FAL SPEAKS OUT ON CORRUPTION, FOLLOWING UP ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000479

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: FAL SPEAKS OUT ON CORRUPTION, FOLLOWING UP ON
EARLIER ANTI-CORRUPTION MOVES


Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)

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(C) Key Points
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-- In a speech April 20 attended by governmental officials,
political leaders, businessmen and the press, Colonel Fal
called on all major elements of Mauritanian society to help
stop Mauritania's long-standing problems of corruption and
unfair practices.

-- Fal said the government had already taken several positive
steps, but that much more needed to be done.

-- In a private meeting with Fal on April 7, Ambassador told
Fal that the Embassy had been following the government's
effort to reduce corruption. The Embassy had noted that
corrupt practices had lessened, particularly at the airport
and at traffic checkpoints in the capital and elsewhere,
where police had routinely shaken down motorists.

-- Ambassador said, however, that the Embassy continued to
receive reports that corruption persists at the working level
within the ministries. In a non-paper left with Fal,
Ambassador encouraged Fal "to do even more within the
ministries to make clear his stand against all forms of
corruption."

End Key Points.


1. (U) In a speech April 20, Colonel Fal called on government
officials and businessmen to bring an end to Mauritania's
long-standing problem of corruption. The speech, attended by
numerous governmental officials, political leaders,
businessmen and the press first focused on Mauritania's
legacy of corruption, then offered three ways to address this
legacy, before finally highlighting the positive steps taken
by the government to date.

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THE SPEECH
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2. (U) According to Fal, before the coup "each minister, each
director, and each official thought that the institution he
was leading was owned by his family, his tribe, or his clan."
"The citizen who had to deal with these institutions thought
that they were not dealing with the government of their
country but with those persons in charge of these
institutions," Fal said adding that "the attitude of our
countrymen became warped." Fal concluded this point by
saying that if preventative actions were not taken, "a nation
with this kind of attitude would soon disappear."


3. (U) Fal said that to address these problems three steps
must be taken: a) the press, civil society, and NGOs must be
responsibly involved in the transition; b) controls must be
reinforced to prevent fraud, theft, and corruption; c)
competent people must be appointed and placed in the right
positions. Fal continued that "each of us needs to take
responsibility on this issue," and that "the government,
NGOs, press, and political parties can play a big role in
this by denouncing any cases of wrongdoing."


4. (U) Fal said the government had already taken several
steps towards fighting corruption, including the creation of
inspectors general in each ministry and the use of a
merit-based system for government appointments based on
"education, honesty, and commitment." "We have already found
that hundreds of millions of ouguiyas were taken illegally,"
Fal said, adding that "we have also recovered one hundred
government cars (that were being illegally used) and put them
to use in the census."


5. (U) Fal added that Mauritanian businessmen needed to do
more themselves to stamp out corruption, noting that "their
practices with foreign businessman affect our efforts to
attract foreign investment." "Many times when I talk to
businessmen from other countries they tell me that they
won,t invest in our country because their experiences with

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Mauritanian businessmen have not been successful," Fal said.


6. (U) Fal concluded the speech by saying that "Mauritania
will be what you want her to be. No solutions will come from
the sky."
LeBaron