US embassy cable - 05PARIS1806

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001806 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TO, FR 
SUBJECT: TOGO: BARNIER AND DE BONNECORSE ATTEND EYADEMA'S 
FUNERAL 
 
REF: LOME 261 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Nathalie Delapalme, FM Barier's Africa advisor, told 
us March 15 that Barnier had met briefly with Faure 
Gnassingbe and "other Togolese personalities" while 
representing France at the funeral of President Gnassingbe 
Eyadema (reftel).  Delapalme would not be drawn out on the 
substance of Barnier's discussions, preferring to note that 
Michel de Bonnecorse, President Chirac's African affairs 
advisor, had arrived in Lome 48 hours before Barnier. 
 
2. (C) In an earlier meeting, MFA AF PDAS-equivalent 
Elisabeth Barbier told PolMinCouns that the GoF viewed the 
fixing of the election date as providing focus for the 
parties and was not "too soon."  Barbier reiterated France's 
strong support for the ECOWAS position on Togo. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: As indirectly suggested by Delapalme, it is 
likely that France's position on Togo following Eyadema's 
death and during the electoral period is being managed 
largely by the Presidency's Africa cell.  END COMMENT. 
Leach