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