FURTHER DEMARCHE TO GOCAR ON TIP PROBLEMS

UNCLAS BANGUI 000247 SENSITIVE SIPDIS AF/C FOR MASHRAF, SSARDAR; G/TIP FOR VZEITLIN; AF/RSA FOR LMUNCY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM SMIG KTIP CT SUBJECT: FURTHER DEMARCHE TO GOCAR ON TIP PROBLEMS REF: STATE 97534 ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador Cook delivered reftel demarche in person to CAR MFA Dieudonne Kombo-Yaya in a meeting on December 17. The Ambassador explained the importance of increasing efforts to combat TIP, and said that U.S. law required host government engagement on the issue if the country was to remain eligible for certain types of U.S. assistance. He emphasized that anti-TIP efforts strengthened the GOCAR in preventing further exploitation within an already traumatized society. The Foreign Minister promised to engage with the Government in order to formulate a response and better enable the USG to partner with the CAR. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Cook also discussed TIP in his meeting with President Bozize on November 28, and emphasized the need for the GOCAR to increase efforts to combat TIP. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: Despite the assurances by the MFA, Post does not / not expect many action plan items to be enacted by the end of 2008. Nonetheless, Post believes that continued pressure on both the MFA and the Ministry of Social Affairs may produce some engagement to crack down on blatant traffickers. The GOCAR may also encourage donors to focus more on internal trafficking and slavery issues, though it remains doubtful that they would expend their own resources on the issue given their lack of urgency. END COMMENT COOK ##