Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NOUAKCHOTT494
2006-04-27 10:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:  

EUROPEAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDS STEP TO ENABLE

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0242
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0549
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0280
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RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 0244
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0194
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000494 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDS STEP TO ENABLE
CLOSER EU-MAURITANIAN TIES

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LEBARON, REASON 1.4 (B),
(D)

--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------

-- The European Commission has recommended to the EU Council
of Ministers that it closed the consultation phase of the
Article 96 process under the Cotonou agreement. Such a move
would allow for closer EU cooperation with the Mauritanian
government.

-- According to an EU rep, the long delay in closing the
consultation phase (approximately 150 days instead of the
customary 120 days) is due to the lumbering EU
decision-making process, and not the actions of the
Mauritanians.

-- The favorable recommendation comes despite the fact that
the Mauritanians have slipped on some of the 24 commitments
they presented to the EU in October, including the selection
of a redistricting method and the defining of "sound
mechanisms" for the financing of political parties.

-- The EU heads of missions complained to the interior
minister about census problems in the south, and got the same
response that Fal gave Ambassador: no Mauritanians are coming
to us to complain.

-----------
(C) Comment
-----------

--EU counselor Gatta has been personally outspoken in his
criticism of the failures of the process both privately and
in partners' meetings. However, it seems the EU intends, at
least for now, to continue its support for the transitional
process.

End Key Points and Comment.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000494

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDS STEP TO ENABLE
CLOSER EU-MAURITANIAN TIES

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LEBARON, REASON 1.4 (B),
(D)

--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------

-- The European Commission has recommended to the EU Council
of Ministers that it closed the consultation phase of the
Article 96 process under the Cotonou agreement. Such a move
would allow for closer EU cooperation with the Mauritanian
government.

-- According to an EU rep, the long delay in closing the
consultation phase (approximately 150 days instead of the
customary 120 days) is due to the lumbering EU
decision-making process, and not the actions of the
Mauritanians.

-- The favorable recommendation comes despite the fact that
the Mauritanians have slipped on some of the 24 commitments
they presented to the EU in October, including the selection
of a redistricting method and the defining of "sound
mechanisms" for the financing of political parties.

-- The EU heads of missions complained to the interior
minister about census problems in the south, and got the same
response that Fal gave Ambassador: no Mauritanians are coming
to us to complain.

--------------
(C) Comment
--------------

--EU counselor Gatta has been personally outspoken in his
criticism of the failures of the process both privately and
in partners' meetings. However, it seems the EU intends, at
least for now, to continue its support for the transitional
process.

End Key Points and Comment.


1. (C) According to EU Counselor Bruno Gatta, his mission
recently informed the Mauritanians that the European
Commission has recommended to the EU Council of Ministers to
close the consultation phase of the Article 96 process under
the Cotonou agreement, and the council will make its decision
at the end of April or early May.


2. (C) Gatta told DCM that this decision was reached on April

10. However, the EU mission has only now received
Mauritania's updated report on progress on its 24 commitments
made in October 2005. He noted wryly that in the most recent
report, the Mauritanians no longer referred to them as
"commitments," but now as "points."


3. (C) Gatta said that while the Mauritanians technically
complied with the commitments, several key commitments
promised by the end of March still have not been realized.
Most significantly, the Mauritanians have not yet chosen a
method of redistricting, which would allow for a more
representational make-up of the parliament (Commitment 7).
While as written, the government can demonstrate it has
"examined" the issue, it has not yet finalized its decision.


4. (C) Gatta also said that the consensus reached between the
Inter-Ministerial Commission on Elections and Political
Parties April 21 to expand parliament to 95 seats from the
present 81 will do little to make the distribution of seats
more equitable. Under the agreement, 14 seats will be given
to parties proportionally according to national election
results with the other 81 given to districts based on 2000
census demographics. Therefore, while less populated
districts such as Bir Moghrein in the extreme north of the
country (pop. 2,761) will continue to have one seat, Arafat
(a suburb of Nouakchott with a population of 102,169) will
only have two or three.


5. (C) The same is true for financing of political parties.
Although committed to "defining sound mechanisms" for

NOUAKCHOTT 00000494 002 OF 002


financing political parties by the end of March (Commitment
4),the transitional government has thus far only presented a
proposal to political parties for discussion. A consensus
has not yet been reached.


6. (C) Gatta said he now realizes that the Mauritanians were
"devilish" in their decision to provide as many as 24
commitments, as the international community would most likely
accept slippage on such an ambitious proposal. In retrospect,
the EU should have focused on just a few of the commitments
and demanded clearer benchmarks for them.


7. (8) Gatta said that the French and Spanish Ambassadors and
the German charge and he called on the interior minister to
relay their concerns about reports of difficulties of the
census in the south. The minister replied that the
government was not receiving reports of discrimination, so
could not respond. Gatta believes that the EU can go no
further on this matter until the Mauritanian victims
themselves start to complain, either individually or in
groups.

LeBaron
LeBaron