Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME5832
2002-12-04 05:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

NIGERIA, ZIMBABWE, COTE D'IVOIRE: ITALY, EU

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI IT 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005832 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2007
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: NIGERIA, ZIMBABWE, COTE D'IVOIRE: ITALY, EU
CONFIDENTIAL


PAGE 02 ROME 05832 01 OF 02 050113Z
CONSIDER APPROPRIATE ROLE

REF: 12/2 D. EPSTEIN-K. METRES EMAIL

CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNS T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005832

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2007
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI ITALY'>IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: NIGERIA, ZIMBABWE, COTE D'IVOIRE: ITALY, EU
CONFIDENTIAL


PAGE 02 ROME 05832 01 OF 02 050113Z
CONSIDER APPROPRIATE ROLE

REF: 12/2 D. EPSTEIN-K. METRES EMAIL

CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNS T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. AFRICA DG CABRAS REQUESTED A MEETING WITH
POLMINCOUNS TO GET U.S. VIEWS ON THE CRISIS IN NIGERIA AND
REVIEW OTHER TIMELY ISSUES. SOME ITALIAN NGOS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA, BUT
CABRAS AGREED THAT THE GOI'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY MUST BE
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. ON ZIMBABWE, CABRAS MENTIONED THAT
AN UPCOMING EU MEETING WOULD DISCUSS HOW TO HANDLE THE
QUESTION OF WHETHER TO INVITE MUGABE TO NEXT YEAR'S EU-AU
MINISTERIAL. THE EU MEETING WOULD ALSO DISCUSS COTE
D'IVOIRE, AND THE GOI WOULD PUSH FOR GREATER EU INVOLVEMENT
IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. POLMINCOUNS RAISED THE FOOD CRISIS IN
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA, AND CABRAS SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT
TERRORISM IN KENYA. END SUMMARY.

--------------
NIGERIA: DEATH PENALTY, ELECTIONS
--------------


2. (C) ON DECEMBER 2, POLMINCOUNS MET WITH BRUNO CABRAS,
THE MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS. CABRAS
REQUESTED THE MEETING IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE FONMIN FOR AN
UPCOMING MEETING WITH NESSUNO TOCCHI CAINO (LET NOBODY TOUCH
CAIN),A LOCAL ANTI-DEATH PENALTY NGO. NOTE: THE DEATH
SENTENCES AGAINST TWO UNWED NIGERIAN MOTHERS ATTRACTED
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ROME 05832 01 OF 02 050113Z
WIDESPREAD CONCERN IN ITALY, PUTTING NIGERIA ON THE MFA'S
RADAR SCREEN. END NOTE. POLMINCOUNS DREW FROM REF A POINTS
ON ELECTION ASSISTANCE, TO WHICH CABRAS REPLIED, "OUR
POSITIONS COINCIDE ALMOST PERFECTLY." THE GOI'S FIRST
PRIORITY WAS SUPPORTING THE ELECTION PROCESS; ITALY HAS
PROVIDED ITALIAN OBSERVERS AND TECHNICAL AID OVER AND ABOVE
THE EU PROGRAM. CABRAS OPINED THAT THE REAL CAUSES OF THE

STRIFE WERE POLITICAL STRUGGLE AND ECONOMIC DEGRADATION, NOT
ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES PER SE.

--------------
EU-AU: THE ZIMBABWE QUESTION, ROUND II
--------------


3. (C) IN A DECEMBER 4 MEETING IN BRUSSELS, EU AFRICA
HANDS WILL DISCUSS HOW TO HANDLE THE EU-AU MINISTERIAL
PLANNED FOR LISBON IN 2003, IN LIGHT OF THE FAILURE OF THE
EU-SADC MAPUTU "SOLUTION" TO THE DILEMMA OF ACCORDING MUGABE
THE HONOR OF AN INVITATION TO EUROPE. CABRAS ASSERTED THAT
SINCE THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS DIALOGUE, NO COUNTRY
COULD BE EXCLUDED. HE BELIEVED THAT POSTPONEMENT WOULD "SEND
A VERY BAD MESSAGE" AND THAT THE AU STATES WOULD NOT COME IF
MUGABE WERE NOT INVITED. POLMINCOUNS SAID THAT THE SUMMIT IS
MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO THE AU THAN IT IS TO THE EUROPEAN
LEADERS. THE EU SHOULD NOT BE SO HESITANT TO USE THAT
LEVERAGE TO FIND A WAY TO EXCLUDE MUGABE.

