TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 96

GR S 700

CONFIDENTIAL

FM ALGIERS

TO PRIORITY FCO

ELNO 137

CONFIDENTIAL

NFM 04011

RECEIVED FR

18 JUN 1986

EGISTRY

MAG

31

NFM.040/1 Shake to TREVAN (UN), genera are aware ofour neutral towing,

they will revent if the

& going becomes uncertain!

OF 15083OZ JUNE 86 INFO PRIORITY RABAT, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS-NEW YORK

(30.

RABAT TELNO 149 TO YOU——UNHCR ASSISTANCE TO SAHRAW! REFUGEES IN ALGERIA

2017/1

1. THIS RENEWED MOROCCAN ATTEMPT TO PUT UNHCR ON THE SPOT OVER ITS SUPPORT FOR, AND CONTACT WITH, SAHRAW! REFUGEES IN TINDOUF CAMPS WITHIN ALGERIA AFFORDS A FURTHER INDICATION THAT MOROCCAN PARTICIPATION IN THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL'S CURRENT EXERCISE TO WORK FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION OVER WESTERN SAHARA CONSTITUTES LITTLE MORE THAN A TACTIC FOR BUYING TIME. I HAVE CONSULTED UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE HERE, BODEMAR, ON THE MAIN POINTS IN LATEST

MOROCCAN DEMARCHE (OF WHICH HE HAD HAD WIND).

nee 33 also

2. ON MATTER OF FREE ACCESS TO THE CAMPS (1) BODEMAR ASSURES ME HE AND HIS STAFF HAVE AT NO TIME FOUND THEIR ACCESS RESTRICTED BY ALGERIANS. REQUIREMENT TO OBTAIN PRIOR ALGERIAN AUTHORITIES DERIVES IN HIS VIEW FROM FACT THAT REGION IN QUESTION IS AN ALGERIAN MILITARY ZONE AND DOES NOT APPLY TO CAMP VISITS THEMSELVES, WHICH ARE UNDER SAHRAW! CONTROL. THIS SAID IT OBVIOUSLY SUITS ALGERIANS TO KEEP AN EYE ON UNHCR MOVEMENTS.

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3. AS FOR RE-LOCATION OF UNHCR OFFICE (11) BODEMAR. SEEW NO SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE IN TINDOUF FROM POINT OF VIEW OF HIS TEAMS ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THEIR OVSERVATION ROLE OF MILITARY ACTIVITY WITHIN THE CAMPS. THEY CURRENTLY VISIT EVERY TWO MONTHS ON AVERAGE, AND CONSIDER THE CAMPS WITH WHICH THEY ARE INVOLVED TO BE NON MILITARY.

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BODEMAR ASSERTS THAT HIS OFFICE DOES PERFORM ITS CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF ENCOURAGING RETURN OF REFUGEES, PROVIDED THIS IS ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS. TO THIS END THEY KEEP THE REFUGEES INFORMED OF CONDITIONS WHICH MIGHT AWAIT THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE E.G. SCHOOLS. INDEED THIS ACTIVITY HAS EVEN GIVEN RISE TO SOME SUSPICION FROM POLISARIO THAT UNHCR MIGHT BE EXCEEDING ITSMANDATE · OVER THE SENSITIVE QUESTION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ORGANISATION IS SUPPOSED TO PRESS REPATRIATION IN A CASE WHERE POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS APPLY. AS TO THE NUMBERS PRESENT AT TINDOUF BODEMAR IS UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO GO ON RECORD, BUT HAS INDICATED TO US A FUGURE VERY ROUGHLY IN THE REGION OF 100,000 SAHRAWIS (HE SHOULD NOT BE QUOTED).

5. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE IDEA OF UNHCR PARTICIPATION IN A CENSUS. I DREW BODEMAR'S ATTENTION TO THE PASSAGE IN THE REPORT OF THE 1981 OAU IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE (SEE KINCHEN'S LETTER OF 5 MAY TO THOMSON) WHICH ORDAINED THAT IN DETERMINING THE SAHRAW! REFUGEE POPULATION IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE RECORDS OF UNHCR. I POINTED OUT THAT THE DECISION OF THIS

/COMMITÉÉ

CONFIDENTIAL