HE Marcel Ibinga-Magwangu Ambassadeur du Gabon en Italie, Gréce, Turquie et Chypre Via Mercalli, 25 00197 Roma Italy April, 12th 2000 Subject: Letter of Condolence Your Excellency, It is with great sadness that Greenpeace offers its condolences to the Government of Gabon and to the family of Mr. Vassallo, the Honorary Consul of Gabon in Milan. The tragic news of Mr. Vassalo's death, who died in car accident on march 31st, came as a shock to many international environmental groups. Mr. Vassallo's efforts to protect the Ipassa-Mingouli region, the last real wilderness in Northeast Gabon, were and are highly respected by our organisation. As soon as Greenpeace first heard about the importance of this region by a CNN report and via the internet, we contacted Mr. Vassallo to learn more about what is at stake in that region. International conservation bodies (such as IUCN) have long identified the Ipassa-Mingouli region as a top priority for nature conservation in Gabon. Therefore, as Mr. Vassallo was, Greenpeace remains extremely concerned about the ongoing expansion of industrial logging activities in the Ipassa-Mingouli area. Undoubtedly these activities are putting at stake the ecological integrity of the region. Today, this region remains unprotected despite it's enormous potential for ecotourism and scientific research on primary rainforest ecology. Greenpeace members present at Giuseppe's funeral were therefore pleased to hear that you, publicly expressed support for Mr. Vassalo projects during the funeral ceremony in Milano. Greenpeace is encouraging the Gabonese government to continue the important work Mr. Vassallo started and to ensure lasting protection for the Ipassa-Mingouli area. If Greenpeace can be of any help to you in this matter, please let us know. In the meantime, we would like to draw your attention to the memorial we will shortly have placed on our public website: http://www.greenpeace.org in honour of the memory of Giuseppe Vassallo and his campaign to protect Gabon's forests. Yours sincerely, Elaine Lawrence Campaign Director Greenpeace International