US embassy cable - 05PARIS1614

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001614 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2006 
TAGS: MARR, PHUM, KCRM, KPKO, CG, FR, MONUC 
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE ON PROPOSED JOINT DEMARCHE ON 
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE INVOLVING UN PEACEKEEPERS 
 
REF: STATE 34084 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Embassy Africa watcher shared reftel points February 
26 on a proposed joint demarche to troop contributing 
countries (TCCs) with MFA IO Africa expert Clement Leclerc. 
 
2.  (C) While Leclerc's initial reaction was guardedly 
positive, in a subsequent meeting March 4, he told us that 
the ambush and killing of MONUC forces and the subsequent 
MONUC operation against the FNI in Ituri meant that the 
context of MONUC's presence in the DRC had changed.  He noted 
that UNSYG Annan had asked TCCs to take action against those 
who committed abuses, as France and Morocco had done.  In 
these circumstances, he suggested, France was unlikely to 
participate in a joint demarche. 
Leach