REGIME STILL HAWKING SAME PLAN POST-ADDIS ABABA

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000671 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV MR SUBJECT: REGIME STILL HAWKING SAME PLAN POST-ADDIS ABABA REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 3066 ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 659 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for Reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (SBU) Charge was convoked November 12 by regime "Foreign Minister" Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou who, along with Secretary General of the Government Ba Ousmane and several ministry division heads, presented a brief on the regime's plan to convene a national dialogue on democracy. The plan tracked with what Ould Mohamedou had described in REFTEL B as the "concrete proposal" to be considered by the African Union for its November 10 meeting in Addis Ababa. Charge was received as the sole member of the "North America Group." Previous meetings had already been held for African and European ambassadors. National media photographed the opening of the meetings suggesting they will be played as evidence of "international dialogue" in tonight's news. ¶2. (C) Charge responded to Ould Mohamedou's briefing indicating the international community had already rejected this as inadequate. Charge noted that any national dialogue organized by an illegitimate president and government could not be seen as credible. Charge noted that the central message of the Addis Ababa Communique of November 10 is that the collective international community regards President Abdallahi as the current and legitimate President of Mauritania -- not a former president. Any formula for a national dialogue that excludes the President or tries to relegate him to a private party heading a relatively small political party will not be internationally accepted. Charge allowed that a national dialogue is needed, but that it should come after President Abdallahi is back in office unless he tells us that it is his free decision to hold it prior to his return. ¶3. (C) We understand the meeting with the Europeans was similarly short to the 15 minute meeting with Charge. UNDP ResRep Ribeiro told Charge Ould Mohamedou was talking on instructions. Charge noted that Ould Mohamedou, who almost always holds one-on-one meetings, had his whole delegation, including the Secretary General of the Government, present -- suggesting he wanted others to corroborate that the national dialogue idea won't go anywhere with the international community. HANKINS