SPAIN'S STATEMENT ON MAURITANIA COUP

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000946 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM AG EG IS LY MO QA SA MR SP SUBJECT: SPAIN'S STATEMENT ON MAURITANIA COUP REF: STATE 91116 Classified By: DCM Arnold Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) The Spanish MFA issued a communique condemning the coup in Mauritania and calling for the immediate liberation of the President and Prime Minister, along with re-establishing democratic practices, on August 6. ¶2. (C) August 26, Poloff contacted MFA Deputy Director General for North Africa Manuel Gomez-Acebo to convey our strong support for the August 19 United Nations Security Council Presidential Statement condemning the coup in Mauritania and to urge Spain to make a public statement of support for the UNSC message. Gomez-Acebo said that Spain followed the situation closely and that its Embassy reported the situation was calm and the Spanish expatriate community was functioning as normal. With regard to the August 19 UNSC Presidential Statement, Spain does not intend to issue its own supporting statement. Gomez-Acebo said that Spain will continue its efforts under EU auspices and he anticipated the EU communiques will follow the same line as the UN message. Aguirre