GUINEA-BISSAU AT THE UN-DEBATE EXPECTED ON 6 VS.

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001167

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO BISSAU WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PU XY
SUBJECT: GUINEA-BISSAU AT THE UN-DEBATE EXPECTED ON 6 VS.
12 MONTH UNOGBIS EXTENSION


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UN Peacebuilding Support Office in
Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) Head Omoregie briefed the Security
Council on December 11. He asked for a panel of experts to
identify those involved in drug trafficking, since the rise
of trafficking and attendant corruption were major
destabilizing factors for the country. The UK, France, and
Belgium asked to limit UNOGBIS' extension to six months,
instead of the twelve months recommended in the
Secretary-General's report, to incorporate recommendations of
the technical assessment mission expected to be sent to
Guinea-Bissau in early 2009. Council members agreed on a
press statement which praised the recent legislative
elections, recognized an urgent need for Security Sector
Reform (SSR),and requested recommendations from the
Secretary-General on transforming UNOGBIS into an integrated
UN program. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) UNOGBIS Head and UN Secretary-General Representative
for Guinea-Bissau Shola Omoregie briefed the Security Council
December 11. He said the African Union is considering how
best to protect Guinean President Vieira, following the
unsuccessful attack on his residence November 23. Omoregie
called for UNOGBIS' mandate, which expires December 31, 2008,
to be extended 12 additional months.


3. (SBU) USUN PolCouns expressed concern regarding high-level
Guinean officials being implicated in the drug trade and
asked what measures UNOGBIS thought would help address this
problem. Omoregie said that he feared drug trafficking could
be institutionalized in the government and that some drug
dealers won parliament seats during the legislative elections
in November. Omoregie called for the Council to implement a
panel of experts to identify who was involved in the drug
trade and said the threat of sanctions could be a useful
deterrent. Omoregie said the only credible law enforcement
entity was the judiciary police, which was being starved of
funds apparently due to rampant governmental corruption
hoping to weaken it.


4. (SBU) The UK, Belgium, and France said UNOGBIS should only
be extended six months, to allow for rapid implementation of
any recommendations from the planned technical assessment
mission due in Guinea-Bissau in early 2009. (NOTE: The UK
expert told poloff that a shorter mandate would force UNOGBIS
to incorporate change in the next six months, and said the UK
was frustrated with UNOGBIS' inaction. Belgium's expert
expressed frustration as well to poloff, saying "this
assessment mission was requested back in October 2007 and it
still hasn't happened." END NOTE). Russia said it was
logical to only extend the mandate several months to allow
quicker reconfiguration of UNOGBIS. Panama, Libya, and
Vietnam called for a twelve month extension of the mandate.
COMMENT: USUN expects the duration of the mandate to be the
main point of contention during the mandate renewal process.
END COMMENT.


5. (SBU) All Council members supported a press statement that
Croatian PermRep Jurica delivered to the press following the
meeting. The statement welcomed the successful legislative
elections, expressed concern over the security situation and
supported SSR, welcomed the October 28-29 ECOWAS drug
trafficking ministerial, and requested recommendations from
the Secretary-General on transforming UNOGBIS into an
integrated UN program.


Khalilzad