AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZES US-GHANAIAN PARTNERSHIPS

UNCLAS ACCRA 000839

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PREF KPAO GH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZES US-GHANAIAN PARTNERSHIPS
DURING FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO WESTERN REGION



1. (U) SUMMARY: On March 26-29, Ambassador traveled to
Ghana's Western Region to meet the Regional Minister, visit
USAID-funded projects, observe Peace Corp programs,
highlight USG and GOG maritime partnerships, and discuss
refugee, Amcit, economic, and political issues with local
contacts. The Western Region is home to a plethora of
natural resources including palm oil, rubber, gold and
cocoa. Although there are some human rights problems in the
mining communities and the region continues to struggle
economically, it has great potential for development,
particularly in tourism and in the exploitation of its
natural resources. End Summary.

-------------- --------------
Regional Minister on Business Investment, Border Protection
-------------- --------------


2. (U) Regional Minister Joseph Aidoo told the Ambassador
that foreign investment and border security with Cote
D'Ivoire were the region's main concerns. The Minister
highlighted the ample number of business opportunities for
U.S. investors in oil, gas, cocoa, and gold production. The
Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) fund has made the
Region more attractive with improvements in road and water
infrastructure. (Note: The heavy rainfall in the Region,
though favorable to farmers and lumbermen, is an ongoing
challenge to infrastructure development. End Note.) The
Minister noted that as the Western economy flourished, so
would its demand for energy. To assist the Western Region
in becoming more energy efficient, the Energy Division of
the World Bank had provided the region with solar panels.


3. (U) One of the adverse impacts of investment in the West
is the continued rise of illegal mining and child labor in
the region. The minister estimated there were about 5,000
illegal miners and another 5,000 individuals whose
livelihoods were dependent on this illegal activity. The
Regional Minister has initiated a flower production and
sales program as an alternative to the illegal mining
industry, and assured the Ambassador that he would not
tolerate the exploitation of children.


4. (SBU) Aidoo mentioned Ghana's porous border with Cote
d'Ivoire as a potential trouble spot, but he was also
concerned about the illegal fishing in Ghanaian waters that
involved many nationalities. Aidoo requested the
Ambassador's assistance in obtaining a U.S. Navy speedboat
to empower the Ghanaian navy to interdict poachers at sea.


5. (SBU) The Minister said that the leadership responsible
for the violence at Krisan Refugee Camp had gone underground
but was penetrating the camp at night. The GOG would, in
the future, ensure that camps were located at least 50
kilometers from Ghana's borders, in keeping with
international standards. The Minister professed to have no
knowledge of police misconduct at Krisan nor of the
subsequent GOG investigation. The Ambassador assured the
Minister that, despite rumors to the contrary, Liberian
refugees in the U.S. would not lose their residence status
because of the emergence of peace and democracy in Liberia.

--------------
Peace Corps Focuses on Tourism/Preservation
--------------


6. (U) Ambassador met with a Peace Corps Volunteer in the
Ankasa Conservation Area and Forest who is spearheading
efforts with a community NGO to conserve Ghana's largest
remaining tract of virgin forest. Afterward, the Ambassador
witnessed the work of another Peace Corps volunteer at Axim
to develop tourism in the region. (Note: The city of Axim
is home to Ghana's second-oldest European fort, St. Antonio,
built by the Portuguese in 1515. Though well preserved, the
fort's potential as a tourist attraction has not been fully
exploited. End note.)

--------------
Other Events
--------------


7. (U) Commodore Frank Daley of the Western Naval Command
expressed his appreciation for the U.S. Coast Guard's
donation of the GNZ Anzone and for the construction of a
medical clinic by Seabees. The Ambassador conducted a 45-
minute live television interview with a local media station,
fielding questions on the Ambassador's perception of Ghana
and visas. Ambassador observed the USG-funded HIV/AIDS
prevention program in operation at Holy Child Teachers
Training College, including an original song and drama skit.
At Norpalm's palm plantation, she observed palm oil
processing; thanks to USAID-funded technical assistance,

production has increased significantly over the past three
years. Meetings with American citizens revealed a variety
of concerns that ranged from obtaining enough food (Peace
Corps volunteers serving in rural areas) to applying for
dual citizenship (the African-American Diaspora). Her final
stop in the Region was at the Sekondi School for the Deaf,
where a Peace Corps volunteer teaches visual arts and
HIV/AIDS prevention, and USAID funds a feeding program for
the students who board there.


8. (U) Ambassador Bridgewater cleared this telegram prior
to her departure from post.

LANIER