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ACTION AF-06
INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-04 H-02
INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-01 PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15
USIA-06 IO-10 SAM-01 /076 W
--------------------- 122618
R 061440Z JAN 76
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7254
INFO AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
ADDIS ABABA 300
AMEMBASSY BANGUI
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
AMEMBASSY PARIS
USUN NEW YORK 2082
C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 21
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, AO, CO, GB, BY, MR, SG
SUBJ: MINISTERIAL VISITORS TO GABON
1. SUMMARY: GOG PRESIDENT BONGO HAS RECEIVED FIVE
MINISTERIAL EMISSARIES IN PAST THREE DAYS. WHILE SEVERAL
ANNOUNCED OTHER REASONS FOR THEIR VISITS, ANGOLA WAS
CLEARLY RECURRING THEME THROUGHOUT ENTIRE SERIES OF
CONVERSATIONS. END SUMMARY.
2. GOG PRESIDENT BONGO RECEIVED THREE VISITING MINISTERS
ON JANUARY 3 AND TWO MORE ON JANUARY 5, REPRESENTING TOTAL
OF FOUR COUNTRIES. FIRST DAY'S CALLERS WERE COMMISSIONER
FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANDUNGU BULA NYATI OF ZAIRE;
MINJUSTICE MALLAM OULD BRAHAM OF MAURITANIA; AND
MINAGRICULTURE PIERRE BIGAYIMPUNZI OF BURUNDI. VISITORS
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ON JANUARY 5 WERE SENEGALESE MINCULTURE ALIOUNDE SENE
AND ANOTHER MAURITANIAN, MINISTER/SYG TO PRESIDENCY
MOHAMED ALI CHERIF.
3. ACCORDING LOCAL PRESS, ALL FIVE VISITORS BROUGHT PER-
SONAL MESSAGES FROM THEIR CHIEFS OF STATE. BURUNDIAN
SAID PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF CALL WAS FOLLOW-UP TO LAST MONTH'S
STATE VISIT BY MICOMBERO, WHILE SENEGALESE SPOKE AT LENGTH
OF CULTURAL TIES BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES. ZAIROIS, IN
CONTRAST, IDENTIFIED ANGOLA AS MAJOR SUBJECT OF HIS
DISCUSSIONS WITH BONGO, AND BURUNDIAN ADMITTED THAT ANGOLA
HAD COME UP IN HIS TALKS AS WELL.
4. COMMENT: FIVE VISITS IN THREE DAYS ALMOST CERTAINLY
REPRESENT FURTHER SPATE OF INTENSIVE PRE-SUMMIT DIPLOMATIC
ACTIVITY BY STATES SEEKING HOLD LINE AGAINST MPLA AND ITS
SUPPORTERS. ZAIRIAN AND SENEGALESE EMISSARIES, IN
PARTICULAR, WERE DOUBTLESS HERE PRIMARILY TO CONCERT
STRATEGY ON BEHALF FNLA/UNITA, WHILE MAURITANIAN MINISTERS
REPRESENT STATE WHICH BONGO FEELS OWES HIM SOMETHING FOR
BACKING HE GAVE TO MOROCCAN-MAURITANIAN POSITION ON
SPANISH SAHARA. BURUNDIAN WAS PRESUMABLY LEAST
WELCOME OF VISITORS IN WAKE GOB RECOGNITION MPLA
(DESPITE EFFORTS BY BONGO DURING MICOMBERO'S STATE
VISIT), AND MAY HAVE HAD ROUGH TIME TRYING EXPLAIN
GOB ACTION TO AN ANGRY BONGO.STEIGMAN
BT
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