(SBU) CONGO'S FIRST LADY REQUESTS MEETING WITH U.S. FIRST

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRAZZAVILLE 000171 DEPT FOR AF/C E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/5/2014 TAGS: OVIP PREL CF SUBJECT: (SBU) CONGO'S FIRST LADY REQUESTS MEETING WITH U.S. FIRST LADY CLASSIFIED BY: ALAN EASTHAM, AMB, EXO, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (SBU) On June 5, Congo(b)'s Minister of Health, Mrs. Emilienne Raoul, informed the Ambassador that Mrs. Antoinette Sassou Nguesso, spouse of President Denis Sassou Nguesso, requests an opportunity to meet First Lady Michelle Obama June 16 or 17. Mrs. Sassou Nguesso will arrive in Washington from Paris on June 15 and plans to attend a sickle cell anemia meeting in New York beginning June 18. ¶2. (C) Congo is about to begin the campaign in advance of the Presidential election to be held July 12. Although her husband has not yet announced his candidacy for another seven-year term, it is inevitable that he will, probably tomorrow (June 6) at a large rally scheduled to be held in Brazzaville, but in any event before the June 12 filing deadline. Undoubtedly Mrs. Sassou Nguesso's motivation in seeking this meeting has a large political aspect. In the absence of any compelling factor, the Ambassador does not/not recommend a meeting between the two first ladies in this charged political atmosphere; to do so would risk putting us squarely in Sassou's camp, a place we should avoid if at all possible. ¶3. (U) We will need an instructed response from Washington to pass back to the Health Minister. Please advise. EASTHAM