MAKING IT PERSONAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000686

DEPT FOR AF/W DENNISON, AF/RSA, DRL/AE, AND AF/PDPA LISENBY

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KCOR KPAO KMCA MR
SUBJECT: MAKING IT PERSONAL

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1. (U) Anticipating the Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC)
November 1Oth 2008 release of country indicators, Nouakchott issued
a release noting that Mauritanian advances outlined in the report
had been made during the democratic Abdallahi administration.
Mission wished to forestall attempts by the current military
administration to take indirect credit for improvements cited by the
report. Mauritania's indicators in governing justly and fighting
corruption saw marked improvement. While the "Investing in People"
category on the whole saw a regression, vaccination and girls
education rates doubled and economic freedom also improved. The PAS
prepared French and Arabic press release was sent on Sunday,
November 9th, the beginning of the Islamic work week in Mauritania.



2. (U) The following day, November 10th, the entire MCC press
communique was carried in both Arabic and French on websites and in
print. According to the headline of the anti-coup French daily Le
Renovateur, Abdallahi had been "credited for 'progress' by the MCA"
though the body of the article asked why the Ibrahim Index of
African Governance presented different results for 2008, which saw
Mauritania descend to number 50 from the prior year's rank of 32
among African nations. Aside from this query, reaction to the
release, the Mission's position, and the overall MCC scorecard was
positive.


3. (U) On November 13, however, the pro-coup French daily "Quotidien
de Nouakchott" frontpaged the release with the headline "Boulware's
Way!" and an accompanying photo of Ambassador Boulware. Quotidien
pounded the US for using the MCC results for political ends and
intruding into Mauritania's internal affairs. See rough translation
para 6. It highlighted personal differences between the regime and
the US Ambassador and faulted the US for "actions towards the
current crisis in Mauritania." It noted that the MCC press release
was "simply an attempt to totally disregard the gains made by the
putschists of August 6th 2008."


4. (U) From time to time since August 6, there have been comments
and innuendos that US policy towards post-coup Mauritania has sprung
from over zealousness on the part of Ambassador Boulware and the
"Embassy." If it weren't for him, perhaps, the saying would go, all
of our problems would be so much smaller. This, however, is the
first time these whispers have found their way into print.


5. (SBU) Contacts have mentioned that the author, Jedina Ould Deddah
is a "cousin" (client) of HSC head Aziz. Other gossip has it that
the article was commissioned by a very irritated junta chief. Be
that as it may, the piece is the most anti-American item seen in the
media in some months and the first overt step in personalizing USG
policy and principle.


6. (U) Post Translation: Boulware's Way! The new authorities and
the U.S. Ambassador don't get along well. Worse, since August 6th
2007, the American Ambassador, Mark Boulware, who had presented his
credentials to ousted president Abdallahi, on 22 November 2007, has
multiplied his attacks against the regime. It is therefore clear to
all today, that since the beginning of the crisis of August 6th, the
U.S. Ambassador has emphasized the stiffening support for the former
regime. Some gossips even argue that the visa ban against certain
personalities from the military junta and personalities that are
affiliated with them, occurred at the insistence of this diplomat
who has all the tricks of the State Department in his pocket. Since
the beginning of the political crisis, in fact, Boulware gave the
impression that he had a personal desire to get even with the new
authorities. Some Western diplomats in Nouakchott are cautiously
watching the American Ambassador's actions towards the current
crisis in Mauritania.

Some of them do not hide their disapproval of "Boulware's Way."
Several European diplomatic sources believe in fact that what the
U.S. ambassador is doing may add fuel to the fire "instead of
favoring serene dialogue and bringing together differing points of
view." Some add sarcastically that the diplomat, who was not feeling
well in Mauritania, "seeks to provoke becoming persona non grata" to
quit this "no mans land." The current authorities do not help him
because they are still hoping to save face with the new
administration in Washington after President Barack Obama's win.
They hope to find common understanding with Obama's new team aboard
or buy more time to solve the issue of the overthrow of the former
president. Going back to the MCC statement, it is simply an

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attempt to totally neglect the claims of the authors of the putsch
of August 6 2008. They had in fact tried to justify their coup by
the "unorthodox" management of public affairs under former
president. This is an accusation which the former president,
currently in detention, wants to deny according to testimony of
human rights authors who visited him.

But he can count today on U.S. Ambassador Mark Boulware coming to
his rescue, claiming "good management of the country" under the
former regime stating that "the fight against corruption"
strengthened under President Abdallahi. However, the Ambassador
forgets, that under (President Abdulahi's Prime Minister) Zein Ould
Zeidane, according to the successive reports of Transparency
International, Mauritania experienced its highest level of
corruption. With these new results, therefore, it is hard to square
the circle with the unfortunate consolation of moving from 123rd
place to 115th out of 170 corrupted countries. The statement of the
U.S. Embassy which is technically based exclusively on objective
information of international institutions could not be more
political. It is published at the same time the investigation on the
Special Emergency Program comes to an end.

Some people have detected unhealthy practices including those
related to management of the U.S. food aid and the purchase of
adulterated products. If we can believe that the former president is
not directly involved in this case, it is obvious that some of his
closest collaborators who had direct responsibility for management
are involved and should be answering to the courts. Several articles
of local correspondents in Brakna and Tagant have echoed receiving
bags of cereal half empty, if not simply unfit for human
consumption. Even if "... these figures are not derived from a
subjective analysis from the United States Government", they
resonate a support of a political agenda, (as did Ambassador David
Brown). This agenda is one in which Ambassador Mark Boulware seeks
simply to crucify the other party, especially since September 2008.
These MCC results no longer benefit our country. End translation.


7. (SBU) As noted in other reporting, the concept that the junta
would get a better deal with the incoming administration in
Washington is held by some senior members of the junta. Reference
to this in the article lends credence to the idea that it was
commissioned.

HANKINS