'merican Committee On Africa j 198 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 100381(212) 962·1210 I Cable AMCOMMAF

December 1981.

Dear Friends:

As you may have read in recent newspaper reports, the struggle for self-determination in Western Sahara is inten­ sifying. At this crucial time, the Reagan administration is increasing its involvement with Morocco which illegally occupies Western Sahara. A recent US military mission to Morocco revealed plans for closer military ties between the two nations including major weapons sales. On December 3, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger met in Fez with King Hassan. The meeting came only a few days after a visit by Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Plans have been announced for Secretary of State Alexander Haig to visit Morocco in Decem~er.

The enclosed report by ACOA Literature Director Richard Knight gives background information on the struggle in West­ ern Sahara and explains what is at s'take. It dramatizes the seriousness of the Reagan administration's military policy in the region.

Congress has the power to review and to overturn the sale of weapons to Morocco. In particular, Representative Harold Wolpe and Senator Nancy Kassebaum who chair the congressional subco~nittees on Africa could be key in this process. Please write and urge them to oppose the sale of weapons to Morocco, and write to your own representative and senat0rs as well.

Senator Na"nc'/ Kas3e'ha.l.1"1 Hon. Harold Wolpe Chairman Africa P~N Affairs The Sena'te Subcommittee New Jersey & C Sts. SE on Africa Washington DC 20515 S~na·te Office Buildi,1g Washington DC 20002

\ enn' fer~vis , cutive . rector , (;\. American Cornmi~tee On Africa ~\~ 198 Bro;tdway, ~ew Ymk. ~.Y. 10038/(212) '162-1210 I Cable AMCOMMAI

The Reagan Administration and the Struggle for Self-Determination in Western Sahara

The struggle for self-determination and independence continues in Western Sahara under the leadership of Polisario. King Hassan of Morocco, unable to defeat Polisario and facing increased political problems at home, has turned to the United States for help, which the Reagan administration seems more than willing to provide.

Background

Western Sahara was colonized by Spain in the late nine­ teenth century, but widespread resistance prevented full con­ trol from being established until 1934. Opposition to Spanish rule continued in the 1950's and 60's, and on May 10, 1973, Polisario( Popula;r Front for the Liberation of-Saguiet el Hamra and Rio de Oro) was formed to int~nsify the fight for independence. Ten days later armed struggle began.

By 1975, Spain was ready to end its formal colonial rule, but both Morocco and Mauritania were now laying claim to West­ ern Saharao As a result of these claims, the United Nations sent a mission to the area. It reported that the people of Western Sahara were "categorically for independence and against the territorial claims of Morocco and Mauritania" and that Polisario was the dominant political force. Late in 1975 the Internaticnal Court of Justice (World Court) found that Moroccan and Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara were without legal jus­ tification and that the people of Western Sahara were entitled to salf-determination including independence. Although the UN mistion urged the holding of a referendum to determine the will of the people of Western Sahara, Spain gave into pressure from Morocco, withdrew, and divided the territory between Morocco and Mauritania.

Polisario rejected the Spanish agreement with Morocco and Mauritania, declaring it illegal because it denied the people of Western Sahara the right to self-determination. On February 27,1976, one day after the Spanish withdrawal, Polisario de­ clared the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and continued Western Sahara•••#2 armed resistance. Over the next three years Po1isario grew in strength making the war more costly to its adversaries. In August 1979, Mauritania sued for peace and withdrew from Western Sahara. Morocco prQmpt1y extended its claims to in­ clude the area formerly claimed by Mauritania, and the war continued.

Morocco is determined to hold on to Western Sahara for both political and economic reasons. The war draws attention away from political and economic problems at home and builds the nationalist and patriotic image of the monarchy. There are also large phosphate reserves located in the Western Sahara at Bu" Craa, just 58 miles from the coast. A by-product that can be extracted from the phosphate is a form of Uranium, U-238 which can be used to make fuel for nuclear reactors. l Exploitable oil and iron deposits are also thought to exist in the area.

US Policy

US policy toward the region h~s long been centered around close military ties with Morocco, but the Carter administra­ tion maintained a position of neutrality on the issue of West­ ern Sahara.

Recent Reagan administration moves appear to signal a sig­ nificant shift in policy. In early November a 23 man military delegation visited Morocco and the battle zones in Western Sahara. The joint Pentagon-state Department delegation was led by Francis J.(Bing) West, Jr., assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs.

The visit raised speculation that the United States may become directly involved in Morocco's military efforts in the

S"ahara. The press reported that West suggested to Col. Maj 0 Mohammed Kabba, Moroccan airforce head, that more mobile com­ mando style tactics be.' adopted and that the US would provide the necessary training. "We can train General D1imi's forces" West was quoted as saying, referring to the Moroccan armed forces chief.

In addition, West said during the visit that sophisticated' radar detection and jamming equipment could be made available for the F-5 airplanes which had been supplied to Morocco by the USo Washington has delivered twenty F-Sos to Morocco this year and several have already been shot down by Po1isario. The equip- western Sahara .0.*3

1 ment would protect the planes from radar guided missiles such as Sam 6's.

The West mission marks a significant new public us commit­ ment to Morocco and its territorial claims. In the past, de­ spite evidence to the contrary, the State Department had claim­ ed that us supplied weapons were unrelated to the war in West­ ern Sahara and basically not useful to Morocco in the conflict. This new commitment also seems to run counter to the policy laid out in a statement by us representative, George Christopher to the United Nations on October 30th. liThe United states has not taken a positic'm regarding the final status of Western Sahara, IIsaidChristoph~.IIWehave, however,been convinved that a military solution to the conflict was neither possible nor desirable. We have hoped for an early, peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict and have contributed where possible' to its achievement. Such a solution should be based on the freely expressed wishes of the inhabitants of the territory. II

The Reagan administration's policy of escalating support for Morocco is consistent with its overall foreign policy. lilt is the prevailing view of this administration that America's allies and close associates should expect understanding and reliable support, II said Morris Draper, Deputy Assistant Secre­ taryof State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs in tes­ timony before Congress in March. Morocco is a conservative Arab state and a long-time ally. In the past there have been US military bases in Morocco and the US navy regularly uses Moroccan ports. The US sees King Hassan as an ally in need and fears that if Morocco loses in the Sahara the King may lose his throne. Draper added that Morocco neededlladditional support and consider­ ation" and the US would not withhold arms for what he termed IIreasonable and legitimate ll purposeso Another factor in the us government's attitude toward Poli­ sario stems from its cold war policies toward the Soviet Union. Many Soviet-aligned countries have supported Polisario diplo­ matically and several, including Cuba, have recognized the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. Polisario obtains arms from both Algeria and Libya, and the administration's view of Libya's Colo Muammar Qaddafi as a pro-Soviet terrorist leader must in­ evitably affect its attitude.

Secretary of State, Alexander Haig has shown a particular sympathy for Morocco. In one of his official acts, he approved the sale of l08·M-60 tanks to Morocco. The move came just two days after the US hostages in Iran had been released, largely Western Sahara.oo o#4 through the good offices of Algeria. The move was widely seen as a snub to Algeria, and as if to confirm the fact, in early February an American embassy spokesman in Morocco announced the delivery of the first two of six OV-10 counter-insurgency aircraft.

To implement his policy, President Reagan has chosen Joseph Vernon Reed to be the new US ambassador to Morocco. A personal friend of King Hassan, Reed "is known to be particularly eager to increase US support for the king's military struggle in the Sahara, II according to the Washington Post. He formerly worked at Chase Manhattan Bank as chief of staff for David Rockefeller another friend of Hassan. In presenting his credentials to Hassan he said, liThe leadership of the Reagan administration has stated that your country's concerns are my country's con­ cerns. II

President Reagan!s policy differs from President Carter's more in degree than in approach. Carter was restrained by mem­ bers of his own party in Congress who were opposed to arms sales or at least to the use of US-supplied arms in the Sahara. The strongest opponent was former Senator Dick Clark, chairman of the Senate SUbCommittee on Africa. However, Clark was de­ feated in his re-election bid in 1978 and congressional con­ cern over events in Iran and Nicaragua weakened opposition to arms sales. Carter moved ahead with significant sales of mili­ tary equipment and airc'raft to'Morocco in 1979. Congressional opponents of the sale did get from Carter a vague agreement that delivery of the arms would be contingent on unidentified "progress" in peace negotiations. The Reagan administration, which does not face any of the same political problems, has eliminated this criteria.

The War

The US military mission visit to Morocco came just weeks after a major battle in Western Sahara on October 13th. Poli­ sariowon a significant victory over Morocco at the garrison town of Guelta Zemmur. Survivors of the 2,000 strong Moroccan garrison were forced to flee to the mountains until reinforce­ ments came. In the fighting around Guelta Zemmur Polisario shot down five aircraft,two of which, a C-130 Hercules trans­ port and an F-5 fighter plane, were US~supplied.

Morocco was particularly upset by the loss of the aircraft because of the.importance of reconnaissance flights and air support in battle. Claiming that the aircraft were shot down with Sam 6 or Sam 8 missiles, Morocco implied the presence of non-Saharawi in Polisario's forces by arguing that the use of Western Sahara .0015

these missiles was beyond the technical expertise of Polisario. Morocco also claimed that Polisario used Soviet-made T-54 tanks. However, journalists who visited the area were unable to find any evidence of Morocco's claims, despite the fact that Morocco said that Polisario had been able to carry the destroyed tanks

off the battlefieldo

The battle at Guelta Zemmur shows Polisario's continued military strength. As a result of the attack Morocco has with­ drawn from Guelta zemmur and Bir Anzaran, both key outposts .in the southern part of Western Sahara. Polisario's strength clearly upset Washington as well as Rabat. Secretary of state Haig responded by sending his special envoy, Ambassador-- at ... Large Vernon Walters to Morocco and the West mission followed soon after.

Most of Morocco's forces in Western Sahara, including those withdrawn from Guelta Zemmur and Bir Anzaran, are now behind a 400 mile wall of sand. In the past year Morocco has built the wall around what it calls the "useful" Sahara. Essentially the wall is designed to protect the capital Qf Western Sahara, EI Aaiun,the city of Smara and the phosphate mines at Bu Craa. But the wall is more than just sand. There are forts every few miles and the wall is equipped with sophisticated electronic equip­ ment. Moroccan forces remain in only a few towns outside the wall.

Negotiations

King Hassan has not confined his struggle against the Polisario to the battlefield. In a dramatic dipl0matic move at the OAU heads of state meeting last June, the King announced . that Morocco would accept a "controlled referendum" to deter­ mine the future of the area. That move succeeded in keepint!1" the OAU from admitting as a member the Polisario~formed Saharawi Arab De~ocratic Republic, despite the fact that it is recognized as the official government of Western Sahara by over half the organization's member states.

The OAU has consistently supported self-determination for Western Sahara, although the issue is a sensitive one as it involves inter-African conflict. Morocco had previously re­ jecteda referendum proposed by a special OAU committee set up to study the issue of Western Sahara0 But Morocco has be­ come increasingly isolated on the issue while Polisario's sup­ port has continued to grow.

There is some question as to whether Morocco will go through with its offer. James M. Markham of the New York Times reported from Morocco in July, II Few well-placed Moroccan or WeRtern Western Sahara .0.#6 , diplomats here believe that the King has any intention of allowing a referendum that would challenge Morocco's long~ standing claim to the phosphate rich desert. II It appears that Morocco is stalling for time, perhaps having taken a lesson from South Africa. South Africa agreed to an elec­ tion in Namibia in 1978 but has been able to put off im­ plementation for more than three years.

On August 24-25 the OAU Committee established to imple­ ment the ceasefire and referendum called for at the June summit, met in Nairobi. The Committee decided that the re­ ferendum IIshall be one of self-determination which will enable the people of Western Sahara to express themselves freely and democratically on the future of the territoryll and that the choice to be put to voters will be lIindepend­ ence, or integration into Morocco. II King Hassan, on the other hand, had announced only a week earlier that the re­ ferendum '~'m1l1st onJoy be -'a confirmation of the return to the mother country."

In other decisions the committee decided that the re­ ferendum should be conducted by the OAU and the UN, and that "for a fair and impartial organization of the referendum, an impartial interim administration supported by civilian, mili­ tary and police components shall be set up." Moroccan and Polisario forces would be confined to bases and a UN peace­ keeping force would be present.

Morocco, while declaring itself satisfied with the plan, has refused to negotiate directly with Polisario on a cease­ fire. Polisario has declared itself ready to start negotia­ tion at any time. MoroccoDs refusal to negotiate with polisa­ rio has been seen as a stalling tactic and many observers wonder whether Morocco will ever allow implementation of the plan. Lacking a ceasefire, Polisario has pushed ahead with its military activities.

Morocco-Internal Problems

Morocco has significant internal problems, making it increasingly difficult to sustain the high cost of the warn The war leaves little or no money for development and a continuing drought has devastated the economy of the country. To make matters worse, the price of Morocco's main export, phosphate, has declined while its import bill, especially for oil, has risen significantly.

Because of the drought Morocco lost half of its last grain crop and the outlook for the current crop is no bet­ ter. Farmers have been forced to slaughter their livestock Western Sahara~o.#7 because of lack of grazing land, c~using long-term damage to the economy. An estimated 1,000 people a day are leaving the countryside for the cities, creating a large unemployed, disaffected, urban population.

These prohlems were dramatized last June when serious rioting broke out in Casablanca. The government said that 67 people died, but opposition leaders claim over 600 were killed,many by police and army gunfire. Major targets for the rioters included banks, post offices, tax collection offices, gas stations and private cars. Over two thousand people were arrested. Rioters shouted, liThe government takes our bread to pay for the Sahara," reflecting increasing pop­ ular disenchantment with the war. However, all legal poli­ tical parties continue to support Morocco's attempt to annex Western Saharao

Conel.usion

The Reagan administration appears co~nitted to support for Morocco, which it regards as a reliable friend and ally in an unstable region. In this context US fears that King Hassan may not be able to hold on to his throne under the dual pressures of economic collapse and the loss of the Sahara seems to be moving Washington into a more active role against the Polisario-led struggle for independ,~nce. Thus although the US continues to declare support for OAU efforts towards a peaceful solution in Western Sahara, it is in fact supporting Moroccan efforts to achieve a military victory over Polisario and crush the legitimate struggle of the pop­ ulation for self-determination.

Richard Knight December 1g8l .