DEMARCHE ON AMIS RE-HAT: GHANA

UNCLAS ACCRA 000066

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPKO PGOV PHUM PINS PREL SU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON AMIS RE-HAT: GHANA

REF: SECSTATE 01351


1. (SBU) On January 5, PolOff met with Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Director of African Union Affairs Kwabena Baah-Doudu
to urge the Government of Ghana to press the AU to request
that the UN begin planning to re-hat the African Union
Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in 2006, per reftel.


2. (SBU) Baah-Doudu inquired why the U.S. sought to remove
the mission from the AU. Per reftel, PolOff assured him that
the U.S. appreciated Ghana's contribution to AMIS and the
results the Mission had achieved. PolOff emphasized that
re-hatting the mission to a UN peacekeeping operation was
congruent with the AU's plans for AMIS and that the USG
believes the UN must begin planning now for the future.
PolOff added that the USG hoped to introduce a resolution
authorizing the planning for a re-hat during its presidency
of the Security Council in February.


3. (SBU) Unprompted, Baah-Doudu then raised the AU's
financial and logistical difficulties identified in the
recent assessment mission report as if to suggest that these
issues prompted the USG to seek a re-hat. (Note: Baah-Doudu
said the GOG had not seen the report's recommendations yet,
but he clearly seemed briefed on its contents. End note.)
PolOff responded by asking if Baah-Doudu expected the report
to contain any recommendations relevant to the GOG's
position. Baah-Doudu acknowledged AMIS' difficulties and said
the GOG was concerned about them. He said the GOG would have
to review the report's recommendations at Addis Ababa on
January 11 and consider the USG's offer of assistance before
recommending any course of action to the AU. Commenting on
the USG position, he said, "This is important. We will give
this all the due weight it deserves."


4. (SBU) Comment: Baah-Doudu seemed concerned that the USG
may regard AMIS as a failure and be seeking a re-hat to place
responsibilities in more capable hands. It is unclear how
this sensitivity may influence the GOG's decisions on this
issue.

BRIDGEWATER