ANGOLA NOT LIKELY TO SUPPORT BELARUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000463 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO AND AF/S E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017 TAGS: PREL UNHRC PHUM AO SUBJECT: ANGOLA NOT LIKELY TO SUPPORT BELARUS REF: A. SECSTATE 58054 ¶B. LUANDA 0445 Classified By: CDA FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ FOR REASONS 1.4 (B)(D) ¶1. (U) Poloff delivered demarche on Belarus' candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council (reftel A) on May 10th, 2007 to Jacinto Rangel, Deputy Director of the Department of International Organizations in the Ministry of Foreign Relations. Rangel thanked us for our points and confirmed that the French and UK embassies had jointly spoken with him on this issue the previous day. ¶2. (C) Rangel stated, off the record, his belief that the GRA does not want to jeopardize its own candidacy to the Human Rights Council. For this reason he expects the GRA will, at the very least, abstain. He did not rule out a no vote against Belarus. He stated that final decisions have not been made and will not be announced in advance of the vote. ¶3. (U) Rangel also took the opportunity to reiterate the GRA's request for USG support of Angola's candidacy to the Human Right Council (reftel B). FERNANDEZ