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