PRESIDENT, FOREIGN MINISTER APOLOGIZE TO U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000115 DEPARTMENT FOR ACTING AF A/S CARTER FROM AMBASSADOR PERRY DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ASEC KWMN PINR SL SUBJECT: PRESIDENT, FOREIGN MINISTER APOLOGIZE TO U.S. AMBASSADOR REF: A. STATE 28312 ¶B. FREETOWN 99 ¶C. FREETOWN 110 Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4 (b/d) 1.(C) Summary: Following Sierra Leone papers' reprinting of a suspect blog in the U.S. threatening Ambassador Perry for her remarks on human and woman's rights (reftel C),both President Koroma and Foreign Minister Zainab Bangura telephoned to apologize. Prior to their calls, Ambassador and DCM had pre-scheduled meetings with UN/ERSG and his deputy during which the SYG's representative decried the government's tardiness in responding to this and other issues (septel) and said he would telephone State House and the Foreign Ministry to instruct them to apologize. Both the Head of State and his Senior Minister seemed in delayed shock that a member of their diaspora in the U.S. caused them so much embarrassment. However, there was no front page denunciation of the attack in the APC newspapers on March 25, as Ambassador Stevens said there would be in his meeting with the AF/Assistant Secretary. Post agrees that potential incitement of further divisiveness in an already tense country and a threat to a diplomat cannot be dismissed as a "nut on the internet," as was done by Sierra Leone's Ambassador Stevens. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Post appreciates A/AS Carter's immediate calling in of Sierra Leone's Ambassador to the U.S. to protest the widely distributed threat to Ambassador Perry in the midst of an already difficult and tenuous situation in the country (reftel A). GoSL Ambassador Stevens' response was dismissive and reflects his lack of seriousness (in our view). He certainly is aware of the immense impact the diaspora blogs have on the Sierra Leonean population. Due to the extreme ignorance of most of the population in political matters, flaming rhetoric repeated on radio stations plays directly into the hands of those seeking unrest within the governing All People's Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). ¶3. (C) Around noon on March 23, after receiving a call from the UN to contact me, Foreign Minister Bangura telephoned. She said she wanted me to know that the blogger represented the "diaspora riff-raff" who managed to leave Sierra Leone in the late 1990's and in no way represented any official views. She stated that the U.S. was a most valued partner of Sierra Leone and that the Ambassador "had done so much good" to strengthen the two countries' relationship. Bangura denounced the attack on the sole female Chief of Mission in country and likened it to the press attacks when she was a presidential candidate in 2002. She wanted me to know that she condemned the blog and the newspapers and added that President Koroma would be calling me directly to express his dismay at this situation. She did say she had called Ambassador Stevens and instructed him to investigate the individual (M.A. Nabe) and relay the GoSL's position. Bangura acknowledged this publication was a violation of the Vienna Convention. ¶4. (C) President Koroma called me directly an hour later to express his apologies, state the government's embarrassment over a Sierra Leonean's libelous remarks and relay his deep gratitude to the U.S. Ambassador and her country for all that had been done for Sierra Leone. He informed me that he had directed his staff to investigate the responsible author adding that "the authorities will act." During a meeting with the diplomatic corps on March 25, Koroma apologized for statements and articles antithetical to the "important role" international partners play in trying to bring peace and stability to his country at this perilous time. Before the general meeting began at State House, the President's Chief of Staff and his personal assistant met with me to reiterate the GoSL's apologies and to assure me that "proper action" would be taken. They again thanked me and the U.S. for the significant role played in the past and during the current crisis. ¶5. (C) Comment: The fact that neither the Foreign Minister nor the President nor his staff had the courtesy to contact the U.S. envoy until pushed to do so by the UN/ERSG is telling; they were willing to let the matter slide despite the obvious breach of international conventions. The Foreign Minister explained her delay by saying she had not seen the headlines -- the story had just been brought to her attention, she said. As we knew, it had been done so by the United Nations representative. Troubling also is that according to information received by Embassy's Consular section, NABE is illegally in the United States and inciting political violence in Sierra Leone from New Jersey. ¶6. (C) Comment Con't: The situation at present remains one in which the diplomatic corps is attempting to bring the two major political parties together through an agreed statement of peace and progress. It now appears the party leaders are rethinking their positions; the Ambassador's meet again at UNIPSIL on March 26 and then with all parties on March 27 in day-long negotiations. Of deep concern was President Koroma's plan to leave this week for Belgium, Germany and Italy in the midst of unresolved political battles and while the infamous cocaine case is also pending. According to the UN, the Foreign Minister requested intervention late March 25 to talk Koroma out of leaving with a stern reminder that the capital dissolved into unrest and violence (March 13-16) during his overseas trip to India (reftel B). This scenario offers us further insights into Koroma's thinking: he sees details but not the big picture. He depends on donors via the UN to regularly remind him of his leadership role as a democratically-elected President. End Comment. ¶7. (C) Post and COM Security: The A/RSO is on R&R; the RSO is new and the local guard project manager has been less than stellar with COM having to instruct usually very young LGF to patrol CMR grounds and when to open and close gates. I have had the CMR alarm updated. Due to recent RSO illness, DCM has been accompanying Ambassador. We expect to have LES Security Specialist with COM during this period. (Query: Has DHS taken action on this individual? Post would appreciate knowing what DOS Diplomatic Security has done regarding this incident.) PERRY