VZCZCXYZ0029
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNKA #1363 3321220
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWCSE3102 3321208
P 281220Z NOV 06 (508)
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 001363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID EFIN KDEM MR
SUBJECT: CHARGE INTRODUCTORY CAL ON COL. VALL 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA CHARLES H. TWINING.  REASONS:  1.4 (B), (D) 
 
  ----------- 
(C) SUMMARY 
----------- 
 
--  IN HIS INTRODUCTORY CALL ON MILITARY COUNCIL LEADER VALL, 
CHARGE PRAISED THE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THE NOVEMBER 19 
ELECTIONS WERE CONDUCTED. 
 
--  VALL LAID OUT HIS VISION OF A MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRATIC 
SYSTEM, AND SAID HE EXPECTS THE MILITARY TO RETURN TO THE 
BARRACKS ONCE THE TRANSITION IS COMPLETE.  HE DID LEAVE OPEN 
THE QUESTION OF THE MILITARY INTERVENING AGAIN IF THE 
DEMOCRATIC PROCESS GOES OFF TRACK. 
 
--  VALL STRESSED THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE FOR MAURITANIA FOR 
CONTINUED CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. AND ASKED THAT THE 
USG "LOOK TO THE FUTURE" WHEN ASSESSING ITS RELATIONS WITH 
MAURITANIA. 
 
------------ 
(C) COMMENTS 
------------ 
 
-- VALL APPEARED EXTREMELY RELAXED AND WAS OBVIOUSLY 
SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS. 
 
-- WHILE HIS COMMENTS INDICATE THAT HE HAS GIVEN CONSIDERABLE 
THOUGHT TO MAURITANIA'S DEMOCRATIC EVOLUTION, THE MILITARY'S 
NEW ROLE STILL NEEDS TO BE MADE CLEAR. 
 
END SUMMARY AND COMMENTS. 
 
¶1. (U) CHARGE MADE AN INTRODUCTORY CALL ON MILITARY COUNCIL 
FOR JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY (CMJD) PRESIDENT COL. ELY OULD 
MOHAMED VALL ON NOVEMBER 23, ACCOMPANIED BY DCM.  NO ONE ELSE 
WAS PRESENT ON THE MAURITANIAN SIDE, AND THE MEETING WAS HELD 
IN VALL'S PRIVATE OFFICE. 
 
--------------------------- 
VALL'S VISION OF THE FUTURE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) VALL BEGAN THE DISCUSSION BY GIVING FOUR ELEMENTS 
NECESSARY TO HAVE A STABLE DEMOCRACY IN MAURITANIA. 
 
¶3. (C) THE FIRST IS THE QUESTION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY. 
MAURITANIANS MUST SEE THEMSELVES AS CITIZENS OF MAURITANIA, 
AND NOT IDENTIFY THEMSELVES BY TRIBE OR ETHNIC GROUP.  NOTING 
THAT TRIBAL AND ETHNIC ISSUES CROSS BORDERS, MAURITANIA WOULD 
BE DRAGGED INTO PROBLEMS "GOING ALL THE WAY TO ZAIRE" IF 
MAURITANIA CANNOT PUT ITS NATIONAL INTERESTS FIRST.  HE 
ADMITTED THERE WAS STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE TO ENSURE ALL 
MAURITANIANS HAVE THEIR FULL RIGHTS. 
 
¶4. (C) SECOND, DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS MUST BE STRENGTHENED, 
MOST IMPORTANTLY THE PEOPLES' RIGHT TO CHANGE THEIR 
GOVERNMENT, IN ORDER TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF ONE-PARTY STATES 
AND MILITARY GOVERNMENTS. 
 
¶5. (C) THIRD, POLITICAL PARTIES NEED TO BE BASED ON PLATFORMS 
AND POSITIONS, RATHER THAN ON PERSONALITIES.  HE NOTED THAT 
FIVE MAJOR PARTY HEADS WITH WHOM HE RECENTLY MET WERE ALL AT 
ONE TIME MEMBERS OF THE FORMER RULING PARTY AND EVEN FORMER 
MINISTERS.  THEY HAD ONLY RECENTLY JOINED THE OPPOSITION, AND 
WERE BENEFITING FROM THE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES.  ALL THEY NEED TO 
SAY IS "IM FOR CHANGE" WITHOUT TAKING ANY POSITIONS AND GET 
VOTES, A POSITION HE CLEARLY FOUND LESS THAN USEFUL. 
 
¶6. (C) FINALLY, CITIZENS MUST ASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND 
VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE PROGRESS MADE 
AND ESCHEW CANDIDATES (HE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED ISLAMISTS) 
WHO ARE OPPORTUNISTIC AND "WILL PUT DEMOCRACY IN DANGER" 
THROUGH "ADVENTURISM." 
 
