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DE RUEHPL #0404/01 3441218
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P 101218Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4880
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0376
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT LOUIS 000404 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/E FOR MARIA BEYZEROV 
L FOR JENNIFER LANDSIDLE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2019 
TAGS: KPIR PREL MARR PHSA EWWT PBTS MP
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER BRIEFED ON PIRATE TRANSFER AND 
PROSECUTION ISSUES 
 
Classified By: CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  UNODC representative Alan Cole briefed 
Mauritian Prime Minister Ramgoolam December 8 on the UN 
program to assist the transfer and prosecution of suspected 
pirates captured in the Indian Ocean region. Ramgoolam was 
receptive to the programs and ideas but raised concerns 
regarding national security issues, bail for pirates and 
capacity problems within the Mauritian criminal justice 
system. UNODC agreed to provide capacity assessment reviews 
in the coming months to address these concerns.  Although the 
tone of the meeting, according to Cole, was generally 
positive (with Ramgoolam noting that the GOM "will do 
something" to assist in the fight against piracy), Post 
believes there is still a long road ahead before GOM will 
consider an MOU on piracy. END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------- 
UNODC BRIEFS THE PM 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On December 8, Alan Cole, the EC/United Nations Office 
of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Counter-Piracy Program 
Coordinator, met with Prime Minister (PM) Ramgoolam and Chief 
of Staff Kailash Ruhee to discuss the issue of transferring 
suspected pirates to Mauritius for prosecution. After the 
meeting, Cole briefed poloff on the discussions. 
 
¶3.  (C) Cole said he provided the PM and Ruhee information 
regarding both the substantial increase in the frequency of 
pirate attacks and the spread south of the attacks.  He 
referenced the recent piracy cases in Seychelles and Tanzania 
to demonstrate that even countries with narrowly-drawn piracy 
laws are being requested to prosecute suspect pirates 
captured during incidents that occur in local waters.  He 
also highlighted the UN response to piracy issues, including 
the Djibouti Code of Conduct, UNSCR 1897 and the UNODC 
program.  Cole emphasized the costs borne by countries 
providing naval support for counter-piracy operations and the 
expectation set out in the Djibouti Code of Conduct and UNSCR 
1897 that regional states will make a contribution to the 
counter-piracy effort by prosecuting arrested pirates.  Cole 
noted that transfer agreements allow the receiving state to 
consider each case before agreeing to accept prisoners and to 
refuse any case the receiving state considers "unsuitable." 
Cole also referenced the numbers of potential cases to  be 
transferred. According to Cole, Seychelles agreed to accept 
up to 40 cases in the first twelve months.  He suggested 
Mauritius might be able to accept 60 cases.  During the 
meeting with Cole, the PM offered no comment on the number, 
neither accepting nor rejecting the figure.  (NOTE: Post is 
skeptical that Mauritius will accept 60 cases.  END NOTE) 
 
¶4.  (C) The PM requested examples of UNODC assistance 
provided to date to other countries, which Cole provided. 
Cole pointed out that while some UNODC support might be 
offered to states dealing solely with domestic piracy 
arrests, the main funding is to be provided to states which 
agree to take pirates arrested by foreign or international 
forces (with support linked to an actual transfer agreement). 
 When the PM voiced concern regarding piracy prosecutions and 
host-country national security issues, Cole replied that he 
met earlier in the day with the National Security Services 
and provided information which he believed directly addressed 
those national security concerns.  Regarding the worry that 
pirates might be granted bail, Cole explained that from his 
reading of the Mauritius Bail Act, pirate suspects would be 
unlikely to qualify for bail. The PM raised several issues 
regarding the Mauritian justice system, namely  crowded court 
schedules and limited prison capacity (Cole offered UNODC 
expertise and support in those matters).  At the conclusion 
of the meeting, the PM requested that UNODC carry out an 
assessment of the needs of the Mauritian criminal justice 
system in relation to pirate prosecution (see para 7 below 
for assessment dates suggested by UNODC). 
 
¶5.  (C) Both the PM and Ruhee voiced a desire to help with 
the counter-piracy issue and to play an international role. 
According to Cole, the PM said "We are going to do 
something," with Ruhee stressing "We MUST do something."  The 
PM added a cautionary note, however, in emphasizing that 
while he is "not against helping," he at the same time 
doesn't want "to get into trouble tomorrow."  (NOTE: This 
last comment appears to be a reference to national elections 
anticipated in early 2010 and the PM's reluctance to pursue 
any act which might me used against his party before the 
 
PORT LOUIS 00000404  002 OF 002 
 
 
elections. END NOTE) 
 
-------------------------------- 
DIALOGUE WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Cole reports that in a meeting at the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA), he was informed that the MFA has been 
instructed to assemble a plan to support the anti-piracy 
initiative.  Separately, the Solicitor General told Cole that 
he is embarrassed that Mauritius has not yet modified its 
laws to facilitate piracy prosecution, noting that any 
changes to the law will need to be approved by the National 
Assembly. (FYI: The National Assembly has only two weeks left 
in its current session, with no piracy issues on the agenda. 
The next session is scheduled for March 2010, though there is 
a possibility the PM can call a special session in January 
2010.) 
 
-------------------- 
NEXT STEPS FOR UNODC 
-------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) In order to respond quickly to the PM's request for 
assistance, UNODC prison specialist Glenn Ross, who is 
currently in Mauritius on another UN training program, will 
commence an assessment of the prisons as early on Monday, 
December 14.  The remaining assessment elements (police, 
prosecutors, and courts) will be scheduled for early 2010. 
Cole estimates the required support for Mauritius to cost USD 
1.5 million. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Post and other players (primarily the U.K., EU, and 
France) have all pressed the GOM to take a more active 
position on piracy issues -- with little progress to date. 
The current GOM stance, as indicated in the UNODC meeting 
with the PM, is that Mauritius is inclined to be more 
pro-active in support of counter-piracy programs.  During a 
December 10 meeting with the Charge, Foreign Minister Boolell 
admitted that the previous GOM policy regarding bilateral 
requests for support on the piracy issue were deliberately 
"pushed under the carpet." Boolell considered the 
multilateral approach, as headed by the UN, to be much easier 
for the GOM "to support...and to respond to more favorably." 
 
¶9.  (C) To date, the GOM falls short of formally agreeing to 
anything other than acceptance of UN-funded reviews and 
assessments.  Given habitual GOM bureaucratic hesitancy -- 
and, perhaps more importantly, the upcoming national 
elections -- Post strongly doubts that the GOM will accept 
any pirate cases in the near future.  Post believes that the 
UNODC assessments are the right step at this time, but that 
any attempt to press forward with a bilateral transfer 
agreement or MOU will not be met with enthusiasm from the GOM 
and will not prove fruitful. Post thus recommends waiting for 
the results of the UN assessments before considering moving 
forward on bilateral approaches. 
WALKLEY