GHANA PRESIDENT ON COTE D'IVOIRE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002240

SIPDIS

FOR AF/W MICHAEL ARIETTI, GHANA DESK OFFICER LARRY JOHNSTON,

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2024
TAGS: PGOV PINR GH
SUBJECT: GHANA PRESIDENT ON COTE D'IVOIRE

REF: YATES/ARIETTI PHONE CON 11/11/2004

Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARY C. YATES FOR REASONS 1.5 (A),(D)


1. (C) Summary: President Kufuor told the Ambassador
November 11 that he would attend the emergency meeting in
Abuja on November 14 as part of South African President
Mbeki's diplomatic initiative to address the Cote d'Ivoirian
crisis. President Gbagbo will be invited but may or may not
attend. Kufuor thinks Gbagbo may be more flexible because of
the changed situation with the French on the ground. Kufuor
believes President Gbagbo should still implement Linas
Marcoussis agreement and that Gbagbo must force his
parliament to act. He opined that all current key Ivoirian
leaders should not be allowed to run for election and that
new leaders should be given a chance. The killing of the
French military gave the French the "pretext" to take actions
protecting their citizens and their businesses, but Kufuor
was not critical of the French. End Summary


2. (S) Ambassador met with Ghanaian President John A.
Kufuor, along with CJA, Chief of African Division,for 40
minutes on November 11. The ambassador used the opportunity
to query the president about the current deteriorating
situation in Cote d'Ivoire and possible regional initiatives
to address the crisis.(Subject of Reftelcon) Kufuor first
spoke at some length about the generic insecurity problems in
West Africa and the destabilization of outside mercenary
forces. Specifically, Kufuor said that in connection with
South African President Mbeki's current diplomatic
initiative, that he had just been invited by President
Obasango to a meeting in Abuja scheduled for a two hour
duration at the airport on Sunday, November 14 and that he
would attend. He was aware that President Mbeki of South
Africa, President Wade, and probably the presidents of
Burkina Faso and Mali would attend. President Gbagbo would
be invited and be urged to attend, but Kufuor was not fully
confident Gbagbo would attend. (Subsequent press reports
report Libya's Khadafi will also be invited.) It was not
clear whether other Ivoirian leaders would be invited to this
meeting, but Kufuor said he understood that Ouattara and Soro
may not have travelled to South Africa to meet with Mbeki
11/11 as previously planned.

3 (C) When asked what hope was held for this diplomatic
initiative after Gbagbo's failure to advance Accra III
promises, President Kufuor said Gbagbo was in a more
difficult and insecure situation because of recent events
which might make him more receptive to a diplomatic
initiative than he was during Accra III. He said Gbagbo must
take "the bull by the horns" and stop using the parliament as
an excuse. He must tell the parliament they have to pass the
legislation which implements the Linas Marcoussis agreement
and moves the election calendar forward for all parties. He
must lead, said Kufuor. Kufuor also opined that the entry of
French had changed the situation since the Accra III talks,
and should also change Gbagbo's stance.


4. (C) On the political scene, Kufuor repeated several times
that it was a "freak" that Gbagbo had ended up as the
President of Cote d'Ivoire since he had always just been a
minor opposition leader even during President
Houphouet-Boigny's time. Since Gbagbo did not represent
either of the two major parties in the country during any
normal election, he should never have ended up with the
position. Since happenstance gave Gbagbo this position,
instead of trying to cling on to power, Gbagbo should
contemplate his leadership of an entire nation and his
legacy. Kufuor said emphatically and repeatedly that all
current leaders in Cote d'Ivoire (Gbagbo, Ouattara, Bedie,
and Soro) must give way to new, younger leaders in their
parties. None of them should be allowed to run in the
election because none of them can unify and lead the entire
nation.


5. (C) On the French intervention, Kufuor said that the
killing of the French soldiers by the Cote d'Ivorian military
gave the French the "pretext" they needed to move in and
protect their citizens and their businesses. Kufuor was not
critical of the French and quite realistic about their
current role as contributing to the stability both of their
citizens, other foreigners and the French and international
businesses. He even suggested they could play a constructive
role in getting CI through the next free and fair national
election, but needed to know when to leave so not to be seen
as a occupying force.


6. (C) Comment: Despite Kufuor's reference to Gbagbo as his
brother, there was clear frustration at Gbagbo's lack of
comprehension of the seriousness of his situation, and
inability to provide the nation leadership. The Ambassador
thanked Kufuor for taking time out of his final weeks of
campaigning to go to Abuja this Sunday. (The president is
currently on the campaign trail in the interior about five
out of seven days.) Kufuor admitted that after all the
efforts at Accra III, he just felt he had to step back and
take care of his own country. He seemed relieved that
President Mbeki had stepped in to play a leadership role.
YATES