Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COTONOU26
2008-01-11 10:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Cotonou
Cable title:
BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY GOB OFFICIALS FOR PRE-ADVANCE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0033 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHCO #0026/01 0111023 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 111023Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0105 INFO RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 0098 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS COTONOU 000026
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
WHITE HOUSE FOR SPENCER GESSINGER AND MELISSA BENNETT
NSC FOR MARY HAINES
DEPARTMENT FOR A/EX/PTS CHRIS SZYMANSKI AND AF/W FOR DANA
BANKS
DAR ES SALAAM PLEASE PASS TO WHITE HOUSE PRE-ADVANCE TEAM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP BUSH GEORGE BN
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY GOB OFFICIALS FOR PRE-ADVANCE
TEAM'S SITE SURVEY, COTONOU, BENIN
UNCLAS COTONOU 000026
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
WHITE HOUSE FOR SPENCER GESSINGER AND MELISSA BENNETT
NSC FOR MARY HAINES
DEPARTMENT FOR A/EX/PTS CHRIS SZYMANSKI AND AF/W FOR DANA
BANKS
DAR ES SALAAM PLEASE PASS TO WHITE HOUSE PRE-ADVANCE TEAM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP BUSH GEORGE BN
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY GOB OFFICIALS FOR PRE-ADVANCE
TEAM'S SITE SURVEY, COTONOU, BENIN
1.(SBU) During the pre-advance team's site survey visit to
Cotonou, Benin, January 19 - 20, 2008, key GOB contacts will
be Ambassador Mariam Diallo, President Yayi's Special Advisor
for Diplomatic Affairs; Ambassador Claude Fassinou, the
Ministry of Foreign Affair's (MFA) Director of Protocol; Mr.
Eusebe Agbangla, the MFA's Acting Director of the Americas;
and Captain Claude Zomahoun, second in command of President
Boni Yayi's security detail. Ambassador Diallo leads the GOB
team planning for President Bush's visit to Benin.
Ambassador Fassinou coordinates the protocol aspects of a
state visit. Mr. Agbangla will coordinate the policy aspects
from the GOB's perspective, and Captain Zomahoun will have
responsibility for security planning. Please find
biographies of each of these GOB officials below.
--------------
Mariam Aladji Boni DIALLO (dee-AH-loh)
--------------
2.(U) Special Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs, Office of the
President
Addressed as &Madame l,Ambassadeur8
Prior to her appointment as Special Advisor for Diplomatic
Affairs at the Presidency in June 2007, Ambassador Diallo
served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from April 2006 ) June
2007. Before her service as Minister, she was Secretary
General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African
Integration, and previously was Deputy Chief of Mission at
the Embassy of Benin in Bonn, Germany. Ambassador Diallo has
traveled to the United States on official business on
multiple occasions, particularly to attend various United
Nations meetings and events, including the United Nations
General Assembly in New York amd the December 2006 visit to
the White House for President Bush's meeting with President
Yayi.
A diplomat by profession, Ambassador Diallo holds a doctorate
in International Relations from the University of Yaounde in
Cameroon. A widow, Ms. Diallo was born in 1953 and is a
native of Kandi in the northeastern region of Benin.
--------------
Claude Reuben FASSINOU (fah-SEE-noo)
--------------
3.(U) Director of Protocol
Addressed as: "Monsieur l'Ambassadeur"
Ambassador Fassinou is 44 years old and a career diplomat.
From 1991 to 2001, he served at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs as Deputy Director of the Department of Programming
and Planning (Direction de la Programmation et de la
Prospective). From 2001 to 2004, he served as Counselor at
the Embassy of Benin in South Africa in Pretoria. Since
March 2004, Ambassador Fassinou has held the position of the
Director of Protocol at the MFA. Ambassador Fassinou is
unmarried and has no children.
--------------
Eusebe AGBANGLA (ah-BANG-la)
--------------
4.(U) Acting Director of the Americas, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Addressed as "Monsieur Agbangla"
Mr. Agbangla has worked in the Americas Directorate of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs since February 2006. Immediately
prior to his present assignment, he was Director of Protocol
for the President of the National Assembly. Mr. Agbangla
also has served as a foreign policy advisor to the Minister
of Development. He holds the rank of Minister
Plenipotentiary in Benin's Foreign Service. Mr. Agbangla is
51 years old, married, and has 5 children.
--------------
Pamphile Claude ZOMAHOUN (ZO-mah-oo)
--------------
5.(U) Deputy Commander of the Republican Guard's Presidential
Escort and Security Unit
Addressed as "Capitaine Zomahoun"
Mr. Zomahoun holds the rank of Captain in Benin's
Gendarmerie. He is second-in-command of the Beninese Armed
Forces unit which protects President Yayi. Captain Zomahoun
has held his post since April 2006. Immediately prior to
joining the President's security unit, he was the Operations
Chief for the Beninese Armed Forces unit, which patrols the
Benin-Niger frontier. Captain Zomahoun is 36 years old,
married, and has two children.
BROWN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
WHITE HOUSE FOR SPENCER GESSINGER AND MELISSA BENNETT
NSC FOR MARY HAINES
DEPARTMENT FOR A/EX/PTS CHRIS SZYMANSKI AND AF/W FOR DANA
BANKS
DAR ES SALAAM PLEASE PASS TO WHITE HOUSE PRE-ADVANCE TEAM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP BUSH GEORGE BN
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY GOB OFFICIALS FOR PRE-ADVANCE
TEAM'S SITE SURVEY, COTONOU, BENIN
1.(SBU) During the pre-advance team's site survey visit to
Cotonou, Benin, January 19 - 20, 2008, key GOB contacts will
be Ambassador Mariam Diallo, President Yayi's Special Advisor
for Diplomatic Affairs; Ambassador Claude Fassinou, the
Ministry of Foreign Affair's (MFA) Director of Protocol; Mr.
Eusebe Agbangla, the MFA's Acting Director of the Americas;
and Captain Claude Zomahoun, second in command of President
Boni Yayi's security detail. Ambassador Diallo leads the GOB
team planning for President Bush's visit to Benin.
Ambassador Fassinou coordinates the protocol aspects of a
state visit. Mr. Agbangla will coordinate the policy aspects
from the GOB's perspective, and Captain Zomahoun will have
responsibility for security planning. Please find
biographies of each of these GOB officials below.
--------------
Mariam Aladji Boni DIALLO (dee-AH-loh)
--------------
2.(U) Special Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs, Office of the
President
Addressed as &Madame l,Ambassadeur8
Prior to her appointment as Special Advisor for Diplomatic
Affairs at the Presidency in June 2007, Ambassador Diallo
served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from April 2006 ) June
2007. Before her service as Minister, she was Secretary
General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African
Integration, and previously was Deputy Chief of Mission at
the Embassy of Benin in Bonn, Germany. Ambassador Diallo has
traveled to the United States on official business on
multiple occasions, particularly to attend various United
Nations meetings and events, including the United Nations
General Assembly in New York amd the December 2006 visit to
the White House for President Bush's meeting with President
Yayi.
A diplomat by profession, Ambassador Diallo holds a doctorate
in International Relations from the University of Yaounde in
Cameroon. A widow, Ms. Diallo was born in 1953 and is a
native of Kandi in the northeastern region of Benin.
--------------
Claude Reuben FASSINOU (fah-SEE-noo)
--------------
3.(U) Director of Protocol
Addressed as: "Monsieur l'Ambassadeur"
Ambassador Fassinou is 44 years old and a career diplomat.
From 1991 to 2001, he served at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs as Deputy Director of the Department of Programming
and Planning (Direction de la Programmation et de la
Prospective). From 2001 to 2004, he served as Counselor at
the Embassy of Benin in South Africa in Pretoria. Since
March 2004, Ambassador Fassinou has held the position of the
Director of Protocol at the MFA. Ambassador Fassinou is
unmarried and has no children.
--------------
Eusebe AGBANGLA (ah-BANG-la)
--------------
4.(U) Acting Director of the Americas, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Addressed as "Monsieur Agbangla"
Mr. Agbangla has worked in the Americas Directorate of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs since February 2006. Immediately
prior to his present assignment, he was Director of Protocol
for the President of the National Assembly. Mr. Agbangla
also has served as a foreign policy advisor to the Minister
of Development. He holds the rank of Minister
Plenipotentiary in Benin's Foreign Service. Mr. Agbangla is
51 years old, married, and has 5 children.
--------------
Pamphile Claude ZOMAHOUN (ZO-mah-oo)
--------------
5.(U) Deputy Commander of the Republican Guard's Presidential
Escort and Security Unit
Addressed as "Capitaine Zomahoun"
Mr. Zomahoun holds the rank of Captain in Benin's
Gendarmerie. He is second-in-command of the Beninese Armed
Forces unit which protects President Yayi. Captain Zomahoun
has held his post since April 2006. Immediately prior to
joining the President's security unit, he was the Operations
Chief for the Beninese Armed Forces unit, which patrols the
Benin-Niger frontier. Captain Zomahoun is 36 years old,
married, and has two children.
BROWN