VZCZCXYZ0015
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0383/01 1000154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100154Z APR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6312
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY 0252

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000383 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DAKAR: PLEASE PASS TO BISSAU WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC PU XY
SUBJECT: UNOGBIS AT THE UN:  SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MOVE 
GUINEA-BISSAU FORWARD 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  UNOGBIS SRSG Joseph Mutaboba told the 
Security Council on April 8 that swift implementation of 
Security Sector Reform (SSR), economic recovery, a 
comprehensive approach to drug trafficking, and timely 
national elections were all essential elements in 
Guinea-Bissau's democratic development.  Brazilian PR Viotti 
spoke for the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), noting that the 
PBC would mobilize funding for the June 28th Presidential 
elections and would participate in the April 20 Praia donor's 
meeting on SSR implementation.  Guinea-Bissau PR Lopes Cabral 
asked the Security Council to endorse and support a possible 
ECOWAS troop contingent deployed to Guinea-Bissau prior to 
the elections.  Ambassador DiCarlo stressed the importance of 
SSR, warned of the threat of drug trafficking, and supported 
the fight against impunity.  Other Security Council members 
joined DiCarlo in calling for an end to impunity for human 
rights violations by the military, and urging the Secretariat 
to expedite its recommendations for transformation of UNOGBIS 
into an integrated peacebuilding office.  The Council adopted 
a Presidential Statement on April 9 which, inter alia, 
condemns arbitrary detentions by the military, calls for 
free, fair, and transparent elections, and invites ECOWAS to 
coordinate with Guinea-Bissau any necessary troop deployment. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) UN Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau 
(UNOGBIS) SRSG Mutaboba briefed the Security Council in both 
open and closed sessions on April 8.  In the open session, he 
detailed events since the early March assassinations of 
President Vieira and Defense Chief of Staff Tagme Na Wai.  He 
enumerated several cases of military personnel intimidating 
human rights activists and politicians through extra-judicial 
arrest and torture, and spoke about the Commission of 
Inquiry's concerns on the intimidation of witnesses by the 
military and lack of transparency on the workings of a 
parallel inquiry by Chief of Staff Induta into the killing of 
General Na Wai.  Mutaboba noted swift international 
condemnation of the killings and pressure on the 
Guinea-Bissau government to hold elections within the 
sixty-day period specified by the Constitution. 
 
¶3. (SBU) While the situation remained calm, but fragile, 
Mutaboba said there were four areas where the government 
needed international support in order to expeditiously act. 
The first area would be meeting the pent-up desires of the 
people for the resumption of basic social services as well as 
the payment of civil service arrears.  If Guinea-Bissau 
received no assistance, Mutatoba warned, ordinary citizens 
would lose faith in the democratic process, given that 
successful presidential elections last year had led to only 
political chaos and violence.  Secondly, Mutatoba stated, 
Guinea-Bissau needed a strong Commission of Inquiry on the 
assassinations, with adequate technical support from the 
United Nations and the international community.  This could 
require protection for witnesses called before the 
Commission. 
 
¶4. (SBU) SRSG Mutaboba's third priority was the swift 
implementation of Security Sector Reform (SSR), including the 
retirement of senior military personnel who had long before 
reached retirement age.  He said he was working to develop 
concrete proposals for engaging the military in the 
construction of  homes, schools, and farming on 
military-owned land.  In conclusion, Mutatoba urged the 
Security Council to strongly signal its support for the 
upcoming elections, an end to impunity, and SSR. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Chair for the Peacebuilding Commission's (PBC) 
engagement with Guinea-Bissau, Brazilian PR Maria Viotti, 
briefed the Security Council on the PBC's activities.  She 
noted that the PBC would attempt to mobilize donors to fill 
the remaining gap of approximately 2.5 million USD in 
election expenses.  The PBC will also meet in video 
conference with the GOGB to consider SSR with the results of 
the meeting to be passed to the April 20 Praia donor's 
meeting on implementing the government's SSR strategy. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Guinea-Bissau PR Lopes Cabral noted that this was 
the 34th briefing by the Secretariat to the Security Council 
on Guinea-Bissau.  "Guinea-Bissau is not a lost cause," he 
stated, calling for increased international assistance to 
help restore the rule of law, implement SSR, and achieve 
national reconciliation. 
 
¶7. (SBU) In the closed session, SRSG Mutaboba called for a 
needs-based approach to SSR, including the provision of 
agricultural machinery to enable the military to produce for 
the market.  He said another priority should be training and 
 
 
equipping the Guinea-Bissau police in order to improve the 
investigation and prosecution of crimes.  He warned of the 
increasing threat of narco-trafficking through Guinea-Bissau 
and said the country could slip into non-constitutional rule 
if the military continued its "shifting, opportunistic" 
alliances with politicians.  Finally, he called for more 
resources for UNOGBIS, including the provision of a 
helicopter to enable the ferrying of ballots prior to the 
election. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo congratulated Guinea-Bissau for 
adhering to its constitution under extraordinary 
circumstances.  She noted the importance of holding early 
elections and stressed the importance of SSR. DiCarlo said 
drug trafficking was primary among the threats to 
Guinea-Bissau's stability.  She also raised the need to 
support the Commission of Inquiry and the fight against 
impunity, and the continued importance of vigilance against a 
return of cholera to Bissau. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Burkina Faso said that the elections were not an end 
in themselves and only stopping impunity would ensure an end 
to political violence and true national reconciliation. 
Uganda concurred, calling for a scaling-up of Peacebuilding 
Fund support for SSR, and arguing that the international 
community should help Guinea-Bissau address narco-trafficking 
and youth unemployment.  Libya welcomed the upcoming 
Presidential elections and expressed concern over human 
rights.  Libya also expressed concern that the global 
financial crisis had led to a shortage of financing for 
Guinea-Bissau's cashew crop.  Japan spoke about the military 
"spreading a culture of impunity" and pledged additional 
support for the elections.  Japan asked the PBC to monitor 
elections preparations and the outcome of the April 20 
donor's meeting on SSR. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Other delegations raised similar concerns about the 
Rule of Law in Guinea-Bissau, the state of implementation of 
the ECOWAS regional strategy for anti-narcotrafficking (for 
which Guinea-Bissau would be the initial country), and 
international support for SSR.  Several delegations, 
including the United States, also inquired when the 
Secretariat would issue recommendations on the transformation 
of UNOGBIS into an integrated peacebuilding office (Note: the 
mission to assess a possible transformation has been delayed, 
and has yet to be rescheduled. End Note). 
 
¶11. (U) The Council adopted on April 9 a Presidential 
Statement (S/PRST/2009/6), drafted by Burkina Faso, which, 
inter alia, condemns arbitrary detentions by the military and 
calls for free, fair, and transparent elections. 
Rice