GOC ANNOUNCES END OF MEDIATORS, SEEKS DIRECT \

161824 2008-07-11 22:33:00 08BOGOTA2506 Embassy Bogota CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXYZ0000\ PP RUEHWEB\ \ DE RUEHBO #2506 1932233\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ P 112233Z JUL 08\ FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3560\ INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0693\ RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUL 9544\ RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6353\ RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 7028\ RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1336\ RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0327\ RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4495\ RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1554\ RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY\ RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY\ RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY\ RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY\ RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY\ C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002506 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017 \ TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO PTER PREL PREF FR SP SZ SUBJECT: GOC ANNOUNCES END OF MEDIATORS, SEEKS DIRECT \ CONTACT WITH FARC \ \ Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. \ Reason: 1.4 (b,d) \ \ ¶1. (C) Summary: On July 8, President Uribe formally \ notified the European Ambassadors that he was terminating \ European facilitation efforts with the FARC, emphasizing that \ the decision reflected GOC concerns with facilitators Jean \ Pierre Gontard and Noel Saez rather than \ government-to-government issues. XXXXXXXXXXXX had previously announced that the GOC would \ seek direct contacts with the FARC because the GOC had lost \ confidence in Gontard and Saez. French Ambassador Jean \ Michel Marlaud told the Ambassador that Gontard and Saez met \ with the commander of the FARC's 29th front on June 29, but \ returned to Europe after failing to meet with FARC senior \ commander Alfonso Cano. XXXXXXXXXXXX told us the GOC sent a \ message to Secretariat members Pablo Catatumbo and Cano three \ weeks ago seeking direct contact. End summary. \ \ ¶2. (U) XXXXXXXXXXXX said during a radio interview that the GOC would seek to \ establish direct contacts with the FARC because it had lost \ confidence in Swiss facilitator Jean Pierre Gontard and \ French official Noel Saez. He added that Gontard and Saez \ had acted more like political advisers to the FARC than \ honest brokers. XXXXXXXXXXXX also said the computer files found \ at Raul Reyes' camp suggested that Gontard had transported \ $480,000 from Colombia to Costa Rica for the FARC. \ \ ¶3. (C) French Ambassador Jean Michel Marlaud told the \ Ambassador on July 7 that Gontard and Saez arrived in Bogota \ on June 25 -- based on email contacts with the FARC and \ previous communication with an Ecuadorian contact in Quito -- \ with the expectation they would meet with senior FARC leader \ Alfonso Cano in Cauca department. After receiving the green \ light from XXXXXXXXXXXX and Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, \ they proceeded to Pasto (Narino department) on June 27. On \ June 29, Gontard and Saez met with the commander of the \ FARC's 29th front, who identified himself as "JJ." "JJ" \ said Cano was interested in speaking with them, but could not \ meet for at least three days. Saez and Gontard decided \ against waiting in the jungle and departed Bogota on June 30. \ Marlaud said they did not brief the GOC prior to departure. \ \ ¶4. (C) At a July 8 meeting with WHA Assistant Secretary \ Thomas Shannon, President Uribe told us he had formally \ notified the European Ambassadors earlier that day that he \ was ending European facilitation efforts. Uribe explained \ this was not a government-to-government issue but rather a \ GOC concern with the two mediators themselves. He said the \ Europeans accepted the message gracefully. \ \ ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us on July 10 that the GOC no longer \ considers international or domestic facilitators to be useful \ or necessary. The GOC has a reliable communications channel \ with Secretariat members Pablo Catatumbo and Cano, and sent a \ message to Catatumbo three weeks ago asking if the FARC \ wanted to initiate contact. The GOC is prepared to send an \ emissary to meet with the group if the answer is affirmative. \ XXXXXXXXXXXX said the purpose of the outreach is to determine if \ the FARC can be led into serious peace talks. In the past, \ Catatumbo and Cano had voiced interest in meeting with the \ GOC but had said they could not do so without Secretariat \ approval. XXXXXXXXXXXX voiced doubt that the overture would \ produce real results. A key test of the FARC's intentions \ would be their willingness to meet with him. The FARC has \ previously asserted that it would never negotiate with \ XXXXXXXXXXXX. \ BROWNFIELD \