ITALY ON THE SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: WE'RE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001670

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013
TAGS: PINS PHUM EAID SL IT KWCI UNSC
SUBJECT: ITALY ON THE SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: WE'RE
BROKE

REF: STATE 94991

CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) POLOFF COORDINATED DELIVERY OF REFTEL DEMARCHE WITH
THE CANADIAN EMBASSY. MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR WEST AFRICA,
SEBASTIANO FULCI, WAS FRANK IN HIS RESPONSE TO OUR (AND THE
UNSYG'S) REQUEST FOR MORE SUPPORT: ITALY DOES NOT HAVE THE
MEANS. WHAT LIMITED GOI FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR AFRICA AS A
WHOLE TEND TO GO TOWARDS THE HORN OF AFRICA. MR. FULCI, NEW
TO THE JOB IN SEPTEMBER 2002, NOTED THE GOI CHOSE TO FINANCE
ECOWAS IN THE IVORY COAST THIS YEAR FOR ABOUT 110,000 EURO,
SOAKING UP MONEY THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE
SLSC DONATION.


2. (C) FULCI POINTED OUT THAT THE MAJORITY OF ITALIAN
FOREIGN-AID FUNDS ARE RESERVED BY LAW FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND
UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE USED TO FINANCE THE COURT. WHEN
POLOFF POINTED OUT THE COURT SUPPORTS THE RULE OF LAW,
NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FULCI SIMPLY SMILED AND
REPEATED THAT ITALIAN LAW PROHIBITED THE USE OF DEVELOPMENT
FUNDS FOR THE COURT. WHILE HE PERSONALLY DESIRED THAT THE
GOI SPEND MORE MONEY IN WEST AFRICA, IT SIMPLY WAS NOT NOW
AVAILABLE.


3. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME01670 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL