UNOGBIS AT THE UN: SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MOVE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000383 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DAKAR: PLEASE PASS TO BISSAU WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC PU XY SUBJECT: UNOGBIS AT THE UN: SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MOVE GUINEA-BISSAU FORWARD ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UNOGBIS SRSG Joseph Mutaboba told the Security Council on April 8 that swift implementation of Security Sector Reform (SSR),economic recovery, a comprehensive approach to drug trafficking, and timely national elections were all essential elements in Guinea-Bissau's democratic development. Brazilian PR Viotti spoke for the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC),noting that the PBC would mobilize funding for the June 28th Presidential elections and would participate in the April 20 Praia donor's meeting on SSR implementation. Guinea-Bissau PR Lopes Cabral asked the Security Council to endorse and support a possible ECOWAS troop contingent deployed to Guinea-Bissau prior to the elections. Ambassador DiCarlo stressed the importance of SSR, warned of the threat of drug trafficking, and supported the fight against impunity. Other Security Council members joined DiCarlo in calling for an end to impunity for human rights violations by the military, and urging the Secretariat to expedite its recommendations for transformation of UNOGBIS into an integrated peacebuilding office. The Council adopted a Presidential Statement on April 9 which, inter alia, condemns arbitrary detentions by the military, calls for free, fair, and transparent elections, and invites ECOWAS to coordinate with Guinea-Bissau any necessary troop deployment. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) UN Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) SRSG Mutaboba briefed the Security Council in both open and closed sessions on April 8. In the open session, he detailed events since the early March assassinations of President Vieira and Defense Chief of Staff Tagme Na Wai. He enumerated several cases of military personnel intimidating human rights activists and politicians through extra-judicial arrest and torture, and spoke about the Commission of Inquiry's concerns on the intimidation of witnesses by the military and lack of transparency on the workings of a parallel inquiry by Chief of Staff Induta into the killing of General Na Wai. Mutaboba noted swift international condemnation of the killings and pressure on the Guinea-Bissau government to hold elections within the sixty-day period specified by the Constitution. ¶3. (SBU) While the situation remained calm, but fragile, Mutaboba said there were four areas where the government needed international support in order to expeditiously act. The first area would be meeting the pent-up desires of the people for the resumption of basic social services as well as the payment of civil service arrears. If Guinea-Bissau received no assistance, Mutatoba warned, ordinary citizens would lose faith in the democratic process, given that successful presidential elections last year had led to only political chaos and violence. Secondly, Mutatoba stated, Guinea-Bissau needed a strong Commission of Inquiry on the assassinations, with adequate technical support from the United Nations and the international community. This could require protection for witnesses called before the Commission. ¶4. (SBU) SRSG Mutaboba's third priority was the swift implementation of Security Sector Reform (SSR),including the retirement of senior military personnel who had long before reached retirement age. He said he was working to develop concrete proposals for engaging the military in the construction of homes, schools, and farming on military-owned land. In conclusion, Mutatoba urged the Security Council to strongly signal its support for the upcoming elections, an end to impunity, and SSR. ¶5. (SBU) The Chair for the Peacebuilding Commission's (PBC) engagement with Guinea-Bissau, Brazilian PR Maria Viotti, briefed the Security Council on the PBC's activities. She noted that the PBC would attempt to mobilize donors to fill the remaining gap of approximately 2.5 million USD in election expenses. The PBC will also meet in video conference with the GOGB to consider SSR with the results of the meeting to be passed to the April 20 Praia donor's meeting on implementing the government's SSR strategy. ¶6. (SBU) Guinea-Bissau PR Lopes Cabral noted that this was the 34th briefing by the Secretariat to the Security Council on Guinea-Bissau. "Guinea-Bissau is not a lost cause," he stated, calling for increased international assistance to help restore the rule of law, implement SSR, and achieve national reconciliation. ¶7. (SBU) In the closed session, SRSG Mutaboba called for a needs-based approach to SSR, including the provision of agricultural machinery to enable the military to produce for the market. He said another priority should be training and equipping the Guinea-Bissau police in order to improve the investigation and prosecution of crimes. He warned of the increasing threat of narco-trafficking through Guinea-Bissau and said the country could slip into non-constitutional rule if the military continued its "shifting, opportunistic" alliances with politicians. Finally, he called for more resources for UNOGBIS, including the provision of a helicopter to enable the ferrying of ballots prior to the election. ¶8. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo congratulated Guinea-Bissau for adhering to its constitution under extraordinary circumstances. She noted the importance of holding early elections and stressed the importance of SSR. DiCarlo said drug trafficking was primary among the threats to Guinea-Bissau's stability. She also raised the need to support the Commission of Inquiry and the fight against impunity, and the continued importance of vigilance against a return of cholera to Bissau. ¶9. (SBU) Burkina Faso said that the elections were not an end in themselves and only stopping impunity would ensure an end to political violence and true national reconciliation. Uganda concurred, calling for a scaling-up of Peacebuilding Fund support for SSR, and arguing that the international community should help Guinea-Bissau address narco-trafficking and youth unemployment. Libya welcomed the upcoming Presidential elections and expressed concern over human rights. Libya also expressed concern that the global financial crisis had led to a shortage of financing for Guinea-Bissau's cashew crop. Japan spoke about the military "spreading a culture of impunity" and pledged additional support for the elections. Japan asked the PBC to monitor elections preparations and the outcome of the April 20 donor's meeting on SSR. ¶10. (SBU) Other delegations raised similar concerns about the Rule of Law in Guinea-Bissau, the state of implementation of the ECOWAS regional strategy for anti-narcotrafficking (for which Guinea-Bissau would be the initial country),and international support for SSR. Several delegations, including the United States, also inquired when the Secretariat would issue recommendations on the transformation of UNOGBIS into an integrated peacebuilding office (Note: the mission to assess a possible transformation has been delayed, and has yet to be rescheduled. End Note). ¶11. (U) The Council adopted on April 9 a Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2009/6),drafted by Burkina Faso, which, inter alia, condemns arbitrary detentions by the military and calls for free, fair, and transparent elections. Rice