VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLC #0167 1081418
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181418Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9666
INFO RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0792
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 1375
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA 0954
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0425
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0881

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
YAOUNDE PLEASE PASS MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EPET EK GB
SUBJECT: GABON REACTS TO EQUATORIAL GUINEAN ACCUSATIONS ON 
BORDER DISPUTE 
 
REF: A. 2006 LIBREVILLE 580 
     ¶B. 2006 LIBREVILLE 598 
     ¶C. 2006 LIBREVILLE 627 
     ¶D. MALABO 40 
 
Classified By: DCM Katherine Dhanani.  Reason: 1.4 (b) & (d). 
 
¶1. (U) On April 16 the GoG publicly responded to GREG 
accusations that the Gabonese have obstructed the UN 
mediation effort on the Gabon-EG border dispute.  Para 3 
contains an informal translation of the Gabonese statement. 
 
¶2. (C) During an April 12 meeting with Ambassador, Vice Prime 
Minister/ Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Ping complained 
about the GREG's public posturing, noting that the Gabonese 
government "prefers not to conduct diplomacy by megaphone." 
MFA legal advisor Michel Biang, the author of the Gabonese 
response, told DCM on April 18 that the GoG was downplaying 
the matter publicly to avoid "throwing fuel on the fire." 
ForMin Ping has been called to brief the National Assembly on 
the status of the border dispute on Monday, April 23.  Biang 
said that in his view Gabon has exhausted the UN mediation 
efforts, as well as efforts by other parties, including the 
Cameroonian attorney (Ref A) and the King of Morocco.  Biang 
noted that President Bongo called publicly for recourse to 
the ICJ in October when the Geneva meeting was canceled.  In 
contrast with reports in Malabo (Ref D), Biang thinks the GoG 
has made its preference clear, but, he said, the GoG is 
concerned that the GREG has not agreed to submit the dispute 
to the ICJ. 
 
¶3. (U) Text of Gabonese statement: 
 
Following the statements of the EG Foreign Minister before 
the EG Parliament meeting in Bata on April 10, in which he 
accused Gabon of blocking the settlement of the territorial 
dispute between Gabon and EG, the Gabonese government is 
astonished and indignant by these irresponsible and untrue 
remarks. 
 
The Gabonese government emphasizes that it undertook in good 
faith to find a peaceful solution to the dispute with its 
neighbor by accepting the mediation of the UNSG, despite the 
existence of a legal texts clearly granting Gabon sovereignty 
over the islands at issue. 
 
Gabon's good faith was evident and remarkable in its 
participation in all the meetings called by the mediator as 
well as its responsiveness to all the mediator's requests, 
contrary to the unfounded accusations of the EG Foreign 
Minister. 
 
Gabon has spared no effort to foster a climate of peace and 
serenity both domestically and internationally in order to 
give the UNSG's mediation every opportunity to succeed. 
 
End text. 
 
¶4. (C) Comment: Gabon now appears intent on submitting the 
dispute to the ICJ, unless a new and promising mediation 
opportunity appears.  The potential for a politically-palatable 
diplomatic compromise has been all but destroyed by public 
controversy in Gabon. 
WALKLEY