US embassy cable - 05MASERU554

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000554 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/S, IO/UNP - RAYMOND HOTZ 
 
PARIS FOR UNESCO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, IS, LT, UNGA, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED:  FOLLOWUP ON UN ISSUES 
 
REF: (A) MASERU 536 (B) MASERU 534  (C) STATE 188927 (D) MASERU 532 (E) 
MASERU 
506 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: JUNE CARTER PERRY, AMBASSADOR, EXEC, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) Minister of Local Government Dr. Pontso Sekatle 
requested Ambassador meet with her on October 25 to follow up on 
UN issues which had been previously discussed (see reftels). 
Specifically, Sekatle wanted the Ambassador to know that as 
Acting Foreign Minister (during FOMIN Moleleki's travels to 
Japan and India) she had discussed the issues of the Holocaust, 
the Iraqi Tribunal and UNESCO with Lesotho's Prime Minister 
Mosisili.  Sekatle and Moleleki appear to have similar positions 
and an inclination to support U.S. multilateral positions but 
for internal political sensitivities. 
 
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HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE AND IRAQI TRIBUNAL 
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2.  (SBU) Concerning the Iraqi Tribunal, Dr. Sekatle relayed the 
Government of Lesotho's full support and affirmed its validity 
and importance at this time.  She also stated that there was 
support for the Holocaust Remembrance as requested reftel. 
During  October 28 discussion upon FOMIN Moleleki's return, 
Ambassador raised co-sponsorship of the holocaust resolution, 
indicating that Minister Sekatle had given assurances of the 
Government of Lesotho's support during Moleleki's absence. The 
Foreign Minister did not disagree with Dr. Sekatle's 
characterization, but he also did not state clearly that Lesotho 
would be a co-sponsor.  He did emphasize that the Government of 
Lesotho fully supported the principle behind the resolution, and 
the UN's designating an International Day of Commemoration in 
memory of the victims of the Holocaust. 
 
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UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION 
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3.  (C) As reported reftel (D) October 7, FOMIN Moleleki sent 
instructions to Ambassador Kikine, who covers Paris and Berlin, 
to support the U.S. position on cultural diversity during the 
UNESCO  meeting in Paris.  During Moleleki's trip to Asia, 
Acting Foreign Minister Sekatle informed Ambassador that she 
would follow up on the instructions to Lesotho's delegation in 
Paris.  On October 25, then-Acting Foreign Minister Sekatle told 
the Ambassador that she wanted to explain that there had been a 
breakdown in communications between Maseru and Lesotho's 
delegation in Paris.  Sekatle recounted the situation as one in 
which the instructions had gone from a lower level official 
within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to offer a statement in 
support of the U.S. position, but it did not reach the Minister 
of Education, whom Sekatle said was the delegate on the floor. 
 
4. (C) Upon his return, FOMIN Moleleki advised Ambassador on 
October 28 that the scenario had evolved somewhat differently. 
He recalled that he had given the instructions during his 
October 7 meeting in the Ambassador's presence to the MFA 
Officer-in-Charge of International Organizations to relay to 
Ambassador Kikine.  Acccording to Moleleki, Kikine did as he was 
instructed concerning the vote on the convention, but Minister 
of Education Tsekoa (former Minister of Foreign Affairs) had 
refused to accept direction from the current Minister of Foreign 
Affairs.  Moleleki apologized profusely for the internal 
conflict which had, in his view, thwarted the attempt to 
demonstrate support for the stated U.S. position.  This 
situation appears to be a more complex one than articulated by 
Minister Sekatle.  Moleleki implied that he would provide a 
fuller read out of the internal dynamics after a thorough 
examination of the sequence of events. 
 
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COMMENT 
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5.  (C) There seems to be a consistency between the Minister of 
Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Local Government in their 
desire to support the U.S. on a number of fronts in multilateral 
fora.  However, both the mechanics of communication from the 
capital to Ambassadors and/or delegation representatives appear 
flawed and is complicated by personal conflict between the 
younger set of political leaders represented by both Moleleki 
 
MASERU 00000554  002 OF 002 
 
 
and Sekatle and the older generation of leadership represented 
by Minister Tsekoa.  It should be remembered that Moleleki 
unseated Tsekoa during the government cabinet reshuffle about 
one year ago.  While optimally one would wish to see objective 
analysis and coherence of multilateral positions between GOL 
entities, it is difficult at best for this government to 
separate personal dynamics -- and perhaps adverse interactions 
-- from purely beneficial statecraft.  End Comment.