MONTHLY REPORT--ABIDJAN BUREAU--MAY 1982

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100010006-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 31, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 5, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

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MAB 215
5 June 1982
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report--Abidjan Bureau--May 1982
I. GENERAL
1. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester
Crocker visited Abidjan briefly on 21 and 22 May for talks with the
Ivorian Government on various African issues. This was Mr. Crocker's
first visit to Ivory Coast. At a cocktail party for the official com-
munity, he said he had come to West Africa because he was tired of
being called "the assistant secretary for Nambia". He said that he had
found a sympathetic hearing from the Ivorian Government and general
agreement with U.S. policy. He also expressed optimism that progress
was being made on a Namibian settlement, however slowly. After the
speech, the bureau chief chatted informally with Mr. Crocker, who was
familiar with the FBIS mission and asked questions concerning the
bureau's coverage. He also noted the value of the FBIS product to the
State Department.
2. Pan Am, the only American carrier providing service to Africa,
inaugurated a significant change in its Abidjan schedule on 2 June.
There are now weekly nonstop flights between Abidjan and New York, re-
placing the previous flight which made lengthy stops in Monrovia and
Dakar. In the new service, Abidjan is the mid-point for New York-
Abidjan-Johannesburg flights. Unfortunately, at this time passengers
in Abidjan cannot use this flight to get to or from Johannesburg.
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. French President Mitterrand's visit to North and West Africa
occupied the bureau's attention during the latter part of the month.
He toured Algeria, Niger, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Mauritania, on his
first trip to Africa since assuming office. Many speeches resulted,
but most were fairly routine. Mitterrand gave a major address to the
Ivorian National Assembly, monitored from Ivorian television, during
which he reaffirmed pledges of French protection for the Ivory Coast,
a reassurance for the GOIC since during the campaign his position on
defending specific African regimes had been somewhat equivocal. In
Abidjan, the visit was greeted with flags, school holidays, native
dancing, many official receptions, and a miniature Arc de Triomphe
made of local vegetation which graced the road from the airport to
downtown Abidjan.
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2. As special coverage for Mitterrand's trip, the bureau began
monitoring the Paris Diplomatic Information Service. It proved so
productive that the bureau decided to cover the transmission on a
regular basis. The service carries official statements of government
leaders, several press reviews and other documentary material of lesser
importance. Among the items processed during the special coverage were
two speeches and a press conference statement by Premier Mauroy and a
statement to the French Senate by Foreign Minister Cheysson.
B. Lateral Services
At the request of Ivorian Foreign Minister Ake to Charge d'Affaires
Friedman, the bureau provided the GOIC with material reporting on and
reacting to developments surrounding the reestablishment of diplomatic
relations between Zaire and Israel. Among the items furnished were
statements and press comments from the various African and Aiab coun-
tries. The foreign minister in particular wanted to know if Israeli
media had stated that the Ivory Coast was considering such a step. A
query of Tel Aviv Bureau showed that Israeli media had not made such a
statement, mentioning only Gabon as a specific country which might
reestablish ties in addition to Zaire. Material for the GOIC came
not only from this bureau butalso from Tel Aviv, Jordon, Gulf,
Nicosia, and London.
Personnel
1. one of the bureau's junior monitors, was pleased STAT
to accept a .eng TDY to Swazi, l and to help train Mbabane's newly
hired monitors. Chief Monitor ~ declined to go for health STAT
and other reasons leaves in mid-July. STAT
2. Chief Monito Technician land Chief STAT
Teletype Operator all received PSI's during the month, to SIAI
FSN 1/5, FSN 4/3, and FSN 6/3 respectively.
The American Embassy in Ouagadougou, Upper Volta, hosted a
softball tournament over the Memorial Day weekend. Players from
Ivory Coast, Niger, Ghana, and Cape Verde as well as Upper Volta
participated in the tournament, known as SOFANWET (softball fanatics
weekend tournament). The bureau chief and Bureau Engineer
played for the Abidjan contingent, which was undefeated in four
games and brought home a handsome bronze trophy attesting to the
virtues of robust hitting and airtight defense. This five-day
effort to prolong adolescence beyond previously known limits began
with a 25-hour train trip from Abidjan on the legendary "Ouagadougou
STAT
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choo-choo". After three full days of softball, eating, softball,
drinking, softball, shopping and softball, most of the players were
happy to return to more sedentary diversions in Ivory Coast.
STAT
Chief, Abidjan Bureau
Attachment
Monthly Production Report
CC: Deputy Chief, London Bureau
Chief, Swaziland Bureau
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