VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNK #0872/01 1931715
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 121715Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5673
INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0112
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000872 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
F FOR U/S RANDALL TOBIAS 
AF FOR A/S FRAZER, DAS THOMAS-GREENFIELD, AND AF/W 
DRL FOR A/S BARRY LOWENKRON AND DAS JEFFREY KRILLA 
USAID FOR DAA BONNICELLI 
NEA FOR MEPI 
BAGHDAD FOR USAID DIRECTOR LIBERI 
FROM AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LEBARON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2016 
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM MR
SUBJECT: HELPING MAURITANIA TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY -- FREE 
AND FAIR ELECTIONS FIRST, THEN GOOD GOVERNANCE 
 
REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 784 
 
     ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 791 
     ¶C. NOUAKCHOTT 815 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph LeBaron, 1.4(b)(d) 
 
-------------- 
(C) Key Points 
-------------- 
 
-- A historic transition to democracy is underway in 
Mauritania, but the Mauritanians need our help to pull it 
off.  The good news is that they know that. 
 
-- Unlike many other Arab and Islamic countries, the Islamic 
Republic of Mauritania is quite receptive to the involvement 
of the international community in its political process, 
including that of the United States. 
 
-- This rare receptivity gives the USG a significant 
opportunity to advance one of the President's and the 
Secretary's most important foreign policy objectives: 
 
SIPDIS 
transformational diplomacy that spreads democracy in the 
broader Middle East. 
 
-- Taking advantage of this historic opportunity in 
Mauritania requires a two-tiered funding approach:  (1) a 
pre-election aid strategy in the first half of FY07 focused 
on helping the Mauritanians organize free and fair elections, 
and (2) a post-election aid strategy in the second half of 
FY07 and in FY08 focused on making sure the newly-elected 
government establishes the right policies and programs in the 
areas of transparency, anti-corruption, and human rights. 
 
-- The Mauritanians already have an excellent idea about what 
it means, and what it takes, to govern well.  The UN has been 
teaching them that for years.  We need instead to push and 
prod the new government to decide to govern well, and then 
help them with implementing programs and resources. 
 
End Key Points. 
 
¶1. (C) Eleven months after the bloodless military coup here, 
Mauritania is still on schedule to hold important 
parliamentary elections in November and a crucial 
presidential election next March.  Those elections must be 
free and fair, if Mauritania is to have any chance of 
transitioning to democracy. 
 
--------------------- 
PRE-ELECTION STRATEGY 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Accordingly, Embassy believes the USG's assistance 
efforts in the rest of FY06 and the first half of FY07 should 
focus on: 
 
      -- Making sure the current Transitional Government and 
the Independent Electoral Commission fix the many lapses in 
electoral mechanics observed during the recent constitutional 
referendum on curbing presidential power (reftels). 
 
      -- Reinforcing the capacities and involvement of 
political parties and civil society in the electoral process. 
 
 
¶3. (C) The Embassy is working very hard, and in concert with 
others in the international community, to make sure those 
electoral lapses are fixed.  NDI is also here, helping the 
political parties organize themselves and prepare for 
elections. 
 
---------------------- 
POST-ELECTION STRATEGY 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) After the elections, good governance should be our top 
priority.  The new government will need prodding and pushing 
from us and others to make sure it does the right thing. 
 
 
¶5. (C) It is not that Mauritanians don't know how to govern 
well.  They do; they know what needs to be fixed. 
Ironically, the actions taken by the illegitimate 
Transitional Government during that last 11 months 
convincingly demonstrates that. 
 
¶6. (C) The challenge before us, then, is to make sure the 
new, legitimate government builds on what the illegitimate 
Transitional Government has done in the areas of 
transparency, anti-corruption, and human rights.  Much more 
needs to be done in these areas, of course, but a start has 
been made.  Also, we believe particular attention must be 
paid to making sure the army and other security forces stay 
out of politics. 
 
---------------------------- 
BALANCING THE TWO STRATEGIES 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Because good governance will be the greatest 
post-election need, we need to start planning for -- and 
funding -- good governance programs well in advance of the 
elections. 
 
¶8. (C) The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative can help. 
 It offers a unique approach to conduct conflict resolution 
and build democracy.  It would be best for the three actors 
-- State, USAID and DOD -- to have a balanced approach.  But 
we expect our first TSCTI OEF-TS elements to arrive within 
days.  It is critical for USAID to have a concordant and 
equally visible presence here. 
LeBaron