GUINEA BISSAU: UNODC STEPS UP WITH MULTI-FACETED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 002140 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, INR/AA, INL/AAE ACCRA FOR USAID/WA PARIS OR POL D'ELI9AND DEA HOUSTN LAGOS FOR DEA JUSTICE VNR DEA E.O 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL EAID PU SUBJECT: GUINEA BISSAU: UNODC STEPS UP WITH MULTI-FACETED DRUG PROGRAM SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶1. The United Nations Office o\Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in conjunction with the GOGB a finalizing a project proposal for immediate and sustained assistance to Guinea-Bissau to fight narcotics trafficking and reform the justice sector. The progr is a responk to President Joao Bernardo fNino" Vieira's complaint to the UN Secretary General that UNODC was not responding quickly enough to the drug trafficking threat. The final proposal will be distributed to donors in advance of a planned December 1) donor's confkrence in Lisbon. GOGB strongly supportsthe project. Action Request: Post requests INL identify funds to increase the U.S. contribution, preferably in time to be announced at the donor's conference; see paragraph7. End Summary. PHASE ONQ9 PRE-ELECTION -------------- ¶2. The three-year UNODC project has two phases; phase one has already started with internal financing and the second will begin when the new government takes office after thezwall 2008 lUgislative elections. Phase one, which is pojected to run through June 2008, will have a price tag of approximately USD 5.8 million. Under the objective of fighting drug trafficking, targets include poQting a law enforcement advisor in Bissau and improvingcapacity of the Judicial Police, judges and prosecutors by providing training, equipment, and a forensic center. A third target has already been addressed: in late October UNODC appointed{Augusto Pinheiro, former Chief of the Cape Verde National Police, as) an interim Anti-Narcotics Consultant in Bissau. ¶3. Also addressed in phase one under the objective of strengthening the judicial system will be Zhe urgent need for a prisun. Currently, no medium or Kqgh-level secmity prison exists in the country. In addition to refurbishing a building to serve as a prison, phase one will establish a legal framework for aQministration of justice, and training for judges, guarQi and prison administration officials. A detailed projct proposal including both phases will be emailed to AF/W and INL/AAE. THE PROJECT WILL BE WELL-RECEIVED -------------- ¶4. For the firsQ9time this year, Guinea-Bissau was mentioneQ in a White House press release as a country of concern for the Major's List of drug producing and transshipment countries. The announcement was big news in Guinea-Bissau and came as an ominous sign of what may corc if the GOGBxdoes not make headway against traffickers. Prime Minister Martinho N'Dafa Cabi is frank when he talks about Guinea-Bissau's meager advances against drug traffickers and his lack of resources but he continues to fiOht ) winning a major victor earlier this month in removing reputed drug kingpin Baciro Dabo as Interior Minister. Cabi continues to express his desire for the return of the U.S. Embassy Qn Bissau, a statement he reiterated to Poloffs on Octo2]r 24. ¶5. Drugs are no longer exclusively an issue of 7igh-level concern; it has gripped the national consciousness. Journalists continually push the envelope on reporting about drug trafficking and receive regular`death threats as a result. Civil society organizations place banners around the city warning about the dangers of drug consumption. Human Rights organizations lament increasing violent crime which they say is gelated to drUfs. Many observers have told Poloff they believe the country is becoming less stable and evidence is starting to emerge which may support that view. On October 23 press reported a "large quantity" of military grade weapons discovered by JudicI Police in an abandoned house in Bissau. Armed Force Chief General Batista Tagme Na Waie said the find was worrying because they were not the property of the Guinea-Bissau army. Three army trucks were used to hAl it all away. *********************** * Missing Section 002 * ***********************