GABON: EAC MEETING CONVENED FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT

UNCLAS LIBREVILLE 000275

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/C FOR LISA KORTE AND DS/IP/AF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT PREL ASEC GB
SUBJECT: GABON: EAC MEETING CONVENED FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT
OF DEATH OF PRESIDENT BONGO

REF: LIBREVILLE 270


1. (SBU) Following the announcement of the death of Gabon's
President Omar Bongo Ondimba, a meeting of Post's EAC was
convened at 1930 at the CMR. The meeting was chaired by the
Ambassador.


2. (SBU) The first order of business was an accounting of all
official embassy personnel, family members, and TDY visitors
in Gabon. All have been accounted for. There are currently
four groups of visitors in the country, all are outside of
the capital. Two LES are accompanying one group of visitors
to the northern city of Bitam and another LES is accompanying
group of visitors to Gabon's second largest city, Port
Gentil. Visitors are also located in Mayumba, in the southern
part of Gabon, and Franceville, President Bongo's hometown in
eastern Gabon.


3. (SBU) Post has made contact with all groups of visitors.
All groups report that the situation is calm and that their
work is proceeding normally, though attendance at some
training events is lower than expected. Post has advised them
to remain in regular contact with their respective Control
Officers. Other visitors that are expected to arrive next
week have been advised to "standby" until further notice.


4. (SBU) The EAC reviewed a Warden Message that was sent out
by CA/OCS yesterday evening advising American Citizens to
avoid public gatherings and to stockpile emergency
provisions. The Consular Officer was given the action to
review, and update as necessary, Post's F-77 report.


5. (SBU) The EAC also reviewed a list of tripwires that were
developed specifically for the death of President Bongo,
following his medical evacuation to Spain in early May. These
tripwires, a copy of which has been sent via email to the
Desk, are divided into three levels. The first item in Level
One is the announced death of President Bongo. In response to
this tripwire, all USDH personnel are required to carry E&E
radios at all times when outside the Embassy, avoid travel
outside the main artery that runs between the Chancery and
the Sabliere neighborhood, where most embassy personnel live,
and curtail all non-essential travel. The EAC decided to
implement these actions immediately.


6. (SBU) The official 30-day period of morning will end, by
our calculations, on July 8. The EAC decided that in addition
to canceling all planned representational events during this
period, internal embassy celebrations should be postponed or
scaled back. An Embassy-wide award ceremony, including a
celebratory barbecue, planned for Friday, June 12, has been
postponed. It was also decided that the Embassy's official
July 4th celebration, planned for July 9, should be scaled
back or postponed. A new date has not yet been determined.

REDDICK