RWANDA SUPPORTS PIERRE-RICHARD PROSPER CANDIDACY

UNCLAS KIGALI 001083 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/RHS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA PHUM PREL RW SUBJECT: RWANDA SUPPORTS PIERRE-RICHARD PROSPER CANDIDACY FOR UN POST REF: STATE 157655 (SBU) On November 20 DCM delivered reftel demarche on Pierre-Richard Prosper's candidacy for the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to Ben Rutsinga, Director of International Organizations as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rutsinga agreed that Prosper would make a strong candidate for the position, and said that Prosper was well-known and well-liked by the Rwandan government, due to his years of involvement with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Rutsinga noted that no other nation had yet approached Rwanda on this issue (three other nations presenting candidates, Russia, Tanzania and China, have embassies in Kigali). "I think we can support Prosper," said Rutsinga, saying that at this point in the process, Rwanda was "Seventy-five percent sure" to vote for Prosper. Rutsinga added, however, that the Rwandan Cabinet has the final say-so on who Rwanda votes for in UN elections. Finally, he noted he will endeavor to ensure the Rwanda Mission, which his often stretched thin trying to cover multiple UN meetings, is present for the vote. ARIETTI ARIETTI