KUWAIT TO FOLLOW ARAB LEAGUE LEAD ON MAURITANIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000884 SIPDIS NEA/ARP, NEA/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KU MR SUBJECT: KUWAIT TO FOLLOW ARAB LEAGUE LEAD ON MAURITANIA COUP Classified By: CDA Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) During an August 11 introductory call on Nayef Al-Otaibi, responsible for North African issues within MFA's Arab Affairs department, newly arrived POLCOUNS informally queried Al-Otaibi about Kuwait's reaction to the recent military coup in Mauritania. Al-Otaibi responded that Kuwait deplores any sort of military coup against a legitimate democratic authority, but is disinclined to take any precipitate action on its own in this matter. Al-Otaibi noted that an envoy from the Arab League has traveled to Mauritania and is expected to deliver his assessment soon; Kuwait will, in all likelihood, stand with the Arab League consensus in its response. ¶2. (C) Al-Otaibi noted that MFA has not issued any official statement regarding the Mauritania events but that Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al Sabah told Kuwait's media on August 9 that Kuwait "regretted" the use of arms to resolve a political dispute and called for a rapid return to normalcy. The Minister declined to comment on any specific GOK responses to the coup. ¶3. (C) Al-Otaibi told POLCOUNS that Kuwait had provided Mauritania with "significant" assistance for hospitals and other infrastructural development over the years through the Kuwaiti Fund for Economic Assistance. He noted that, at GOM request, Kuwait had re-scheduled loan repayments at low interest last year. It was unlikely, he said, that further assistance would be made available to Mauritania under the present circumstances. ¶4. (C) Comment: The GOK has few direct interests in Mauritania and, while genuinely regretting that a legitimate government has been removed by a military coup, is likely -- as Al-Otaibi noted -- to remain comfortably within a consensus developed by the Arab League states on this issue. End Comment. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * MISENHEIMER