Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BERN279
2009-07-06 07:31:00
SECRET
Embassy Bern
Cable title:  

(S) FURTHER INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE EFFORT BY \

Tags:  PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY 
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VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #0279 1870731
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 060731Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5925
2009-07-06 07:31:00 09BERN279 Embassy Bern SECRET 09BERN278|09STATE68231 VZCZCXYZ0003\
PP RUEHWEB\
\
DE RUEHSW #0279 1870731\
ZNY SSSSS ZZH\
P 060731Z JUL 09\
FM AMEMBASSY BERN\
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5925\
S E C R E T BERN 000279 \
\
SIPDIS \
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DEPT FOR ISN/MTR (M.KENNEDY) AND EUR/CE (C.HODGES) \
\
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2034 \
TAGS: PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY
SUBJECT: (S) FURTHER INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE EFFORT BY \
SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM TO OBTAIN HIGH-SPEED CAMERA FROM \
SWISS FIRM \
\
REF: A. STATE 68231 \

B. BERN 278 \
\
Classified By: Acting POLE Counselor Leslie Freriksen for reasons 1.4(b \
),(c),and (d). \
\
2009-07-06 07:31:00 09BERN279 Embassy Bern SECRET 09BERN278|09STATE68231 VZCZCXYZ0003\
PP RUEHWEB\
\
DE RUEHSW #0279 1870731\
ZNY SSSSS ZZH\
P 060731Z JUL 09\
FM AMEMBASSY BERN\
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5925\
S E C R E T BERN 000279 \
\
SIPDIS \
\
DEPT FOR ISN/MTR (M.KENNEDY) AND EUR/CE (C.HODGES) \
\
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2034 \
TAGS: PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY
SUBJECT: (S) FURTHER INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE EFFORT BY \
SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM TO OBTAIN HIGH-SPEED CAMERA FROM \
SWISS FIRM \
\
REF: A. STATE 68231 \

B. BERN 278 \
\
Classified By: Acting POLE Counselor Leslie Freriksen for reasons 1.4(b \
),(c),and (d). \
\

1. (S) On July 3, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs \
(SECO) Head of Export Control Licensing Division Juergen \
Boehler provided additional information in response to ref A \
non-paper. Boehler confirmed that the planned export of the \
high speed camera has been stopped. AOS Technologies had \
announced this export to SECO. Boehler will notify the \
denial of export to the appropriate point of contact at the \
Missile Technology Control Regime. \
CARTER \

215201 2009-07-06 10:01:00 09COTONOU278 Embassy Cotonou UNCLASSIFIED VZCZCXRO6872\
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA\
DE RUEHCO #0278 1871001\
ZNR UUUUU ZZH\
P 061001Z JUL 09\
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU\
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1003\
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE\
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 1314\
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0315\
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1476\
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0448 UNCLAS COTONOU 000278 \
\
SIPDIS \
\
DEPT FOR AF/ (W ACOOK),G/TIP (VZEITLIN),AND INL \
LONDON FOR PETER LORD \
PARIS FOR BKANEDA \
\
E.O. 12958: N/A \
TAGS: PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY
SUBJECT: BENIN: POLICE INTERCEPTS 11 ALLEGED TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN \
TRANSIT TO NIGERIA \
\

1. SUMMARY: On June 20, 2009, Beninese Security Forces intercepted \
a vehicle in Cotonou transporting eleven children from the \
Togo-Benin border to be allegedly trafficked to Lagos, Nigeria. On \
June 22, 2009, the Minors' Protection Brigade (BPM) interviewed the \
alleged traffickers and the victims and referred them to the Court \
of Cotonou for further legal action. END SUMMARY. \
\

2. On June 20, 2009, officers of the Dantopka's Police Station, in \
Cotonou, intercepted a car transporting eleven Togolese children who \
had entered Benin at Hillacondji, the Benin-Togo border station. The \
car was passing through Cotonou, en route to the Nigerian border, \
when the police stopped it. The police handed over the eleven \
allegedly trafficked children, the suspected trafficker (a Togolese \
woman),and the driver to the BPM. \
\

3. On June 22, 2009, the BPM interviewed the two suspects and the \
eleven children. The Head of the BPM, Commissioner Louis Tokpanou, \
told Post that the woman claimed she was accompanying the children \
to Lagos where they would spend holidays with their respective \
relatives, a piece of information confirmed by the children. She \
said that she was acquainted with only eight of the children, but a \
friend asked her to take the three other children to Lagos as well. \
Tokpanou said that some of the rescued children had ID cards, which \
made identification easier. Following the interception of the \
alleged victims, individuals of Nigerian nationality rushed in to \
the BMP and claimed that they were the children's relatives living \
in Lagos. \
\

4. After the interview phase, the BPM referred the children, the \
persons claiming to be the children's relatives, the Togolese woman, \
and the driver to the prosecutor at Cotonou's Court for further \
action. It then sent the alleged victims to the Cotonou based Swiss \
NGO Terre des Hommes shelter, for care. Tokpanou says he can not \
assert that the case constitutes a child-trafficking without further \
investigation by the prosecutor. \
\

5. Commissioner Topkanou briefed the press on the case. Initial \
media reaction suggested that the suspected woman was a known \
child-trafficker. \
\
BOUSTANI \