2006 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE: GOVERNMENT DISAPPOINTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000686 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2016 TAGS: KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG EAID KPAO MR SUBJECT: 2006 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE: GOVERNMENT DISAPPOINTED WITH LOWERED RATING, BUT COMMITTED TO FUTURE PROGRESS REF: A. STATE 85518 ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 664 Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (U) ADCM met June 1 with MOFA Secretary General Mohamed Lemine Ould Moulaye Zeine to deliver ref A demarche and English version of the 2006 TIP report. Later that day, Poloff delivered the same information to the Director of Human Rights Mohamedou Ould Tijani of the Commission for Human Rights, Insertion and the Fight Against Poverty, who chairs the government's Inter-Ministerial TIP Committee. ¶2. (U) Zeine told ADCM that he believed Mauritania should have received a higher rating, but added that "we are grateful for the continued help of the US in this and other areas, and intend to continue partnering with you to fight slavery in all its forms." "We will work to improve the economic, educational and social factors that lead to slavery," Zeine concluded. ¶3. (U) ADCM told Zeine "the Embassy had noted Fal's recent public comments addressing slavery (ref B),and we will follow his actions with great interest.8 ¶4. (C) Tijani told Poloff that "while I'm disappointed with Washington's decision, I am not entirely surprised." He said "the embassy has discussed the need to see our anti-slavery law applied for a long time, and we have not done this," adding that "between you and me, I believe the Ministry of Justice has been unwilling to bring a case to trial, regardless of its merit." ¶5. (C) Responding to Poloff's question if he anticipated any slavery related trials in the coming year, Tidjani said "Fal's recent comments (see ref B) give me hope, but it will take action from the highest ranks of the government to make this happen, and I don't know if the will exists." LeBaron