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O 120926Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1060
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
ADDIS FOR AMBASSADOR COURVILLE 
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO, INR/AA, AND DRL 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF/E RMEDRANO 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KDEM PHUM PINR CN
 
SUBJECT: Comoros:  Colonel Bacar Letter to Secretary Rice 
 
¶1. (SBU)  In an apparent response to the Ambassador's March 7 op-ed 
in the Comoran media endorsing Union and African Union actions, 
Anjouan's Colonel Bacar sent Post a letter for Secretary Rice on 
March 11.  In it, Bacar repeats the same legal-constitutional 
arguments he made during 2007 in Cape Town and Pretoria.  He calls 
democratically-elected Union President Sambi a "bloody 
totalitarian," and characterizes himself as a victim and defender of 
the constitution. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Bacar's central "demand" remains that he wants to 
participate in an inter-Comoran dialogue on elections and 
constitutional arrangements, before Anjouan elections are held 
again.  The Union Government and international community have 
repeatedly stated such a meeting is in fact necessary, but only 
comprised of legitimately elected authorities resulting from new 
elections in Anjouan. 
 
¶3. (U)  An informal translation of the letter follows below in para 
5; Post sent a copy of the original to AF/E.  Post has also sent the 
desk Ambassador Marquardt's op/ed to the Comoran media. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment:  There is nothing new in Bacar's letter; he makes 
the same weak and erroneous claims about the constitution that have 
been rejected by almost everyone in the international community. 
Bacar's arguments ignore one key fact:  he refused to allow 
international observation for a free and fair island election in 
June 2007.  Bacar seized power by force and without legitimacy.  End 
Comment. 
 
¶5.  (U)  Informal Translation 
 
Her Excellency the Secretary of State of the United States 
 
Subject:  The rule of law and democracy cannot succumb to bloody 
totalitarianism 
 
Excellency, 
 
I have the honor of sending you a condensed version of the dossier 
of the organization of island elections in Anjouan June 10, 2007; 
 
Excellency, 
 
The situation presented by the African Union Special Envoy (Madeira) 
and Resident Representative (Mourad) have nothing in common with the 
reality on the ground.  Mr. Sambi and his accomplices Madeira and 
Mourad have oriented the international community to view the crisis 
as separatism, when in fact it is a legal-constitutional conflict 
following poor management of the June 10, 2007 election in Anjouan. 
 
All of this was caused by a series of improper acts in violation of 
the constitution and institutions committed with impunity by the 
Union Government of the Comoros. 
 
I am confident that the United States, a country that respects human 
rights and democracy, will know how to overcome Sambi's lies and 
impose law and equality for all. 
 
For this reason, the Anjouanese authorities propose an alternate 
scenario that avoids bloodshed: 
 
Phase 1:  Convene a constitutional-legal commission to discuss the 
electoral process; composed of representatives from the Union, 
Anjouan, and international community. 
 
Phase 2:  Convene an inter-Comoran dialogue between the three 
Islands, then eventually with the Union, with international 
observation, to reconcile legal texts and repair the constitutional 
and institutional dysfunctions that came to light in the course of 
the last elections. 
 
Phase 3:  Implement the decisions of the conference, including 
holding elections if that is one of the conferees' conclusions. 
 
The Anjouan authorities note the principle of the right to 
self-defense in the case of aggression that is embodied in its 
constitutional autonomy of the Island of Anjouan in the following: 
 
-- Article 28, line 4 of the Anjouan Constitution, "if the safety of 
Anjouan is compromised by threats to public order, the island 
 
ANTANANARI 00000192  002 OF 002 
 
 
President takes appropriate measures." 
 
--  Legislation signed by President Sambi September 7, 2006, about 
Anjouan, article 2, "the interior security force is a permanent 
police force with military characteristics of the first and second 
category, having as its mission to maintain and reestablish public 
order, protection, and civil protection..." 
 
The Anjouanese authorities call on the United States to arbitrate 
the legal-constitutional argument in the Comoros that is at the 
foundation of the crisis, to avoid bloodshed in Anjouan. 
 
All of the democracies of the world must fight so that the rule of 
law and democracy do not succumb to Mr. Sambi's bloody 
totalitarianism. 
 
I count on your consideration and extend my appreciation. 
 
//Signed// 
 
Colonel Mohamed Bacar 
 
 
End Text 
 
Note:  The letter was a scanned copy sent from a yahoo.com account, 
but Post believes it to be authentic.  Attached were several other 
documents conveying Bacar's version of events since he seized power 
in 2007.  End Note. 
 
MARQUARDT