Magister Bernd Pulch
Viewing cable 04NASSAU384, BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT SEEKS SUPPORT FOR FUTURE UN
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000384 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2014 TAGS: BF HA PGOV PREL SMIG SUBJECT: BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT SEEKS SUPPORT FOR FUTURE UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON HAITI REF: A) NASSAU 211 B) NASSAU 212 C) NASSAU 263 D) NASSAU 322 E) NASSAU 364 Classified By: Charge Abdelnour Zaiback for reasons 1.5 (B) and 1.5 (D) - - - - SUMMARY - - - - 1) (C) On February 24, Acting Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Marilyn Zonicle separately demarched each UN Security Council member with representation in The Bahamas for support for a possible UN Security Council meeting on Haiti that may be requested by Jamaica Prime Minister Patterson as early as Thursday. The original plan was to request the Security Council to meet on February 25 on Haiti, however, President Aristide asked that the meeting be deferred for 24 hours while he pursued the ongoing negotiations. For its part, The Bahamas seeks the active support of the U.S. as the "most important" member of the Security Council as it engages on a full scale diplomatic press to achieve peace in Haiti. If diplomacy fails, The Bahamas believes that military assistance will be essential, and is willing to contribute troops to a multinational effort to maintain law and order. END SUMMARY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FOREIGN MINISTER MITCHELL ON STAND BY TO NEW YORK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2) (C) Anticipating that Prime Minister Patterson would make the request for the Security Council to hold a special session on Haiti tomorrow, FM Mitchell had already packed his bags and made plans to fly to New York tonight. Patterson and CARICOM delayed making the request for the session only because Aristide convinced them that the opposition and rebels could still agree to CARICOM's peace plan. However, as the situation on the ground in Haiti continues to deteriorate, Zonicle anticipates that Mitchell will fly to New York tomorrow for a requested Security Council special session on Thursday. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SIX TALKING POINTS FOR PROJECTED SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3) (C) Follows are the six talking points presented to Charge. i) (C) Pending the outcome of the OAS/CARICOM-sponsored negotiations between the Government and the Opposition in Haiti, the CARICOM countries may request the convening of an emergency meeting of the Security Council to address the matter, considering the deteriorating situation in that country and the inability of the Haitian National Police (HNP) to deal with the insurgency. ii) (C) An open debate in the Security Council would allow it to pronounce on the matter and would provide Haiti with the opportunity to request military/police assistance, and, perhaps, increased humanitarian assistance, as may be necessary. Haiti is reluctant to take the matter to the Security Council before the current political negotiations have been exhausted and wishes to avoid the matter being dealt with on "parallel tracks" by OAS/CARICOM and the UN. iii) (C) While France has indicated a willingness to send military assistance to Haiti, the specter of French troops in Haiti at this time is a very sensitive issue, particularly as France is the former colonizer and Haiti is currently "celebrating" the 200th anniversary of discarding that yoke. A joint dispatch under the UN banner would be more palatable. iv) (C) With the United Nations, CARICOM Ambassadors are seeking the support of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) for the initiative and a meeting of the GRULAC to discuss the matter is being convened Wednesday afternoon. Brazil and Chile, the two members of GRULAC on the Security Council have indicated their support for the initiative. Other member of the GRULAC that have voiced strong support are Mexico and Venezuela. v) (C) Beyond the GRULAC, CARICOM Ambassadors are in touch with Canada and France, as well as with President of the GA, Ambassador Colin Granderson of the CARICOM Secretariat, and the other Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs in seeking to garner support for the initiative and move it forward, as appropriate. vi) (C) It has been said, although not officially announced that, Ambassador Reggie Dumas, of Trinidad and Tobago, has been appointed as the Special Advisor on Haiti by the UN Secretary-general. Perhaps, the stigma of a direct request from Haitian authorities for military assistance could be alleviated by having the request channeled through the Special Advisor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BAHAMAS VIEW ON OUTSIDE INTERVENTION CLARIFIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4) (C) Charge and Political Chief sought clarification on Mitchell's vision for outside intervention. In recent days Mitchell has made several statements that international support for Haiti's police was crucial, including "to disarm the rebels if they did not disarm themselves." Zonicle relayed that the first priority of The Bahamas is the principles in the CARICOM proposal, most notably reinforcing the ability of the Haitian police to maintain law and order. However, if this fails, Zonicle reiterated Mitchell's oft stated plea of late, that "law and order must be restored." Zonicle volunteered that The Bahamas was prepared to contribute troops, "perhaps as many as 100." While the preferred mechanism is the United Nations, Zonicle confirmed Mitchell's view that any outside intervention would be preferable to continued and increased chaos. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BAHAMIAN AMBASSADOR TO CARICOM SEEKS INSIGHTS ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OPPOSITION AND REBELS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5) (C) Ambassador to CARICOM Leonard Archer sought Charge's insight on the relationship between the rebels and the opposition, but in the exchange of views it became clear that all sides knew about the same. Several rebel leaders have connections with the former military. While the opposition may currently feel that they are the beneficiaries of rebel activity, they may soon learn that "the enemy of my enemy is not always my friend." Archer is an experienced diplomat who has studied Haiti at length. - - - - COMMENT - - - - 6) (C) As reported reftels, The Bahamas is seized on the Haitian crisis. It is certainly Foreign Minister Mitchell's dominant preoccupation. It is also clear that The Bahamas regards U.S. leadership and engagement on Haiti as crucial to any peaceful outcome. As has also become increasingly explicit in Mitchell's recent statements, while The Bahamas and CARICOM lobby for peace, they have concluded that a peaceful outcome without international intervention is increasingly unlikely. WITAJEWSKI
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