COMOROS REQUESTS FOLLOW-UP ON BILATERAL TALK REQUESTS

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000040

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SUBJECT: COMOROS REQUESTS FOLLOW-UP ON BILATERAL TALK REQUESTS


REF: A) ANTANANARIVO 34 AND PREVIOUS
B) 07 ANTANANARIVO 399


1. (U) Ambassador Marquardt met with Acting Foreign Minister Mourad
Said Ibrahim January 11 for a review of bilateral relations in the
wake of A/S Frazer's visit, which had focused on the Anjouan crisis
(REF A). After reaffirming the mutual hope that USG involvement
will assist in resolving that crisis, the Minister's discussion
focused on perceived lack of follow-up to the April 19 USG-Comoros
bilateral talks in Moroni (REF B). Ibrahim noted (erroneously) that
the Union Government has received no feedback from the U.S. --
positive, negative or otherwise -- since it presented a number of
important projects during the bilateral talks; he inquired about
their status: "Is this a dead letter?"


2. (U) The Ambassador assured Ibrahim that Comoros' requests have
not been forgotten, quite the contrary, in fact, as we work hard to
mobilize additional USG resources for his country. He explained
that the talks had been useful in identifying Comoros' most pressing
needs, to help us draw our own conclusions on ways to help by
matching them with USG programs and available funding. The
Ambassador promised to send a letter detailing current and future
U.S. programs in the Comoros, including the USAID distance learning
project launched in November, CJTF-HOA school
construction/rehabilitation projects underway, and a pending
micro-enterprise project. He explained the USG is poised to invest
USD 500,000 into Comoros' education sector and hopes to support a
feasibility study on tapping geothermal energy from volcanic Mount
Karthala. The Ambassador also expressed his commitment to attract
and mobilize U.S. private sector investment through the African
Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA),encouraging Ibrahim and the GOC
to start preparing now for the day AGOA arrives -- and also
explaining that resolution of the Anjouan crisis will greatly help
establish AGOA eligibility. The Ambassador also stated the
Department's intention to station one diplomat, reporting to
Antananarivo, in Moroni for three weeks out of every month; this may
help lay the groundwork eventually to reopen an EMBASSY in Moroni.
Finally, the Ambassador noted that preparations for the return of
the Peace Corps to Comoros are underway, pending available funding
in the FY09 budget.


3. (SBU) COMMENT: There is an undercurrent of disappointment within
the Government of Comoros that has festered since the USG was unable
to follow through on the USD two million we pledged at the 2005
Donors Conference in Mauritius. The acting Minister - subbing for
Foreign Minister Jaffar, who was away shopping in the Persian Gulf
for financial and military assistance for Anjouan -- apparently drew
the "bad cop" role allowing others, including President Sambi, to
focus on the positive in talks with A/S Frazer and the ambassador.
(Bio note: Ibrahim's "day job" is Justice Minister; as the son of a
respected former Comoran President and grandson of the last Sultan
of Grande Comore, he has a truly princely bearing and no lack of
confidence.) Shortly we will send a letter to the GOC detailing USG
programs in the works and reassuring them that we will continue to
seek ways to be helpful to their development. We doubt any of this
will come up during Jaffar's visit this week focusing on Anjouan,
but would stress that this negative undercurrent nonetheless remains
strong. END COMMENT.

MARQUARDT