Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ABUJA2188
2005-11-15 06:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

ECOWAS ON LIBERIA AND TOGO

Tags:  PREL KDEM NI LI ECOWAS 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ABUJA 002188 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM NI LI ECOWAS
SUBJECT: ECOWAS ON LIBERIA AND TOGO

REF: STATE 207095

UNCLAS ABUJA 002188

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM NI LI ECOWAS
SUBJECT: ECOWAS ON LIBERIA AND TOGO

REF: STATE 207095


1. In response to reftel, Charge met with National Security
Advisor (NSA) Aliyu Mohammed Gusau on Friday, November 11.
NSA said he would personally convey the contents of the
message to President Obasanjo on the afternoon of November 11
on his return to Abuja.


2. PolMilOff called ECOWAS Executive Secretary Chambas on
November 11 and conveyed the contents of the demarche.
Chambas agreed with the US position and said that he had
already spoken with Johnson-Sirleaf, who he said had made
"helpful statements" and will continue to reach out to Weah.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the ECOWAS mediator for
Liberia, is currently on the ground in Liberia and has been
meeting with Weah. Chambas said Abubakar was planning to
bring Weah to Abuja on Sunday, November 13 for meetings with
ECOWAS and President Obasanjo. Chambas closed by saying that
he (and by extension ECOWAS) remained satisfied that the
election process was fair and transparent.


3. Charge and PolMilOff met with Chambas on November 14 to
continue the discussion on Liberia. Weah did not, in fact,
travel to Abuja on November 13. Abubakar and NTGL Chairman
Bryant felt that Weah needed to remain in Liberia to help
keep his supporters under control. ECOWAS is now planning for
Weah to travel to Abuja on November 16 with Abubakar.
Chambas said that he is very pleased with the situation in
Liberia and that he believes the "loss is beginning to sink
in" for Weah. African leaders, including the Presidents of
Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana, met in Abuja over the
weekend to discuss the future direction of the African Union
and issued a statement on Liberia (text below and transmitted
to AF/RSA and AF/W).


4. On TOGO, Chambas said Faure had just sent a delegation to
Rome to meet with Gilchrist Olympio for the second time. The
goal of Faure is to bring Olympio back to TOGO, and the
meetings are designed to lay the groundwork for that eventual
action. Once Olympio is back in TOGO, Faure plans to move
ahead with parliamentary elections that will include the
entire polity and will include a complete revision of the
voter registration lists. Once the new parliament is seated,
Faure told Chambas he intends to move ahead with a reform
agenda. Moving now, with parliament not representative of
national opposition elements, would doom any reforms.


5. Begin text of statement on Liberia:

African Leaders meeting in Abuja, Nigeria to discuss
proposals on the Union Government of Africa, learnt with
great satisfaction of the conduct of peaceful, transparent,
free, and fair presidential elections in Liberia on November
8, 2005.

The Leaders commended the people of Liberia for the exemplary
manner in which they comported themselves and for
participating in the elections without resort to violence or
acts of intimidation and commended also the National
Elections Commission for a job well done.

They urged all Liberians to allow the electoral process to
run its full course, and to use constitutional and legal
means to redress any grievances arising from the elections.

The Leaders reminded the Liberian people of the many
sacrifices they ad made to end the crisis in their country
and of the huge investment of the AU, the ECOWAS, the UN, and
the international community in bringing about peace and
democracy in Liberia. The Leaders called on the
international community to continue to help in the
post-election reconstruction of Liberia.

They called upon all Liberians to jealously guard the
prevailing peace and to desist from any acts that are likely
to return their country to crisis and undermine security,
peace, stability, the rule of law and the reconstruction of
their country.

End text.
FUREY