MALI NAMES NEW AMBASSADOR TO THE UN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000238

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ML
SUBJECT: MALI NAMES NEW AMBASSADOR TO THE UN

Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1.(U) On March 5 Mali named Ministry of Foreign Affairs'
Director of Political Affairs, Amb. Oumar Daou, as its next
Ambassador to the United Nations (More detailed bio to be
sent septel). Amb. Daou will replace Mali's current
Ambassador to the UN, Cheikh Sidi Diarra. Amb. Daou has been
an extremely close and helpful contact for Embassy Bamako.
He has participated in numerous Embassy events and USG
sponsored programs including training run by the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). The new Director of
Political Affairs at the MFA is Sekouba Cisse. Mr. Cisse was
previously Mali's Ambassador to Libya.

2.(C) The appointment marks a significant step forward for
Amb. Daou, as the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Moctar
Ouane, is also a former Malian Ambassador to the UN. Daou is
believed to be very close to Minister Ouane. Although we
regard Amb. Daou as an important and reliable contact whom we
often see on a daily basis, it is quite likely that the
Iranian and Cuban Embassies in Bamako are currently sending
similarly favorable assessments back to Tehran and Havana.

3.(U) Embassy Bamako is also losing a second key contact
within the MFA as Secretary General Moussa Diakite has been
named as Mali's next Ambassador to Egypt. Based in Cairo, he
will be accredited to Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
Palestine, Sudan and Iraq. Replacing Diakite as the number
two person at the MFA will be Al-Maamoun Baba Lamine Keita,
previously Mali's Ambassador to Ethiopia.

4.(U) The March 5 communique also named Brigadier General
Brehima Coulibaly, President ATT's personal military advisor,
as Mali's new Ambassador to Russia.
MCCULLEY