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DE RUEHLC #0280 1721644
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211644Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9765
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 0402
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0670
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 1394
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0664
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0353
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 0967
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 0439
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0897
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PRIORITY 0817
RHMFISS/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
KINSHASA ALSO FOR BRAZZAVILLE 
YAOUNDE ALSO FOR MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2017 
TAGS: PGOV TP
SUBJECT: STP PRESIDENT DE MENEZES MEDEVACED TO BELGIUM 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Barrie Walkley 
 
¶1. (U) Fradique de Menezes, the president of Sao Tome and 
Principe (STP), left Sao Tome June 11.  A statement indicated 
that de Menezes was going to Belgium for medical tests and 
would be returning after a few days.  Since then there has 
been no official word of his condition. 
 
¶2. (C) According to insiders at the Presidency, de Menezes 
was suffering from "an intestinal blockage" and went to 
Belgium for surgery.  He is not expected back in STP until 
the first week of July. 
 
¶3. (C) COMMENT: De Menezes, who is 65, drinks heavily, is 
overweight and does not eat sensibly.  On May 27, he told 
Ambassador Walkley that he was suffering from "stomach 
cramps."  The "cramps" were serious enough to cause him to 
miss the national convention of the MDFM -- his own political 
party.  De Menezes has many contacts with Belgium: he holds a 
degree from a Belgian university and was STP's ambassador to 
that country; his deceased wife was Belgian. 
WALKLEY