-------------- --------------
COTE D'IVOIRE: COULD THE EU HELP THE DISMAL SITUATION?
-------------- --------------

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 ROME 05832 01 OF 02 050113Z

4. (C) TURNING TO COTE D'IVOIRE, CABRAS SAID THE GOI'S
FIRST PRIORITY WAS THE SUCCESS OF THE ECOWAS NEGOTIATIONS,
WHICH HE NOTED, "ARE NOT GOING WELL." THE ROLE OF PRESIDENT
WADE OF SENEGAL, WHO "WANTED TO BE CENTER STAGE" IN SPITE OF
OTHER COUNTRIES' DISSENSION, WAS PROBLEMATIC, AND THE REBELS
HAD CALLED INTO QUESTION THE ENTIRE CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE
OF CDI. IF THE GCI COULD NOT RECAPTURE MAN, THERE WOULD BE
NO MILITARY OPTION FOR THE GCI UNLESS FRANCE BACKED IT.
THERE WAS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT GCI FORCES COULD TURN
AGAINST PRESIDENT GBAGBO, LEADING TO CDI'S PARTITION AND
"ECONOMIC DISASTER FOR THE COUNTRY AND THE REGION."


5. (C) AT THE BRUSSELS MEETING, WHICH THE GOI WOULD CHAIR,
A DISCUSSION OF WHETHER DIRECT ENGAGEMENT BY THE EU IN CDI
COULD HELP WOULD BE "VERY, VERY HIGH ON THE AGENDA." THE
GOI, WHICH FAVORS ENGAGEMENT BY THE EU, MIGHT PROPOSE SENDING
A SPECIAL ENVOY TO "ORIENT THE NEGOTIATION" BETWEEN THE
PARTIES. CABRAS WASN'T SURE THAT FRANCE WOULD BE
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT AN EU ROLE BUT PREDICTED THAT IN A FEW
WEEKS OR MONTHS, THE GOF WOULD WELCOME THIS SHARING OF THE
BURDEN.

--------------
FOOD CRISIS: MFA WITH US ON GMO ISSUE

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7541

PAGE 01 ROME 05832 02 OF 02 050114Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00
/007W
-------------- 12D607 050114Z /21
R 040510Z DEC 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7184
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY ACCRA
AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU
AMCONSUL LAGOS
USEU BRUSSELS 2989

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005832

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2007
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI PGOV PHUM CI ZI NI IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: NIGERIA, ZIMBABWE, COTE D'IVOIRE: ITALY, EU
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 05832 02 OF 02 050114Z
CONSIDER APPROPRIATE ROLE

--------------


6. (C) FURTHER DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON FOOD SECURITY AND
TERRORISM IN KENYA. POLMINCOUNS RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE FOOD
CRISIS IN SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA. IN SPITE OF THE
CONTROVERSIAL NATURE OF THE GMO ISSUE IN ITALY, CABRAS SAID,
"WE ARE ON THE SAME LINE (WITH YOU)." ASKED ABOUT KENYA,
POLMINCOUNS MENTIONED THAT WE HAD RELEASED A TRAVEL ADVISORY
ALSO COVERING DJIBOUTI AND YEMEN. CABRAS AGREED THAT SUCH
ACTION WAS NECESSARY BUT REGRETTED THE IMPACT OF SUCH
WARNINGS ON THE ECONOMIES OF THE COUNTRIES NAMED.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME05832 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL