Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS2553
2006-04-19 10:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE: AMBASSADOR WEISBERG'S APRIL 14

Tags:  PREL VZ SU CF FR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7496
RR RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHFR #2553/01 1091031
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 191031Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6438
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1203
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0370
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0719
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002553 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

KINSHASA PASS BRAZZAVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2016
TAGS: PREL VZ SU CF FR
SUBJECT: CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE: AMBASSADOR WEISBERG'S APRIL 14
CONSULTATIONS AT FOREIGN MINISTRY

REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 1004

B. KINSHASA 589

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4. (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002553

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

KINSHASA PASS BRAZZAVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2016
TAGS: PREL VZ SU CF FR
SUBJECT: CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE: AMBASSADOR WEISBERG'S APRIL 14
CONSULTATIONS AT FOREIGN MINISTRY

REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 1004

B. KINSHASA 589

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4. (b/d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In an April 14 meeting with Ambassador
Robert Weisberg, MFA DAS-equivalent Helene Le Gal said that
Republic of Congo (ROC) President Sassou Nguesso told the
French prior to the African Union's April 13 communique on
Chad that the AU would not condemn Sudan. A small group of
ROC officials is managing ROC's presence on the UNSC and its
presidency of the AU; Le Gal said that so far, the ROC had
done an effective job as AU president. She said that, in
France's view, the AU's March 10 decision on rehatting AMIS
was a "green light" and did not contain hidden obstacles.
France was concerned about the recent "Publish What You Pay:
incident in the ROC, which underscored the need for
transparency concerning financial management issues. She
agreed with Ambassador Weisberg that the U.S. and France
should consider ways to stress the importance of transparency
to the ROC. Le Gal expressed concern about China's offering
loans to the ROC tied to oil, saying this could cause
problems with the World Bank and IMF. Le Gal had no comment
on the Venezuelan UNSC candidacy and African voting
intentions, but she mentioned that Venezuela apparently
planned to open six additional embassies in Africa. END
SUMMARY.

ROC a Friend of Chad?


2. (C) Ambassador Robert Weisberg, en route to the Republic
of Congo (ROC),met with MFA DAS-equivalent Helene Le Gal on
April 14. Noting the assistance that Chad President Deby had
provided to ROC President Sassou Nguesso in 1997, we asked Le
Gal whether this would induce Sassou Nguesso to encourage AU
support for Deby in the wake of the recent coup attempt. Le
Gal referred to the African Union's Peace and Security
Council communique of April 13 (ref A),noting that it did
not condemn Sudan directly, although "everybody knows Sudan
is supporting the rebels in Chad," she said, point a finger
at the Sudanese security services. Le Gal said the GOF had
spoken to Sassou Nguesso before the AU PSC meeting, and he

said the communique would not condemn Sudan but would rather
focus on the rebels. Le Gal noted the strong links between
Deby, Sassou Nguesso, Gabon President Bongo, and CAR
President Bozize, who tended to support each other.

UNSC and AU: A Tight and Compact ROC Team


3. (C) Le Gal said that a handful of ROC officials was
responsible for managing ROC's tenure on the UNSC and its
presidency of the AU. This small group included Sassou
Nguesso, Foreign Minister Adada, Adada's Secretary-General
and Diplomatic Counselor, and the ROC's Ambassadors in New
York, Addis Ababa, and Paris. Le Gal said that these
ambassadors were of high quality. She said that ROC energies
seemed more directed at managing international rather than
domestic issues. So far, the ROC seemed to be doing an
effective job as AU president, although its tenure had only
begun. She mentioned that the ROC had handled the AMIS
rehatting issue relatively well in the AU. Le Gal was
confident that the AU's March 10 decision represented a
"green light," with no hidden obstacles that might complicate
rehatting at a later stage. "If anyone has problems, it will
be Sudan, and not the AU," she said.

ROC Financial Management Issues


4. (C) Le Gal noted ROC's continuing international debt
problems and their effect on the ROC's relations with the
World Bank and other IFIs. She stressed the need for
transparency, and expressed dismay over the "Publish What You
Pay" episode (ref B). The arrest and harassment of the two
members of the NGO were a "step backward." Le Gal indicated
that the GOF had advised the ROC against taking the kinds of
action it had taken against "Publish What You Pay."
Ambassador Weisberg commented that the American public could
become increasingly aware of ROC financial irregularities and
would not take kindly to them. Le Gal agreed with Ambassador
Weisberg on the need to promote transparency in the ROC and
suggested that the GOF and USG, through their missions in
Brazzaville, discuss ways to cooperate in this area. She
noted that petroleum giant Total, which had an important (but
not "privileged") presence in the ROC, was also calling for
transparency.


PARIS 00002553 002 OF 002


Domestic Issues


5. (C) Le Gal said that Sassou Nguesso seemed to be in full
control domestically, but she remarked that there had never
been a true disarming of various militia groups. She said
that some reconciliation on the government's part seems to
have taken place with the opposition. She and Ambassador
Weisberg compared notes on road and railway construction
projects, and the long-discussed but never implemented bridge
project that would link Kinshasa and Brazzaville, which the
DRC always seemed to scotch. Le Gal and Ambassador Weisberg
agreed on the importance of working with the ROC on
environmental issues, given the country's resources and rain
forests.

China


6. (C) Le Gal remarked that China had established a
presence in ROC, "as it has in all African countries with
resources." She said that China offered loans to the ROC
tied to oil. She believed that the ROC risked aggravating
its problems with the World Bank and IMF if it continued to
make such loan arrangements with China, and she indicated
that France had counseled the ROC on potential problems with
the IFIs regarding the Chinese loans.

Venezuela: Courting Africans?


7. (C) Ambassador Weisberg queried Le Gal about how
Africans viewed the UNSC candidacy of Venezuela. Le Gal
offered no definitive information, but she noted her surprise
at hearing that Venezuela was planning to open an additional
six embassies in Africa. She did not recall the locations.

ROC Nationals in France


8. (C) Le Gal said in passing that there was not a large
population of ROC nationals residing in France, especially
when compared with the number of DRC nationals in France.



Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton