Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NOUAKCHOTT762
2008-12-22 18:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:  

UPDATE FROM LEMDEN -- PRESIDENT'S PASSPORT TO BE

Tags:  PREL PGOV MR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2672
PP RUEHPA RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNK #0762 3571804
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221804Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7961
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0407
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 0329
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0383
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1925
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0716
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0449
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0824
C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000762 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV MR
SUBJECT: UPDATE FROM LEMDEN -- PRESIDENT'S PASSPORT TO BE
DOWNGRADED

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 758

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b and
d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000762

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV MR
SUBJECT: UPDATE FROM LEMDEN -- PRESIDENT'S PASSPORT TO BE
DOWNGRADED

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 758

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b and
d)


1. (C) President Abdallahi's Chief of Staff Mohamed Kaber
Ould Hammoudi called Charge December 22 to advise that a
delegation from the Mauritanian passport office and internal
intelligence service has arrived in Lemden yesterday
afternoon demanding the diplomatic passports of the President
and his family members. They indicated the passports of the
family members would be canceled and replaced with ordinary
ones while the President's diplomatic passport would be
modified to say "former president." Abdallahi told the
delegation that all their diplomatic passports had been in
the custody of State Protocol on the day of the coup and
presumably are still there. The frustrated delegation stayed
in Lemden for several hours and eventually left empty-handed.


2. (C) Ould Hammoudi noted there had been a substantially
increased security presence in Lemden last night with six
military vehicles spotted. The security forces pulled back
with daybreak.


3. (C) Ould Hammoudi advised Charge no decision had be
reached on when the President would return to Nouakchott but
thought it would happen "in a few days." Ould Hammoudi said
the President had noted the weak statements coming from the
U.N. and European Union "welcoming" his release. The
Abdallahi camp is waiting to see what comes out of today's
meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council. The
President had "an encouraging" conversation with the AU's
Jean Ping the evening of the 21st and was hopeful something
concrete will come out of the PSC meeting.


4. (C) Mission PAO and MIST personnel will be meeting with
the FNDD's communications team in the next few days to better
understand how the FNDD will use the President's increased
mobility and what strategic messages they will be using.
HANKINS