US embassy cable - 02ROME5832

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2007 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CI, ZI, NI, PGOV, PHUM, CI, ZI, NI, IT, ITPREL 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA, ZIMBABWE, COTE D'IVOIRE:  ITALY, EU 
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REF: 12/2 D. EPSTEIN-K. METRES EMAIL 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNS T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B) AND (D) 
 
1.    (C) SUMMARY.  AFRICA DG CABRAS REQUESTED A MEETING WITH 
POLMINCOUNS TO GET U.S. VIEWS ON THE CRISIS IN NIGERIA AND 
REVIEW OTHER TIMELY ISSUES.  SOME ITALIAN NGOS ARE CONCERNED 
ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA, BUT 
CABRAS AGREED THAT THE GOI'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY MUST BE 
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.  ON ZIMBABWE, CABRAS MENTIONED THAT 
AN UPCOMING EU MEETING WOULD DISCUSS HOW TO HANDLE THE 
QUESTION OF WHETHER TO INVITE MUGABE TO NEXT YEAR'S EU-AU 
MINISTERIAL.  THE EU MEETING WOULD ALSO DISCUSS COTE 
D'IVOIRE, AND THE GOI WOULD PUSH FOR GREATER EU INVOLVEMENT 
IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. POLMINCOUNS RAISED THE FOOD CRISIS IN 
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA, AND CABRAS SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT 
TERRORISM IN KENYA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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NIGERIA:  DEATH PENALTY, ELECTIONS 
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2.    (C) ON DECEMBER 2, POLMINCOUNS MET WITH BRUNO CABRAS, 
THE MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS.  CABRAS 
REQUESTED THE MEETING IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE FONMIN FOR AN 
UPCOMING MEETING WITH NESSUNO TOCCHI CAINO (LET NOBODY TOUCH 
CAIN), A LOCAL ANTI-DEATH PENALTY NGO.  NOTE:  THE DEATH 
SENTENCES AGAINST TWO UNWED NIGERIAN MOTHERS ATTRACTED 
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WIDESPREAD CONCERN IN ITALY, PUTTING NIGERIA ON THE MFA'S 
RADAR SCREEN.  END NOTE.  POLMINCOUNS DREW FROM REF A POINTS 
ON ELECTION ASSISTANCE, TO WHICH CABRAS REPLIED, "OUR 
POSITIONS COINCIDE ALMOST PERFECTLY."  THE GOI'S FIRST 
PRIORITY WAS SUPPORTING THE ELECTION PROCESS; ITALY HAS 
PROVIDED ITALIAN OBSERVERS AND TECHNICAL AID OVER AND ABOVE 
THE EU PROGRAM.  CABRAS OPINED THAT THE REAL CAUSES OF THE 
STRIFE WERE POLITICAL STRUGGLE AND ECONOMIC DEGRADATION, NOT 
ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES PER SE. 
 
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EU-AU:  THE ZIMBABWE QUESTION, ROUND II 
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3.    (C) IN A DECEMBER 4 MEETING IN BRUSSELS, EU AFRICA 
HANDS WILL DISCUSS HOW TO HANDLE THE EU-AU MINISTERIAL 
PLANNED FOR LISBON IN 2003, IN LIGHT OF THE FAILURE OF THE 
EU-SADC MAPUTU "SOLUTION" TO THE DILEMMA OF ACCORDING MUGABE 
THE HONOR OF AN INVITATION TO EUROPE.  CABRAS ASSERTED THAT 
SINCE THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS DIALOGUE, NO COUNTRY 
COULD BE EXCLUDED.  HE BELIEVED THAT POSTPONEMENT WOULD "SEND 
A VERY BAD MESSAGE" AND THAT THE AU STATES WOULD NOT COME IF 
MUGABE WERE NOT INVITED.  POLMINCOUNS SAID THAT THE SUMMIT IS 
MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO THE AU THAN IT IS TO THE EUROPEAN 
LEADERS.  THE EU SHOULD NOT BE SO HESITANT TO USE THAT 
LEVERAGE TO FIND A WAY TO EXCLUDE MUGABE. 
 
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COTE D'IVOIRE:  COULD THE EU HELP THE DISMAL SITUATION? 
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4.    (C) TURNING TO COTE D'IVOIRE, CABRAS SAID THE GOI'S 
FIRST PRIORITY WAS THE SUCCESS OF THE ECOWAS NEGOTIATIONS, 
WHICH HE NOTED, "ARE NOT GOING WELL."  THE ROLE OF PRESIDENT 
WADE OF SENEGAL, WHO "WANTED TO BE CENTER STAGE" IN SPITE OF 
OTHER COUNTRIES' DISSENSION, WAS PROBLEMATIC, AND THE REBELS 
HAD CALLED INTO QUESTION THE ENTIRE CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE 
OF CDI.  IF THE GCI COULD NOT RECAPTURE MAN, THERE WOULD BE 
NO MILITARY OPTION FOR THE GCI UNLESS FRANCE BACKED IT. 
THERE WAS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT GCI FORCES COULD TURN 
AGAINST PRESIDENT GBAGBO, LEADING TO CDI'S PARTITION AND 
"ECONOMIC DISASTER FOR THE COUNTRY AND THE REGION." 
 
5.    (C) AT THE BRUSSELS MEETING, WHICH THE GOI WOULD CHAIR, 
A DISCUSSION OF WHETHER DIRECT ENGAGEMENT BY THE EU IN CDI 
COULD HELP WOULD BE "VERY, VERY HIGH ON THE AGENDA."  THE 
GOI, WHICH FAVORS ENGAGEMENT BY THE EU, MIGHT PROPOSE SENDING 
A SPECIAL ENVOY TO "ORIENT THE NEGOTIATION" BETWEEN THE 
PARTIES.  CABRAS WASN'T SURE THAT FRANCE WOULD BE 
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT AN EU ROLE BUT PREDICTED THAT IN A FEW 
WEEKS OR MONTHS, THE GOF WOULD WELCOME THIS SHARING OF THE 
BURDEN. 
 
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FOOD CRISIS:  MFA WITH US ON GMO ISSUE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7541 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  05832  02 OF 02  050114Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AF-00    AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00 
      VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TRSE-00 
      T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00 
        /007W 
                  ------------------12D607  050114Z /21 
R 040510Z DEC 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7184 
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 
AMEMBASSY ABUJA 
AMEMBASSY ACCRA 
AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 
AMEMBASSY CONAKRY 
AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 
AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 
AMCONSUL LAGOS 
USEU BRUSSELS 2989 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2007 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CI, ZI, NI, IT 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA, ZIMBABWE, COTE D'IVOIRE:  ITALY, EU 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05832  02 OF 02  050114Z 
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6.    (C) FURTHER DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON FOOD SECURITY AND 
TERRORISM IN KENYA.  POLMINCOUNS RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE FOOD 
CRISIS IN SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA.  IN SPITE OF THE 
CONTROVERSIAL NATURE OF THE GMO ISSUE IN ITALY, CABRAS SAID, 
"WE ARE ON THE SAME LINE (WITH YOU)."  ASKED ABOUT KENYA, 
POLMINCOUNS MENTIONED THAT WE HAD RELEASED A TRAVEL ADVISORY 
ALSO COVERING DJIBOUTI AND YEMEN.  CABRAS AGREED THAT SUCH 
ACTION WAS NECESSARY BUT REGRETTED THE IMPACT OF SUCH 
WARNINGS ON THE ECONOMIES OF THE COUNTRIES NAMED. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME05832 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL