NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST: SIERRA LEONE

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000855 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN, IO, EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP KPAO WMD MNUC SL SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST: SIERRA LEONE REF: (A) STATE 166404 (B) STATE 169418 (C) STATE 169269 (D) FREETOWN 747 (E) FREETOWN 840 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth Pratt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On October 17, Charge met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Umaru Wurie to deliver reftel points and share USG concerns with North Korea's October 8 nuclear test and continuing efforts to develop WMD. Charge emphasized the importance of preventing North Korea from developing and exporting WMD and urged GoSL's full support for the strong message and directives contained in UNSC resolution 1718. Charge initially had raised the issue with Minister of Foreign Affairs Momodou Koroma on October 9 during the launch of the government's new youth employment initiative (Ref E). DG Wurie responded that Sierra Leone supported UNSC resolution 1718 and said that he would cancel a previously delayed invitational visit to North Korea. PRATT