Office of the Historian

239. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1

Washington, April 28, 1979

SUBJECT

  • Mediating the Sahara Conflict

Following the PRC meeting of March 27,2 a Sahara Working Group was established under the leadership of Assistant Secretary Harold Saunders to explore the possibilities for U.S. participation in efforts to mediate the Sahara conflict. The Group’s first meeting on April 5 was attended by representatives of the National Security Council, Defense/ISA, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the State Department. In conformity with its recommendations, the following steps have been undertaken or will be shortly:3

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1. Our Ambassadors to Madrid, Rabat and Algiers met with the Spanish Foreign Minister and other senior Spanish officials April 19 for a discussion which is reported in Madrid’s 5416.4

2. Ambassador Parker will hold similar consultations with senior Quai and Elysee officials on May 3.5

3. Instructions are being sent to several African capitals to ascertain the status of OAU mediation efforts.6

As soon as we have Ambassador Parker’s report of his conversations in Paris, and we have some reaction to our inquiries in African capitals, the Sahara Working Group will meet again to consider appropriate further steps. A discussion paper already has been prepared identifying some of the possible elements in several settlement formulas.7 By May 21, a study of Morocco’s difficulties containing the Polisario military threat should be finished.8

Peter Tarnoff
Executive Secretary
  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 55, Morocco: 1–8/79. Secret; Exdis.↩
  2. See Documents 38 and 39.↩
  3. An unknown hand underlined the phrase “following steps have been undertaken or will be shortly.”↩
  4. An unknown hand underlined the phrase “met with the Spanish Foreign Minister.” See Document 40.↩
  5. An unknown hand underlined the phrase “Parker will hold similar consultations with senior Quai and Elysee officials.” Telegram 14359 from Paris, May 7, reported on the meetings. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790206–0935) See also footnote 3, Document 173.↩
  6. An unknown hand underlined the phrase “OAU mediation efforts.” In telegram 127425 to Addis Ababa, Bamako, and Lagos, May 19, the Department wrote: “Department is interested in any information addressee posts might develop on OAU subcommittee’s recent discussions concerning Western Sahara conflict. Specifically, we are interested in your host governments’ assessment of Obasanjo/Traore mission and any new flexibility on part of parties to dispute to negotiate.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790228–0109)↩
  7. See Document 37.↩
  8. An unknown hand highlighted this sentence. The study was not found.↩