Comoros: Colonel Bacar Letter to Secretary Rice

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000192

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

ADDIS FOR AMBASSADOR COURVILLE
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO, INR/AA, AND DRL
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF/E RMEDRANO
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KDEM PHUM PINR CN

SUBJECT: Comoros: Colonel Bacar Letter to Secretary Rice


1. (SBU) In an apparent response to the Ambassador's March 7 op-ed
in the Comoran media endorsing Union and African Union actions,
Anjouan's Colonel Bacar sent Post a letter for Secretary Rice on
March 11. In it, Bacar repeats the same legal-constitutional
arguments he made during 2007 in Cape Town and Pretoria. He calls
democratically-elected Union President Sambi a "bloody
totalitarian," and characterizes himself as a victim and defender of
the constitution.


2. (SBU) Bacar's central "demand" remains that he wants to
participate in an inter-Comoran dialogue on elections and
constitutional arrangements, before Anjouan elections are held
again. The Union Government and international community have
repeatedly stated such a meeting is in fact necessary, but only
comprised of legitimately elected authorities resulting from new
elections in Anjouan.


3. (U) An informal translation of the letter follows below in para
5; Post sent a copy of the original to AF/E. Post has also sent the
desk Ambassador Marquardt's op/ed to the Comoran media.


4. (SBU) Comment: There is nothing new in Bacar's letter; he makes
the same weak and erroneous claims about the constitution that have
been rejected by almost everyone in the international community.
Bacar's arguments ignore one key fact: he refused to allow
international observation for a free and fair island election in
June 2007. Bacar seized power by force and without legitimacy. End
Comment.


5. (U) Informal Translation

Her Excellency the Secretary of State of the United States

Subject: The rule of law and democracy cannot succumb to bloody
totalitarianism

Excellency,

I have the honor of sending you a condensed version of the dossier
of the organization of island elections in Anjouan June 10, 2007;

Excellency,

The situation presented by the African Union Special Envoy (Madeira)
and Resident Representative (Mourad) have nothing in common with the
reality on the ground. Mr. Sambi and his accomplices Madeira and
Mourad have oriented the international community to view the crisis
as separatism, when in fact it is a legal-constitutional conflict
following poor management of the June 10, 2007 election in Anjouan.

All of this was caused by a series of improper acts in violation of
the constitution and institutions committed with impunity by the
Union Government of the Comoros.

I am confident that the United States, a country that respects human
rights and democracy, will know how to overcome Sambi's lies and
impose law and equality for all.

For this reason, the Anjouanese authorities propose an alternate
scenario that avoids bloodshed:

Phase 1: Convene a constitutional-legal commission to discuss the
electoral process; composed of representatives from the Union,
Anjouan, and international community.

Phase 2: Convene an inter-Comoran dialogue between the three
Islands, then eventually with the Union, with international
observation, to reconcile legal texts and repair the constitutional
and institutional dysfunctions that came to light in the course of
the last elections.

Phase 3: Implement the decisions of the conference, including
holding elections if that is one of the conferees' conclusions.

The Anjouan authorities note the principle of the right to
self-defense in the case of aggression that is embodied in its
constitutional autonomy of the Island of Anjouan in the following:

-- Article 28, line 4 of the Anjouan Constitution, "if the safety of
Anjouan is compromised by threats to public order, the island

ANTANANARI 00000192 002 OF 002


President takes appropriate measures."

-- Legislation signed by President Sambi September 7, 2006, about
Anjouan, article 2, "the interior security force is a permanent
police force with military characteristics of the first and second
category, having as its mission to maintain and reestablish public
order, protection, and civil protection..."

The Anjouanese authorities call on the United States to arbitrate
the legal-constitutional argument in the Comoros that is at the
foundation of the crisis, to avoid bloodshed in Anjouan.

All of the democracies of the world must fight so that the rule of
law and democracy do not succumb to Mr. Sambi's bloody
totalitarianism.

I count on your consideration and extend my appreciation.

//Signed//

Colonel Mohamed Bacar


End Text

Note: The letter was a scanned copy sent from a yahoo.com account,
but Post believes it to be authentic. Attached were several other
documents conveying Bacar's version of events since he seized power
in 2007. End Note.

MARQUARDT