BRAZZAVILLE IN BRIEF - NOVEMBER 10, 2008

UNCLAS BRAZZAVILLE 000298 DEPT FOR AF/C MASHRAF DEPT FOR AF/PDPA TIJEN AYBAR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID PGOV CF SUBJECT: BRAZZAVILLE IN BRIEF - NOVEMBER 10, 2008 ¶1. Embassy Brazzaville is an unclassified post. ¶2. Congratulations to the United States: Republic of Congo (RoC) President Denis Sassou-Nguesso was one of the first among many African leaders to express his congratulations to Barack Obama through a Radio France International transmission. In his statement, Sassou-Nguesso commented that Obama's election is a result of Martin Luther King's dream. Ministers of Telecommunications, Foreign Affairs, Communication, and Education attended an early morning breakfast to extol the success of this year's U.S. election process and the American's choice of Obama. ¶3. Unexpected Visitor: An unexpected visit to Brazzaville by South African President Kgalema Motlanthe on October 31 gave both President Motlanthe and Sassou-Nguesso the opportunity to discuss the mounting crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the recommendation that Africa be represented at the G20. Sassou-Nguesso once again emphasized that he did not suggest that he himself represent Africa, but that a spokesperson be determined by the African finance ministers and bank governors at the Tunis meeting scheduled for November 12, ¶2008. ¶4. Promoting Agriculture: The GRoC implemented a National Fund for the Support of Agriculture to be supplied annually at the rate of 10% of the national investment budget, approximately US$44 million, to develop agricultural activities in the entire country. The International Agricultural Development Fund (FIDA),a United Nations funded agency, has provided US$40 million to implement two rural developments projects that will include agriculture and breeding with an additional US$15 million promised for a third project. The World Bank is also throwing US$20 million into the agriculture pot, with the GROC expected to match that amount through the Poverty Reduction Program. ¶5. World Food Program: The World Food Program (WFP) is recommending closing its program in RoC due to the raising costs of commodities and the increasing need in countries like Somalia and Ethiopia. WFP has offered to leave their technicians to run a program if the GRoC found donors to invest in the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation. The GRoC responded affirmatively saying they would fund 60 percent of the program. The WFP is waiting for the amount up-front. ¶6. Recent heavy rains have caused massive erosions to the northern highway, flooding at lower levels of heavily populated areas, and drainage and sewage backup. Four cases of cholera have been reported in the Pool region south of Brazzaville. The rainy season will end around the middle of December but the GRoC has been slow to react to the mounting problems caused by the heavy rains. EASTHAM