BURKINA FASO - OPPOSING UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OUAGADOUGOU 001045



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2014

TAGS: PREL, UNGA, KPAL, IS, SY, LE, UV

SUBJ: BURKINA FASO - OPPOSING UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS



REF: STATE 118799



Classified by Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b and

d)



1.(C) Charge delivered REFTEL demarche November 19 to MFA Director

for International Organizations Der Kogda. Charge thanked Burkina

Faso for its decision to abstain on the November 5 Goldstone Report

Resolution and noted that the Burkinabe voting history on

Israel-related votes (including being - not present - for the 2008

63/95 vote on the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices)

demonstrated they are prepared to reach an independent decision on

key votes. Charge emphasized the U.S. and Quartet efforts on the

Middle East Peace Process are active and are showing some progress it

advancing a durable and equitable peace. Charge asked Kogda to

consider their votes this year in the context of bolstering the peace

process



2.(C) Kogda confirmed that Burkina Faso is watching the Israel

resolutions closely. Noting Burkina Faso's participation in the

Security Council, he said the Burkinabe were well aware of the

seriousness of ongoing peacemaking efforts. While Burkina Faso had

condemned the Israeli actions in Gaza, they also recognized that the

actions of certain Palestinian factions had often provoked Israeli

responses and were generally unhelpful in attaining peace. For that

reason they had decided to abstain from the Goldstone Report

resolution. Kogda indicated their votes will likely mirror last

year's (i.e. being absent or abstaining on the Special Committee to

Investigate Israeli Practices... vote) but he shared the U.S. concern

for the addition of references to the Goldstone Report in several of

this year's resolutions suggesting that Burkina Faso is seeking to

remove those references. Kogda said Burkina Faso will monitor the

language in the resolutions until the end to see if that unhelpful

language remains.



HANKINS