US embassy cable - 03ROME1670

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001670 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013 
TAGS: PINS, PHUM, EAID, SL, IT, KWCI, UNSC 
SUBJECT: ITALY ON THE SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: WE'RE 
BROKE 
 
REF: STATE 94991 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
 1.  (C) POLOFF COORDINATED DELIVERY OF REFTEL DEMARCHE WITH 
    THE CANADIAN EMBASSY.  MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR WEST AFRICA, 
SEBASTIANO FULCI, WAS FRANK IN HIS RESPONSE TO OUR (AND THE 
UNSYG'S) REQUEST FOR MORE SUPPORT: ITALY DOES NOT HAVE THE 
MEANS.  WHAT LIMITED GOI FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR AFRICA AS A 
WHOLE TEND TO GO TOWARDS THE HORN OF AFRICA.  MR. FULCI, NEW 
TO THE JOB IN SEPTEMBER 2002, NOTED THE GOI CHOSE TO FINANCE 
ECOWAS IN THE IVORY COAST THIS YEAR FOR ABOUT 110,000 EURO, 
SOAKING UP MONEY THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE 
SLSC DONATION. 
 
2.  (C) FULCI POINTED OUT THAT THE MAJORITY OF ITALIAN 
FOREIGN-AID FUNDS ARE RESERVED BY LAW FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND 
UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE USED TO FINANCE THE COURT.  WHEN 
POLOFF POINTED OUT THE COURT SUPPORTS THE RULE OF LAW, 
NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FULCI SIMPLY SMILED AND 
REPEATED THAT ITALIAN LAW PROHIBITED THE USE OF DEVELOPMENT 
FUNDS FOR THE COURT.  WHILE HE PERSONALLY DESIRED THAT THE 
GOI SPEND MORE MONEY IN WEST AFRICA, IT SIMPLY WAS NOT NOW 
AVAILABLE. 
 
3.  (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
SEMBLER 
 
NNNN 
 2003ROME01670 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL