GHANA PROMISES SUPPORT FOR GUATEMALA,S UNSC

UNCLAS ACCRA 000566 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: GH GT KPKO PREL SU VE NATO UNSC UN SUBJECT: GHANA PROMISES SUPPORT FOR GUATEMALA,S UNSC CANDIDACY; WILL LIKELY SUPPORT BLUE HATS FOR AMIS AFTER AU MEETING REF: A. STATE 20173 (B) STATE 36548 (C) ACCRA 485 ¶1. (U) The Ambassador spoke with Ghanaian Foreign Minister Nana Akufo-Addo March 8 and raised ref A points regarding support for Guatemala,s candidacy as Latin America,s next non-permanent member of the UNSC. Akufo-Addo quickly stated that the GOG would support Guatemala and asked when the vote would occur. Ambassador replied in October. ¶2. (U) Per ref B, Ambassador presented U.S. position on blue hatting African Union forces in Sudan, as a follow-up to a diplomatic note on the subject sent to the MFA on March 8. The Foreign Minister said that the AU,s Peace and Security Mission would meet on Friday, March 10, to discuss this issue. He said that the Sudanese were being difficult about the matter, but he expected the consensus would be for blue hatting. Ambassador urged Ghana to push within AU deliberations to blue hat for reasons outlined (Ref B),and reminded the Minister that President Kufuor told CODEL Pelosi (Ref C) that Ghana supports president Bush,s position on the Sudanese blue hatting. Akufo-Addo promised to do so. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Ghana broke with African consensus on Iran and IAEA, but felt it had to stand with the AU candidate on ICAO for the fist round vote even after Presidential pledges to support the U.S.. candidate. Hopefully Ghana,s ambitions to chair the AU next time around will not cloud its thinking on re-hatting of AMIS. End comment. BRIDGEWATER