GUINEA-BISSAU AND SENEGAL WILL OPPOSE BELARUS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 001025 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR P, IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA, AF/RSA AND AF/W PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC PU SG SUBJECT: GUINEA-BISSAU AND SENEGAL WILL OPPOSE BELARUS IN UNHRC REF: A. STATE 063345 ¶B. STATE 058056 Classified By: Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Guinea-Bissau Watcher delivered Ref A demarche and talking points to Bissau-Guinean Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities Maria da Conceicao Nobre Cabral on May 10 via telephone. Minister Cabral said she would instruct the Bissau-Guinean Permanent Representative in New York to oppose Belarus, nomination to the UN Human Rights Council and instead support Slovenia and Bosnia. ¶2. (C) PolOff and DCM separately demarched senior officials at Senegal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs who assured us that Senegal would not support Belarus and would support Slovenia and Bosnia. Ambassador Mankeur Ndiaye, the Director of Cabinet, welcomed Bosnia's possible candidacy and urged coordination in New York. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Embassy believes that contacting the Bissau-Guinean and Senegalese PermReps in New York is essential. END COMMENT. JACOBS