50. Telegram From the Embassy in Tunisia to the Department of State1
1561.
Tunis, February 21, 1985, 1043Z
SUBJECT
- Algerians Tell Tunisians That Maghreb Summit Must Wait Indefinitely.
Ref:
- Tunis 1507.2
- 1.
- (Secret—Entire text.)
- 2.
- FonMin’s Special Assistant Hassen el Ghouayel (protect) told Political Counselor late February 20 that Algerian Ambassador Messaoud Ait Chaalal had asked to see GOT Foreign Minister Caid Essebsi earlier in the day with an “urgent” message. Ait Chaalal, who had just been in Algiers on consultations, informed the GOT that the GOA could not accept the two-month time limitation proposed by the Tunisians to give the Moroccans and Algerians time to work out their differences prior to the holding of a Maghreb Summit of Five. El Ghouayel offered no further details on the contents of the message, but in response to questioning he said that the exchange was friendly. He gave the impression that Algeria’s decision was based on its judgement that their bilateral contacts with Morocco were not advancing.
- 3.
- Comment. Although we cannot predict for certain how President Bourguiba—who had strong hopes for a summit—will react, we believe that the Tunisians will almost certainly put their efforts on hold for the time being, while not abandoning hope for the concept over the longer term.
Sebastian
- Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D850118–0640. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information to Algiers, Nouakchott, Paris, and Rabat.↩
- In telegram 1507 from Tunis, February 19, the Embassy reported that Algerian officials insisted that “Tunisia should not issue invitations to Maghreb summit yet” as the Algerians “said they needed more time in their bilateral exchanges with the Moroccans.” The Embassy commented: “The GOT has had to accept the fact that the Algerian-Moroccan dispute cannot be papered over by elegant rhetoric, however well-intentioned.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D850113–0318)↩