FRENCH RESPONSE ON PROPOSED JOINT DEMARCHE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001614 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2006 TAGS: MARR PHUM KCRM KPKO CG FR MONUC SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE ON PROPOSED JOINT DEMARCHE ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE INVOLVING UN PEACEKEEPERS REF: STATE 34084 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Embassy Africa watcher shared reftel points February 26 on a proposed joint demarche to troop contributing countries (TCCs) with MFA IO Africa expert Clement Leclerc. ¶2. (C) While Leclerc's initial reaction was guardedly positive, in a subsequent meeting March 4, he told us that the ambush and killing of MONUC forces and the subsequent MONUC operation against the FNI in Ituri meant that the context of MONUC's presence in the DRC had changed. He noted that UNSYG Annan had asked TCCs to take action against those who committed abuses, as France and Morocco had done. In these circumstances, he suggested, France was unlikely to participate in a joint demarche. Leach