------------------------------- 
SATISFIED WITH ELECTION RESULTS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) CHARGE PRAISED THE CONDUCT OF THE ELECTIONS.  VALL 
SAID THAT DESPITE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE VOTING, THE 
ELECTION SUCCEEDED BECAUSE THE PROCESS WAS TRANSPARENT, WHICH 
IS THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE FRICTION AND BUILD CONFIDENCE 
BETWEEN THE PEOPLE, THE STATE, AND THE POLITICAL PARTIES. 
NEUTRALITY WAS A FUNDAMENTAL FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THE 
ELECTIONS AS WERE THE INDEPENDENT BODIES SUCH AS THE 
ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND THE PRESS AND BROADCAST MEDIA 
AUTHORITY.  THE PROOF THAT THE ELECTIONS WERE CREDIBLE WAS IN 
THE DIVERSE RESULTS:  NO PARTY OR GROUP WON AN EXCESSIVELY 
LARGE AMOUNT OF VOTES. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
POST-TRANSITION CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) CHARGE SAID THE ELECTIONS WERE A SIGNIFICANT STEP 
FORWARD TO THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE DEMOCRATIC 
TRANSITION, AND THAT THE USG IS ALREADY HOPING TO RESTORE 
FULL COOPERATION WITH THE NEW ELECTED GOVERNMENT.  IN THAT 
REGARD, ONE ELEMENT WE WILL BE EXAMINING WILL BE THE 
CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONSHIP.  CHARGE ASKED VALL'S VIEW ON THE 
MILITARY ROLE IN THE NEW DEMOCRACY. 
 
¶9. (C) NOT RESPONDING DIRECTLY, VALL EXPRESSED HIS LONG-HELD 
POSITION THAT THE MILITARY DID NOT CONDUCT THE COUP IN ORDER 
TO SEIZE AND HOLD POWER, BUT AS A RESPONSE TO EVENTS THAT 
WERE HEADING THE COUNTRY INTO CHAOS. HE ADMITTED, HOWEVER, 
THAT THE MILITARY WAS A "PRISONER OF PERCEPTION."  HE SAID 
RATHER EMPHATICALLY THAT THE MILITARY DOES NOT WANT TO STAY 
IN POWER BUT IS READY TO GO BACK TO ITS BARRACKS. 
 
¶10. (C) THE PRESIDENT WARNED THAT TRUE DEMOCRACY WAS THE ONLY 
WAY TO AVOID ANOTHER COUP.  "THERE WILL BE CLEAR CONSEQUENCES 
IF THE POLITICAL CLASS FALLS BACK INTO THE OLD WAYS.  THEN 
NOTHING CAN KEEP THE MILITARY OUT." 
 
¶11. (C) VALL NOTED THAT THE PEOPLE WILL EXPECT TO SEE CLEAR 
PROGRESS FROM THE NEW GOVERNMENT.  IF THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS 
SEEN AS TRYING TO BENEFIT FROM THE SPOILS OF POWER RATHER 
THAN WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE, IT WILL CREATE FRUSTRATION AND 
DESTABILIZATION.  THE TREND OF THE GOVERNMENT BEING ETHICAL 
AND USING THE NATIONS WEALTH FOR THE SERVICE OF THE PEOPLE 
MUST CONTINUE.  THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN SEVERAL 
STEPS IN GOOD GOVERNANCE, THE PRESIDENT SUGGESTED, ESPECIALLY 
IN PROTECTING OIL AND MINING REVENUES.  IF THE NEW GOVERNMENT 
GOES BACKWARDS, IT ALONE CAN BE BLAMED FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. 
DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID INSTABILITY.  "THEY MUST 
BE SINCERE AND DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY ANSWER." 
 
¶12. (C) VALL SAID THE POLITICAL PARTIES MUST ALSO RISE TO THE 
OCCASION.  HE HAS CONFIDENCE IN THE PEOPLE, WHO CAME OUT IN 
MASSIVE NUMBERS TO VOTE -- 73 PCT.  THE TURNOUT WAS EXTREMELY 
HIGH AMONG WOMEN AND THE YOUNG.  WHEN GIVEN A REAL CHOICE, 
THEY WILL MAKE THE CORRECT CHOICE. 
 
------------------------- 
U.S.-MAURITANIA RELATIONS 
------------------------- 
 
¶13. (C) CHARGE PURSUED THE QUESTION OF FUTURE EXPANSION OF 
BILATERAL COOPERATION. VALL SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE USG AND AU 
POSITIONS ON THE COUP AS ONES OF PRINCIPLE AND LEGAL 
FRAMEWORKS.  HOWEVER, CLOSE RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. IS A 
STRATEGIC DECISION FOR MAURITANIA GIVEN OUR CONTINUING SHARED 
ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CONCERNS.  THEREFORE THE U.S. MUST LOOK 
TO THE FUTURE IN ITS RELATIONS.  MAURITANIA WILL CHANGE 
PROFOUNDLY IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD.  COUNTRIES THAT 
HAVE SHARED STRATEGIC INTERESTS MUST HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH 
THE U.S.  IN TURN, THE UNITED STATES MUST CONTINUE TO HELP 
MAURITANIA ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF DEMOCRACY IN THE BEST WAY 
POSSIBLE.  MAURITANIA IS PREPARED TO WORK "IN THE CLOSEST 
POSSIBLE COLLABORATION (EN CONCERTATION LA PLUS ABSOLUE)" HE 
CONCLUDED. 
 
--------------------------- 
MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER 
--------------------------- 
 
¶14. (C) CHARGE PAID AN INTRODUCTORY COURTESY CALL ON PRIME 
MINSTER SIDI MOHAMED OULD BOUBACAR LATER ON NOVEMBER 23.  PM 
BOUBACAR THANKED THE USG FOR ITS SUPPORT FOR MAURITANIA'S 
DEBT CANCELLATION UNDER MDRI AND FOR ITS BACKING FOR THE NEW 
IMF PROGRAM TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN DECEMBER. 
TWINING