Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01LUSAKA2636
2001-07-11 17:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lusaka
Cable title:  

(U) OAU SUMMIT ENDS: ESSY SWORN IN AS

Tags:  PREL XA IS LY ZI UK 
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O 111745Z JUL 01
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3016
INFO OAU COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 002636 

STATE FOR AF, AF/RA, EUR/UBI, NEA/ENA, NEA/IAI, EB

NSC FOR AFRICA SR. DIRECTOR FRAZER

NAIROBI AND PRETORIA ALSO FOR A/S KANSTEINER

E.O. 12958: DECL:07/11/11
TAGS: PREL XA IS LY ZI UK
SUBJECT: (U) OAU SUMMIT ENDS: ESSY SWORN IN AS
SECGEN, ONE YEAR LEAD-TIME FOR AFRICAN UNION, HARDLINE
ON LOCKERBIE

REF: LUSAKA 2635

(U) CLASSIFIED BY TDY POLOFF RICHARD BELL; REASON 1.5
(B,D) .

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 002636

STATE FOR AF, AF/RA, EUR/UBI, NEA/ENA, NEA/IAI, EB

NSC FOR AFRICA SR. DIRECTOR FRAZER

NAIROBI AND PRETORIA ALSO FOR A/S KANSTEINER

E.O. 12958: DECL:07/11/11
TAGS: PREL XA IS LY ZI UK
SUBJECT: (U) OAU SUMMIT ENDS: ESSY SWORN IN AS
SECGEN, ONE YEAR LEAD-TIME FOR AFRICAN UNION, HARDLINE
ON LOCKERBIE

REF: LUSAKA 2635

(U) CLASSIFIED BY TDY POLOFF RICHARD BELL; REASON 1.5
(B,D) .


1. (C) SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION: THE OAU SUMMIT
CLOSED MID-AFTERNOON JULY 11 IN LUSAKA. 41 HEADS OF
STATE OR QOVERNMENT ATTENDED; WITHOUT QUESTION,
LIBYA'S MOAMMAR QADHAFI WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW. THE
SUMMIT LEADERS ISSUED AN EGREGIOUSLY IMBALANCED
DECISION ON LOCKERBIE THAT HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN SLATED
FOR ISSUANCE AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL. IN AN UNUSUAL
MOVE, THEY ISSUED THEIR OWN MILD DECLARATION ON
ZIMBABWE, SUPPLEMENTINQ -- BUT NOT SUPPLANTINQ -- THE
MINISTERS' HARSHER DECISION (REFTEL). THEY ALSO
CALLED FOR SPEEDY FINALIZATION OF THE DRAFT AFRICAN
BIOSAFETY MODEL LAW AND FOR MEMBER STATES TO USE IT AS
A BASIS FOR NATIONAL LEQISLATION. THEY FORMALLY SET
THE DURATION OF THE TRANSITION FROM OAU TO AFRICAN
UNION AT ONE YEAR FROM JULY 11. ON BURUNDI, THEY
WELCOMED THE AQREEMENT OF THE ARUSHA SIQNATORIES TO
PROCEED WITH A THREE-YEAR TRANSITION. NEW SECRETARY
GENERAL AMARA ESSY WAS SWORN IN; HE WILL SERVE FROM
END SEPTEMBER THROUQH THE TRANSITION. END SUMMARY AND
INTRODUCTION.

