SYG ANNAN CALL TO KABBAH RESTORES GOSL-UNIOSIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000389

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y ( ADDING SIPDIS CAPTION )


SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO AND AF/W
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2011
TAGS: PREL KDEM USUN SL
SUBJECT: SYG ANNAN CALL TO KABBAH RESTORES GOSL-UNIOSIL
WORKING RELATIONSHIP

REF: FREETOWN 379

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JAMES A. STEWART FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D.


1. (C) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's telephone call from
Vienna to President Kabbah late on May 12 looks to have
restored the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) - UNIOSIL
relationship. Annan's call followed his May 10 letter to
Kabbah (reftel). As a result, Kabbah reportedly rescinded
the GoSL non-cooperation Note Verbale of May 5. Kabbah was
not easily placated over the UNIOSIL quarterly report to
which he and his government took umbrage and a staff member
in the Secretary General's office said the telephone
conversation was "difficult," the UK Charge told us. The
staff member also reported that the discussion did not/not
raise the status of the head of UNIOSIL, Executive
Representative of the Secretary General (ERSG) Victor Angelo.


2. (C) On May 15, ERSG Angelo is reportedly writing a letter
to Kabbah so as to confirm in a formal way that the
cooperative relationship is back on track. He will also seek
an appointment with Kabbah at an early date, which will be
the first test of the detente.


3. (C) The longer-term effect of the GoSL's displeasure with
the UNIOSIL report and the week of non-cooperation is
difficult to predict. The ERSG's access to Kabbah and the
highest levels of government, along with the general tenor of
the GoSL-UN working relationship will bear our monitoring.


4. (C) Comment. Kabbah seems to have been genuinely
disappointed that the UNIOSIL quarterly report did not
reflect the progress he thinks is evident or what the GoSL
told UNIOSIL in a day-long hearing on the report before it
went to New York. In addition, winding down his second term
as president, Kabbah is concerned with his historical legacy
and quite likely felt unrecognized for his efforts as well as
undercut by the organization for which he worked for many
years. Finally, this GoSL-UNIOSIL spat is symptomatic of the
Government's touchiness when faced with public criticism
which is frequently chalked up here to a lack of political
experience and self-confidence. It is good news that the
ERSG's status was not raised in the Annan-Kabbah telephone
conversation. All that said, over the weekend, the UK
Department for International Development (DfID) country
director who runs a very large aid program and is a keen
political observer downplayed the affair, characterizing it
as a "tempest in a teapot" that has thankfully passed. End
Comment.
STEWART