UNSC SEAT: LESOTHO AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR GUATEMALA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MASERU 000513 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP-HARRIS, GOLDENBERG, USUN FOR DUGAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2016 TAGS: UNSC GT VE LT SUBJECT: UNSC SEAT: LESOTHO AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR GUATEMALA REF: (A) STATE 171368 (B) CDA-AF/S E-MAILS 10/11-12 (C) MASERU 493 CLASSIFIED BY: W. Patrick Murphy, Charge d'Affaires, EXEC , STATE. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Charge spoke on October 13 with Pitso Makosholo, acting Principle Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to urge Lesotho's continued support for Guatemala as a non-permanent member of the UNSC during the first round ballot on October 16, and through all subsequent balloting, even if other candidates emerge (ref A). ¶2. (C) Mokosholo reaffirmed Lesotho's support, as expressed to Charge on several occasions earlier in the week (ref B). He said he had spoken directly with the Foreign Minister, who in turn had consulted with the Prime Minister. On the basis of those conversations, Mokosholo planned to make additional contact on October 13 with the Lesotho PermRep in New York to reiterate instructions supporting Guatemala. ¶3. (C) Comment: FM Moleleki remained unreachable to us on October 13, as he has been all week, due to an unrelated crisis in Parliament for his governing political party, the LCD (septel). Makosholo's assurances of Lesotho's support for Guatemala, however, are sound, and are consistent with FM Moleleki's previous expressions of outrage over Venezuelan President Chavez's UNGA speech (ref C). MURPHY