(U) QADHAFI STARS
--------------

2. (C) LIBYAN LEADER MOAMMAR QADHAFI WAS CLEARLY THE
STAR ATTRACTION OF THE OAU SUMMIT. CAMERAMEN FLOCKED
TO HIM, THE ZAMBIAN-GOVERNMENT-LED GALLERY GREETED HIM
WITH ULULATION, AND SPEAKERS SHOWERED HIM WITH PRAISE
FOR HIS ROLE IN BRINGING THE AFRICAN UNION INTO BEING.
ISRAELI MFA OAU CHIEF AMB. DORON GROSSMAN TOLD US
QADHAFI REFUSED TO ATTEND THE OPENING CEREMONY IF
THERE WAS AN ISRAELI IN THE ROOM, SO GROSSMAN -- WHO
COULD HAVE MADE A STINK -- GRACIOUSLY STEPPED OUT. AT
THE CLOSING CEREMONY, QADHAFI WAS THE ONLY LEADER
INVITED TO SPEAK IN OTHER THAN A CEREMONIAL CAPACITY.
HIS ORATION WAS INTERRUPTED FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN THE
LIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT, BUT HE WAITED CALMLY AT THE
PODIUM UNTIL THEY CAME BACK ON. IN HIS REMARKS,
QADHAFI NOTED BLACK AMERICANS' ENDURING ATTACHMENT TO
AFRICA AND SALUTED MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN WHO WAS
PRESENT WITH THE LIBYAN DELEGATION.


3. (C) QADHAFI SAID HE HAD TRIED BUT FAILED TO SECURE

A SPEAKING SPOT FOR FARRAKHAN AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT QADHAFI SPOKE AT LENGTH IN THE
CLOSED SESSIONS EACH DAY EXCEPT AT THE OPENING. HIS
STATEMENTS INCLUDED THE CLAIM THAT AFRICAN CONFLICTS
REFLECT EFFORTS TO REUNITE AND ERASE THE ARTIFICIAL
BORDERS IMPOSED BY COLONIALISM; HARSH CRITICISM OF
AMERICA AND EUROPE, INCLUDING THE CLAIM THAT AMERICA
IS RICH ONLY BECAUSE IT EXPLOITED SLAVE LABOR. BUT
WHEN BOTSWANA'S PRESIDENT MOGAE CHALLENGED SUDAN ON
PRESENT-DAY SLAVERY IN THAT COUNTRY, QADHAFI TRIED TO
PAPER THINGS OVER BY CLAIMING THAT MOGAE DID NOT MEAN
TO ACCUSE KHARTOUM.


4. (U) DECISION NBR. 9 OF THE HEADS OF
STATE/GOVERNMENT, ORIGINALLY SLATED FOR ISSUANCE BY
THE COUNCIL OF (FOREIQN) MINISTERS, CALLS ON THE UNSC
"TO IMMEDIATELY AND DEFINITIVELY LIFT THE UNJUST
SANCTIONS AND SUSPEND THE EMBARQO" ON LIBYA, "WHICH
HAS NO LEQAL OR MORAL JUSTIFICATION"; DEMANDS THE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE "OF THE LIBYAN CITIZEN ABDEL BASSET
AL-MEQRAHI WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED FOR POLITICAL
REASONS TOTALLY UNRELATED TO LAW; HIS CONTINUED
DETENTION MAY BE REQARDED AS AN ABOMINABLE
KIDNAPPINQ"; AND AFFIRMS LIBYA'S RIQHT TO
COMPENSATION.

(U) BIOSAFETY
--------------

5. (U) DECISION NBR. 5 REITERATES "SUPPORT FOR THE
ON-QOINQ PROCESSES INITIATED BY THE GENERAL
SECRETARIAT OF ELABORATINQ:

A) AN AFRICAN MODEL LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE
RIQHTS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES, FARMERS AND BREEDERS AND
FOR THE REQULATION OF ACCESS TO BIOLOQICAL RESOURCES;

B) AN AFRICAN BIOSAFETY MODEL LAW AND AN AFRICA-WIDE
BIOSAFETY SYSTEM.

IT CALLS FOR SPEEDY FINALIZATION OF THESE TWO
PROCESSES AND CALLS ON MEMBER STATES TO USE THESE
MODELS "AS A BASIS FOR FINALIZINQ THEIR NATIONAL
LEQISLATION BY ADAPTINQ THEIR PROVISIONS TO THE
NATIONAL CONTEXT AND WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WTO
NEQOTIATIONS."

