BENIN: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000185 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/W, S/SAGSWA, NEA/IR PARIS FOR RKANEDA LONDON FOR PLORD E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CU IR XF BN SUBJECT: BENIN: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ON IRAN, CUBA, MIDEAST, PCV MURDER, AND US PRESIDENT REF: A. BROWN/TAYLOR E-MAIL DATED 5/6/2009 ¶B. TAYLOR/BROWN E-MAIL DATED 4/22/2009 ¶C. BROWN/COOK E-MAIL DATED 4/22/2009 ¶D. TAYLOR/BROWN E-MAIL DATED 4/7/2009 ¶E. BROWN/COOK E-MAIL DATED 4/6/2009 Classified By: Ambassador Gayleatha Brown. Reasons: 1.4 (b&d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a May 5, 2009 meeting with the Ambassador, Foreign Minister Ehouzou, acknowledging USG demarches, said that President Yayi will not visit Iran as planned and approved by the Council of Ministers; urged an end to the embargo against Cuba; welcomed dialogue on the Middle East; gave assurances that the Government of Benin (GOB) would meticulously ensure due process and justice in the criminal investigation and punishment of the person or persons responsible for the March 12, 2009 murder of our Peace Corps Volunteer; and requested an official visit to Washington for President Yayi to meet with President Obama whom he also invited to visit Benin. End summary. ¶2. (C) Iran: During a May 5 tour d'horizon with the Ambassador, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (ForMin) Ehouzou acknowledged receipt of her demarches against President Yayi's trip to Iran (refs) and said the President had accepted his recommendation to cancel the trip, particularly after Iranian President Ahmadinejad's speech at the recent Durban II Conference in Geneva. The Council of Ministers had approved an April 8-13 visit to Turkey and Iran, which had been interrupted April 8 literally on the runway at the Cotonou International Airport due to technical problems with the President's airplane. Ehouzou congratulated the Ambassador on her handling of "very important dossiers," including Iran. He affirmed that Benin's position on Iran was similar to that of the USG and that the GOB only had intended to be "helpful." ¶3. (C) Middle East: Ehouzou welcomed appointment of a new envoy for the Middle East and applauded the new U.S. administration's willingness to pursue independent Israeli and Palestinian states as an important initiative for peace in the region. He also commented favorably on the USG's outreach to Muslims, noting the visit the week of May 5 of an American Iman from Fort Worth, Texas, to Benin as part of the ;U.S. Mission's public diplomacy outreach programming. ¶4. (C) Cuba: Regarding the administration's lifting of restrictions on travel by Cuban-Americans to Cuba, Ehouzou said that the "first signs are good," expressing appreciation for President Obama's "sincerity" and participation in the recent OAS meeting. He hoped that the USG would make a "surprise" and end the embargo against Cuba, contending that it was not the only country that violated human rights and rule of law. ¶5. (U) Peace Corps Volunteer Murder Case: ForMin Ehouzou assured the Ambassador that Benin would do everything properly and correctly to investigate, prosecute and punish the person(s) responsible for the March 12, 2009 murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Catherine Puzey at her resident in the village of Badjoude in western Benin where she had taught high school. On May 8, he invited the Ambassador back to the Ministry accompanied by Peace Corps Director Cowan, as promised on May 5, to make the same points, stating that Benin's justice system was based on that of the French and moved slowly but surely. Ehouzou said that suspects were in detention pending the investigation into charges against them by the police. On completion of that phase, they would go before a judge and subsequently to trial and sentencing if sufficient evidence exists. Ehouzou repeated GOB condolences, noting the official presentations already made, including his presence at the memorial service for Catherine at the Chief of Mission Residence in Cotonou. ¶6. (C) President Obama: Ehouzou welcomed President Obama's "formidable leadership," praised his early initiatives, wished him well, requested an official invitation for Yayi to meet Obama, and invited the latter to Benin. The ForMin requested that Benin be among the first African countries to receive President Obama. ¶7. (C) Comment: Foreign Minister Ehouzou has broad experience in multilateral fora and knows USG positions on major international issues well. He was jubilant over the USG decision to stand for election in the UNHRC and has become markedly more friendly since President Obama's election. His recommendation to President Yayi to cancel the Iran trip was due more probably to the extreme position of the Iranian COTONOU 00000185 002 OF 002 president in Geneva than to our demarches, although he now downplays the decision to go to Iran at all. Yayi had refused to visit Iran after our demarches twice before. This last time Ehouzou had worked it through the Council of Ministers before advising the Ambassador, not giving her a chance to demarche the President. However, fate intervened, and technical problems with the President's plane stopped the take-off. Ahmadinejad did the rest by his antics in Geneva such that even Ehouzou could not justify a visit to Iran by Yayi. End comment. BROWN