THE GAMBIA; VISIT BY SENEGALESE FORMIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000227 SIPDIS SIPDIS DAKAR PASS RAO, DAO, AND ODC E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS GA SG SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA; VISIT BY SENEGALESE FORMIN REF: A. BANJUL 222 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. DAKAR 898 ¶C. BANJUL 190 ¶D. BANJUL 121 ¶E. BANJUL 209 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) VISIT BY SENEGALESE FORMIN -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Senegalese Formin Cheikh Tidiane Gadio visited Banjul April 12 and met with President Jammeh, telling the press afterward that he had brought a message of "solidarity" from President Wade to Jammeh following the coup plot thwarted here March 21 (refs a and b). Gadio took the occasion to reiterate Dakar's condemnation of the failed plot and denied that the GOS was involved in any way. Rebutting reports that Senegalese authorities had picked up ringleader Lt Col Ndure Cham, Gadio indicated that Senegalese authorities would detain any of the coup plotters seeking refuge in Senegalese territory, but that they had yet to find any in their searching so far. GAMBIAN READOUT -------------- ¶2. (C) In April 12 discussion with Ambassador (other topics covered septels),Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary William Joof said that Wade's good will message to Jammeh conveyed by Gadio had failed to dispel the GOTG's suspicions, based on allegations by detained coup plotters in their confessions (ref c),regarding possible Senegalese complicity in the plot. According to Joof, in the April 12 meeting, Jammeh requested of Gadio further details of Senegalese authorities' knowledge and actions surrounding the failed overthrow attempt in order to dismiss detainees' allegations. Joof stated that Jammeh also complained to Gadio about the recently recalled Senegalese Ambassador here, Ndiouga Ndiaye, protesting his "clandestine meeting" with a leading figure in the plot, Tamsir Jasseh, as revealed by the latter in his televised confession (ref d). BILATERAL PROJECTS TO GO FORWARD -------------- ¶3. (C) Permanent Secretary Joof assured Ambassador that the GOTG recognized the imperative of pursuing its concerns with the GOS over the failed plot through dialog and to prevent an unraveling of the two sides' rapprochement in past months. Joof stated that the GOTG notwithstanding its unresolved suspicions, would continue its cooperation with the GOS on such vital projects as re-establishment of the joint Permanent Secretariat and construction of a bridge across the Gambia River (ref c). COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (C) Following Jammeh's anti-Wade diatribe in his recent message to President Bush (ref e),the extent of fallout on Gambian/Senegalese cooperation on key projects from the GOTG's suspicions toward Dakar remains to be seen -- Joof's assurances of the GOTG's intention to move forward notwithstanding. To our knowledge, plot ringleader Cham remains at large and possibly in Senegal; Jammeh will doubtless regard the extent of GOS efforts to locate him and, if found in Senegal, to hand him over to Gambian authorities as a key test of Senegalese intentions. END COMMENT. STAFFORD