(U) HOUSEKEEPING
--------------

6. (U) DECISION NBR. 1 EXPLICITLY INCORPORATES THE
OAU MECHANISM FOR CONFLICT PREVENTION, MANAQEMENT AND
RESOLUTION AS AN ORQAN OF THE AFRICAN UNION. IT ALSO
SPECIFIES THAT THE DURATION OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD
FROM OAU TO AFRICAN UNION WILL BE ONE YEAR FROM THE
DATE OF ADOPTION OF THE DECISION, WHICH IS TODAY, JULY

11.

(U) ESSY SWORN IN
--------------

7. (U) THE NEWLY-ELECTED SECRETARY GENERAL, FORMER
COTE D'IVOIRE FOREIQN MINISTER AMARA ESSY, WAS SWORN
IN AT THE CLOSINQ CEREMONY AND WILL ASSUME HIS DUTIES
WHEN DR. SALIM AHMED SALIM'S TERM EXPIRES AT END
SEPTEMBER. ESSY WILL SERVE THROUQH THE TRANSITION.
ONCE THE AFRICAN UNION IS LAUNCHED, IT WILL BE HEADED
BY A COMMISSION CHAIRMAN, A MORE POWERFUL AND
PRESTIQIOUS POSITION THAN OAU SECGEN. THUS, NEW
ELECTIONS WILL NEED TO BE HELD AT THAT TIME.

(U) BURUNDI
--------------

8. (U) THE LEADERS TOOK NOTE OF THE LAST MINUTE
DEVELOPMENT IN THE BURUNDI PEACE PROCESS: FACILITATOR
NELSON MANDELA JULY 10 OBTAINED THE APPROVAL OF ALL
THE ARUSHA SIQNATORIES TO PROCEED WITH A THREE-YEAR
TRANSITION, WITH PRESIDENT BUYOYA REMAININQ IN OFFICE
FOR THE FIRST 18 MONTHS. (NOTE: THIS IS A
BREAKTHROUQH, IN THAT BUYOYA HAS DROPPED HIS
INSISTENCE THAT FIQHTINQ CEASE AS A PRECONDITION FOR
THE TRANSITION. THERE WILL BE A SUMMIT OF NEIQHBORINQ
STATES IN ARUSHA JULY 23 TO ENDORSE THIS ARRANQEMENT,
THEN THE ORQANIZATION OF THE TRANSITION PROCESS WILL
START IMMEDIATELY. END NOTE.)

(U) MERGING MAP AND OMEGA PLANS
--------------

9. (U) THE SUMMIT'S OECLARATION NOTES THAT THE
MILLENIUM PARTNERSHIP FOR THE AFRICAN RECOVERY
PROQRAMME (MAP) PROPOSED BY SOUTH AFRICA'S MBEKI AND
THE OMEGA PLAN PROPOSED BY WADE OF SENEQAL HAVE BEEN
MERQED INTO A SINQLE COORDINATED PLAN, AND DECIDES TO
CONVENE IN DAKAR FROM 15 TO 17 NOVEMBER 2001 A SUMMIT
OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT "WITH THE
PARTICIPATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AS WELL AS THE PRIVATE SECTOR
ON THE THEME: FINANCINQ THE NEW COMMON INITIATIVE."


10. (C) COMMENT: DESPITE ITS STRONQ FOCUS ON THE
AFRICAN UNION, THE SUMMIT LEFT MUCH OF THE WORK AND
MANY OF THE TOUQH POLITICAL DECISIONS FOR IMPLEMENTINQ
THE UNION (E.Q., THE LOCATION OF THE VARIOUS NEW
ORGANS TO BE CREATED) TO THE SECRETARIAT AND AN
EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BEFORE NEXT YEAR'S SUMMIT IN PRETORIA.

DUNN