USIA - State Department Report, 97-03-28

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From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>

REPORT ON STATE DEPT. BRIEFING, MARCH 28, 1997

(Central African Republic, Baltics, Zaire, Serbia) (660)

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC -- The United States has decided to suspend temporarily its operations in the Central African Republic in light of hostilities between the rebel forces and African peacekeepers. The U.S. Embassy in Bangui, the capital, will be "temporarily closed pending further developments," Dinger said. Ambassador Mosina Jordan and a supporting staff member will cover events in the Central African Republic from the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Normal operations at the U.S. Embassy in Bangui have been interrupted repeatedly over the past year, Dinger explained, and the U.S. staff "have been functioning in what we consider to be 'crisis mode' for some time." Although the embassy staff will be leaving in the next week, Dinger emphasized that the embassy is not considered to be permanently closed.

Rocket fire, randomly exchanged between the rebels and African peacekeepers since March 22, have claimed lives, Dinger said. Although Americans have not been targeted, they are clearly in danger.

As of March 28, there are approximately 50 Americans in the Central African Republic: 15 private U.S. citizens in Bangui; some 27 private American citizens elsewhere in the country; and 7 official personnel of the U.S. Embassy. With the temporary closing of the U.S. Embassy, U.S. citizens in the country will be without protection, Dinger explained, but the French Government has promised to assist the American community in the case of an emergency.

BALTICS -- The United States is proposing to establish a Baltic bilateral charter with Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, according to Dinger. It is an outgrowth of the "Baltic Action Plan" launched in September, 1996, by Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott.

The Baltic Action Plan has three goals: (1) to integrate the Baltics into European multilateral and regional institutions; (2) to encourage the development of normal, balanced relations with Russia; and (3) to actively promote bilateral initiatives between the United States and the Baltic states to reassure the Baltics of continued U.S. support for development of their political, economic, and social infrastructures.

The proposed bilateral charter contains no security guarantees or commitments, Dinger said.

"Neither the Baltic Action Plan nor this (proposed) charter is intended to take the place of NATO membership," Dinger said. "The U.S. recognizes that membership in NATO is a top foreign policy objective for each of the three Baltic countries. And it is our position that NATO doors, once opened, will remain open to all European democracies that are able to contribute to its goals. We remain committed to continuing our efforts to help the Baltic countries with their preparations to meet NATO accession requirements."

ZAIRE -- According to Dinger, there is "no element of truth" in reports published in "Le Monde" that say that two Americans -- allegedly advisers to Kabila's rebel alliance -- were found dead in Eastern Zaire and that the French turned over one body to the United States.

"We are unaware of any American citizens killed or injured in Eastern Zaire during the current conflict, nor has there been any joint U.S.-French operation to remove the body of any American citizen from the region," Dinger said.

"The United States has at no time provided any assistance, directly or indirectly, to the rebel alliance," Dinger said.

SERBIA -- Dinger refused to comment on a media reports that say Serbia may possess chemical weapons. He did note, however, that Serbia has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention; the international treaty to ban chemical weapons has been signed by 165 countries. "The more members of the international community that do sign and ratify...(the CWC), the more the pressure will build on non-signers, such as Serbia and other 'rogue states, ' to join the Convention," Dinger said.

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