THE GAMBIA: JAMMEH'S PITCH TO UNSYG ANNAN ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000436 SIPDIS SIPDIS DAKAR PLS PASS RAO, ODC, AND DAO E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV SG GA SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: JAMMEH'S PITCH TO UNSYG ANNAN ON SENEGAL REF: A. BANJUL 394 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. DAKAR 1306 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) APPROACH TO THE UNSYG FOR PRESSURE ON SENEGAL -------------- - ¶1. (C) In conversation with Ambassador, UN Development Program Resident Representative Fadzai Gwaradzimba (protect) mentioned UNSYG Annan's meeting with President Jammeh on the margins of the July 1-2 African Union Summit here. The UNDP rep, who attended the meeting, confided that Jammeh had used the occasion to repeat his familiar plea for pressure on Senegalese President Wade to cooperate with the GOTG's investigation of the aborted March 21 coup plot so as to resolve Jammeh's suspicions of Dakar's complicity in the failed plot (c.f.refs a and b for background). According to the UNDP official, Jammeh also informed Annan that he continued to believe that the plot's ringleader, former CHOD Ndure Cham and other Gambian "subversives" were being harbored in Senegal. Jammeh reportedly told Annan that he had dropped his demand that the GOS extradite these elements to The Gambia, but that he (Jammeh) did insist on their expulsion from Senegal. ¶2. (C) The UNDP rep indicated that Annan, in response to Jammeh's pitch, refrained from making any commitment to approach Wade, but urged Jammeh to work with his Senegalese counterpart on behalf of an amicable resolution of this dossier. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (C) Judging from the UNDP rep's readout, the strains in the Gambian/Senegalese relationship generated by the failed plot persist, as does Jammeh's international campaign for pressure on the GOS. Our sense, though, is that several recent gestures by the GOS have eased those strains somewhat. These gestures include Wade's pre-Summit visit to Banjul (ref a) as well as his attendance at the Summit itself; our contacts had expressed doubt that he would show up for the Summit. In addition, the local media reported a GOS donation to the GOTG of approx. Dols 500,000 to help cover Summit-related expenses. END COMMENT. STAFFORD