GHANAIAN NGO HOSTS TOGOLESE AND IVORIAN PARTY TALKS

UNCLAS ACCRA 001013

SIPDIS

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV GH CI TO
SUBJECT: GHANAIAN NGO HOSTS TOGOLESE AND IVORIAN PARTY TALKS



1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In two separate events, Ghana's
Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) hosted conferences with
Togolese and Ivoirian political parties in Accra to discuss
creative listening and conflict management skills. The IEA
expects to host a second conference for Togolese parties in
May. The Ivoirian conference resulted in a joint communique
in which parties declared their willingness to continue to
interact with their Ghanaian facilitators on a quarterly
basis. The IEA's efforts highlight the constructive, often
low-key role of Ghana in promoting peace in the region. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) With financial assistance from the Dutch
Government, the IEA launched its first attempt at
international mediation among representatives of various
Togolese parties in December, 2005. All of the major
opposition parties attended workshops in Accra, and one
party allied with the GOT, the CPP, also participated.
Organizers described the gathering as helpful and positive,
expressing the hope that the ruling RPT would send a
representative to the next such informal conference,
tentatively planned for May, 2006.


3. (SBU) The IEA organized a similar event for seven
Ivoirian political parties, including the President's
Ivoirian Popular Front (FPI) on April 7-8 in Accra. During
the opening of the conference, Ghanaian speakers emphasized
the importance of free expression, free association,
tolerance, and learning to disagree "agreeably," noting that
a small amount of arguing is good for democracy process and
enriches the decision-making process. IEA Acting Head of
Governance Kwesi Jonah remarked that Ghanaians "feel your
pain" and want to share their experiences in developing a
stable democracy. One of the keys to Ghana's positive
evolution had been the establishment of back-channel
contacts between political opponents, away from the glare of
the media, something that Ghana's development partners,
including the U.S. and Canada, had encouraged, Jonah said.


4. (U) Jonah urged his Ivoirian guests to avoid political
parties based on ethnicity or religion; to contest the next
elections, rather than boycotting them; to rebuild trust and
confidence among themselves; to find a way to keep the army
in its barracks and generate employment for the youth; and
to limit political ambitions for the greater good. He
invited the audience to join in the "exhilarating task" of
restoring Cote d'Ivoire to its once leading position in the
sub-region as a nation promoting order, stability, and
prosperity.


5. (SBU) In an April 11 meeting with Poloff, Jonah
described these sessions as "very successful." The April
event was more difficult to organize, he said, requiring
numerous trips to Cote d'Ivoire to convince parties to
participate. Jonah said President Gbagbo enthusiastically
backed the idea of a multi-party meeting with Ghanaian
counterparts. He praised the joint communique Ivoirian
participants issued on April 8, in which they vowed to
continue interacting with their Ghanaian counterparts on a
quarterly basis. Jonah declared that Ghana was willing to
host similar gatherings for other African countries facing
political difficulties. He remarked that not long ago,
meetings such as these would have been resisted as
"interference in another country's internal affairs."


6. (SBU) Comment: The IEA sessions on Togo and Cote
d'Ivoire received scant publicity, in keeping with the
organizers' preferences. However, they appear to have
played a constructive role in bridging dialogue in both Togo
and Cote d'Ivoire. They also highlighted Ghana's
constructive, often low-key role in seeking solutions to
regional conflicts.


7. (U) This telegram was cleared by Embassies Lome and
Abidjan prior to transmission.

LANIER