Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL761
2006-12-20 15:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S INAUGURATION

Tags:  PGOV PREL KMCA GA IR SG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0129
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0761/01 3541515
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201515Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7188
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0300
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0057
RUEHC/AIT WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//POLAD/J2//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000761 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS DAO, ODC, AND RAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KMCA GA IR SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S INAUGURATION

REF: A. BANJUL 589 ET AL

B. BANJUL 708

C. BANJUL 744 (ALL NOTAL)

BANJUL 00000761 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000761

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS DAO, ODC, AND RAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KMCA GA IR SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S INAUGURATION

REF: A. BANJUL 589 ET AL

B. BANJUL 708

C. BANJUL 744 (ALL NOTAL)

BANJUL 00000761 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) The December 15 inauguration of President Jammeh's
third term featured pomp and ceremony, and the bombastic
leader used the occasion to portray The Gambia as a future
"economic superpower," while also requesting Gambians'
"forgiveness." Four African heads of state (Nigeria, Togo,
Mauritania, and Ethiopia) attended; we were told that
Senegalese President Wade was absent due to strains over the
Casamance dossier. The Iranian Vice President's presence
highlighted the expanding Iranian/Gambian ties in recent
months. END SUMMARY.

POMP AND CEREMONY
--------------


2. (U) Following Yahya Jammeh's re-election as President for
a third term in September (ref a),his inauguration was held
December 15. The GOTG and ruling APRC party labored mightily
to create a joyous atmosphere in Banjul for the event,
organizing, in addition to the swearing-in ceremony, a large
state dinner, military parade, and several musical concerts
during the December 14-17 period. A three-day official
holiday period was proclaimed.

JAMMEH'S SPEECH
--------------


3. (SBU) Jammeh delivered a relatively brief speech on taking
the oath of office, urging Gambians, "irrespective of tribe,
religion, origin, or region" to work together for the
country's development. Displaying his penchant for bombast
and citing the experience of Singapore, he spoke of The
Gambia (among the world's smallest and poorest countries)
becoming an "economic superpower that will stand shoulder to
shoulder with the world's major economic powers." In a
possible reference to GOTG/APRC's excesses during the
September election and to authorities' abuses in response to
the abortive coup plot in March, he told the audience, "I
forgive all of you and expect all of you to forgive me."

FOREIGN ATTENDEES AND NO-SHOWS
--------------


4. (C) On hand for the inaugural ceremony were heads of state
from Nigeria,Togo, Mauritania, and Ethiopia, along with
various African and other Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers,
including, inter alia, Iran's Vice President and Taiwan's
Prime Minister. Conspicuous by his absence was Senegal's
President Wade; the Senegalese Ambassador here had previously
told us that Wade would attend (ref b). A reliable
journalistic source attributed Wade's absence to strains over
the Casamance issue, saying the Senegalese leader remained
skeptical of Jammeh's assurances that he was not providing
sanctuary to, or otherwise assisting dissident Casamance
rebel figure Salif Sadio and his supporters. (COMMENT: Our
source was also skeptical that Jammeh had halted his
cooperation with Sadio; we have no independent information,
but regard as eminently plausible the possibility of ongoing
meddling by Jammeh in the Casamance. END COMMENT)


5. (C) The foreign visitor attracting the most attention was
Nigerian President Obasanjo, who had not been expected to
attend and who, arriving shortly before the ceremony's
opening around noon on December 15, departed immediately
after the 90-minute event. Our journalistic source said that
Obasanjo had made an appearance only because Jammeh had
essentially begged him to do so and that the two leaders had
had no opportunity for a side meeting. Our source added that
Jammeh, having invited all African leaders to his
inauguration, had been disappointed that only four had ended
up personally attending.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) The widely expected major policy speech by Jammeh at
his inauguration failed to materialize, and the reasons for

BANJUL 00000761 002.2 OF 002


the volatile leader's relatively subdued performance are not
clear. Despite the GOTG/APRC effort to whip up an
enthusiastic, joyous mood among the citizenry, our sense is
that the large majority of attendees at inaugural events were
GOTG officials and APRC cadres. Judging from our soundings
among Gambian contacts, a ho-hum atttude prevailed among much
of the public. It remains to be seen whether Jammeh's
request for "forgiveness" will translate into an easing of
his increasingly autocratic governance in past months. The
Iranian Vice President's appearance, following Jammeh's
recent trip to Tehran (ref c),highlighted the expanding
Iranian/Gambian ties in recent months. END COMMENT.
STAFFORD