INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Congo/B: Delivery of Demarches

Published: Tue 4 Oct 2005 07:14 AM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001647
SIPDIS
DEPT for AF/C (MAshraf),
DEPT for EB/ESC/TFS (ICrum, BAdkins, JUnderriner),
EB/EFFD (CMacCurdy)S/CT (TKushner, VNichols), EUR/PGI
(LReasor), EUR/WE (NFetchko), Regional Bureaus, IO/PSC
(BFitzgerald), NSC (JZarate), OFAC (RWerner)
DEPT please pass to TREASURY (DGlaser)
DEPT for USAID (DSkoric), USAID/FAS (EAutry), STATE
(JShannon)
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER
FROM BRAZZAVILLE EMBASSY OFFICE
E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ETTC KTFN EFIN PGOV PREL PTER KSEP CVIS KVPR KISL KPAO OIIP TBIO EAGR ECON ECIN EAIR EAID KSCA SOCI UK SA CF UNGA WTO AID
SUBJECT: CONGO/B: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHES
REF A: STATE 137839
REF B: STATE 142655
REF C: STATE 145310
REF D: STATE 139288
REF E: STATE 147159
REF F: STATE 155973
REF G: STATE 162146
REF H: STATE 160880
REF I: STATE 164134
1. The following demarches were delivered on September
16, 2005 to Mr. Felix Ngoma, the Americas Desk Officer
for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Note: REF G had
also been earlier delivered, on September 9, 2005, by
Charge' d'Affaires Rutherford to the Minister of
Finance (see paragraph 6).
2. Terrorist Finance: Amendment (REF A), Designation of
3 Additional Names to List 71T (REF B), and New UN
Resolution UNSCR 1617 Implementation (REF C) -- On
September 16, 2005, Econ/Cons Officer delivered talking
points and provided non-papers to Mr. Ngoma who
indicated that he would pass them on to appropriate
offices in the government. In addition, Econ/Cons
Officer reiterated our request for a response regarding
any steps that the host government takes using this
information. Mr. Ngoma said that the ROC seeks to
improve its capacity to contribute to efforts to reduce
or eliminate terrorism terrorist financing mechanisms,
but reiterated that they lack the resources and
technical expertise to increase their efforts.
Comment: Given the potential new opportunities for
training at the International Law Enforcement Academy
in Gabarone for ROC, it might be advantageous to
identify some civil service and law enforcement
officials to attend training related to combating
terrorism and terrorist finance. End comment.
3. Speaking Out on GITMO and Detainees (REF D) -
Econ/Cons Officer delivered as a non-paper the talking
points of this demarche to Mr. Ngoma. Comment:
Generally, ROC officials evidence little, if any,
interest in the war in Iraq, the current reconstruction
and terrorist attacks there, or the status of prisoners
at Guantanamo Bay. End comment.
4. US Mission: Codex Ad Hoc Task Force on Biotechnology
(REF E) -- Econ/Cons Officer presented to Mr. Ngoma the
talking points. Mr. Ngoma indicated that he does not
believe that anyone from ROC will be attending and,
moreover, does not believe that the ROC is engaged on
this issue. He promised to forward the information and
provide contact information for the officials in the
Ministry of Agriculture who would work on or follow
this issue.
5. Food Aid and the WTO (REF F) -- This demarche was
delivered late because this post was not included on
the cable's distribution list. Post's desk officer
caught the oversight and forwarded both the cable and
translated talking points to post for delivery. It was
delivered the next day. Although too late to inform
the meetings in Geneva, Econ/Cons Officer took this
opportunity to present the talking points and to
inquire about what office might be coordinating or
representing the ROC position, if any, in this area.
Mr. Ngoma said he would provide contact information for
the office that would normally address this type of
issue, but didn't indicate that ROC was actively
engaged.
6. Declaration on Innovation Sources of Financing for
Development (REF G). Taking advantage of her September
9 courtesy call on Minister of Finance and Budget, M.
Pacifique Issoibeka, CDA outlined the main points
contained in ref and presented a translated version of
the document. The Minister was preparing for his trip
to New York on Monday and said that he would take a
closer look at the document during his flight.
Nevertheless, he is interested in seeing the Congo move
closer to the U.S. in many areas. Issoibeka wants to
see a marked change in the ways things have been done
in the past and wants the U.S. to become more involved
in the Congolese economy. While not specifically
addressing the points outlined in Ref G, he believes
Americans are more dynamic and possess a more practical
approach to problems compared to other countries that
are more theory based and less pragmatic. He said he
would review the document from that standpoint. On
September 16, Econ/Cons Officer provided the non-paper
to Mr. Ngoma in order to keep the MFA current on
delivered demarches.
7. (REF H) - Econ/Cons Officer provided the non-paper
to Mr. Ngoma and requested that he respond with any ROC
reactions. (Comment: This cable was never addressed
to Kinshasa and slugged for Brazzaville, so original
cable was never received. End comment.)
8. International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic
Influenza (REF I) - Econ/Cons Officer briefly discussed
topic with Mr. Ngoma and requested that he identify who
post could contact to discuss the matter with in
greater depth. Post will report more once discussions
have begun with the appropriate officials.
9. Brazzaville Embassy Office - Rutherford.
MEECE
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