccan border. The Polisario
encourages this resettlement probably to strengthen
resistance against Morocco, and for intelligence purposes.
¶8. (C) XXXXXXXXXXX said he hears from the refugees that the
Sahrawis and Moroccan settlers in the Moroccan-controlled
area of Western Sahara want independence because they
believe the territory contains natural resources and oppose
human rights abuses by the Moroccan government. He
commented that the Moroccan settlers tend to come from
poorer backgrounds and resettle in Western Sahara to take
advantage of government subsidies of fuel and other goods.
He also noted that if the Polisario were to acquiesce and
accept less than a popular referendum with the option of
independence, the Polisario would lose the support of the
Sahrawi refugees, who would choose to remain in the camps.
Movement and Conditions of Refugees
-----------------------------------
¶9. (C) The Algerian government allows the Polisario to
govern the refugee camps and even requires visitors on
incoming flights to Tindouf to complete Sahrawi
"government" customs' cards, which are then passed on to
Algerian officials. The Polisario monitors the checkpoints
in and out of the camps, while the Algerian military
monitors the checkpoints farther outside the camps and near
Tindouf. Sahrawi refugees need identification cards to
travel outside of the camps. XXXXXXXXXXXX commented that the
Algerian military appears to be under orders not to treat
the Sahrawi harshly: he saw a Sahrawi without
identification shouting at an Algerian army officer who
would not let the refugee through the checkpoint and
watched as the military officer calmly walked away.
Sahrawi can easily obtain a permit at the Polisario liaison
office in Tindouf to travel north to places like Algiers,
but the permit does not allow them to work. Foreigners
cannot move throughout the area easily and are closely
monitored in Tindouf by Algerian security services. On
military issues, Echeverria said that the Polisario has
some mobile multiple rocket launchers that appeared old and
were probably provided by Algeria. He said that Polisario
military service now lasts only two to three months, less
than in the past.
¶10. (C) XXXXXXXXXXX commented that the Sahrawis typically
show visitors the camps that are the best organized and
with the best living conditions. Smara and Awserd are the
better camps, while Dakhla has some of the worst
conditions. The Dakhla hospital has only two doctors, two
hours of electricity per day, and two land cruisers that
serve as ambulances and a variety of other purposes.
XXXXXXXXXXXX said the refugees do not receive enough food aid
and suffer health issues due to eating the same narrow diet
of donated food for decades. He said the "27 February"
settlement has good electricity, which is needed to run
some of the humanitarian institutions located there, but
that the four refugee camps lack continuous electricity.
Sahrawis Encourage Social Activism by Westerners
--------------------------------------------- ---
¶11. (C) The American NGO workers confirmed (as previously
reported reftel) that both Sahrawi men and women attain
high levels of education studying abroad, and that Sahrawi
women play a role, albeit a minority one, in the Sahrawi
leadership. However, they also explained that many Sahrawi
women suffer from a poor self-image. Several years ago,
some Muslim religious leaders in the camps called on
American NGO workers to educate the Sahrawi women on eating
disorders. Some have used bleaching products to lighten
their skin, which they consider more attractive. Sahrawi
leaders have asked the NGO workers to help establish and
provide resources for a Sahrawi-run women's center to
educate them on issues such as eating disorders and sexual
abuse.
¶12. (C) Beginning several years ago, Sahrawi religious
leaders asked the American workers to participate in annual
seminars on inter-faith dialogue; this year the Sahrawi
proposed to discuss the perception of Jesus in Christianity
and Islam. These American contacts acknowledged that some
Algerian and Polisario support for the seminars is probably
politically motivated, to secure Western political and NGO
support for the camps and Polisario.
Land Route Unlikely in Short Term
---------------------------------
¶13. (C) XXXXXXXXXXX said that the Polisario and Morocco
agreed to open a land route for the Sahrawis between
Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara and the refugee camps as
a UN-sponsored confidence building measure. The UN bought
eleven new vehicles in preparation, but there has been no
progress on opening the route, mostly because the UN
peacekeeping force MINURSO will need time - perhaps years -
to demine the area. He also said that Morocco wants a land
route across the Moroccan-Algerian border in order to
increase trade, but the Polisario prefers a land route into
Western Sahara to connect the Sahrawis living on either
side of the berm.
PEARCE