Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LILONGWE33
2006-01-12 14:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:  

MALAWI: CONCERNS ABOUT SUDANESE PRESIDENT BASHIR'S

Tags:  PREL PGOV KDEM MI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9808
RR RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHLG #0033 0121426
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 121426Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2216
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0946
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000033 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2011
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: CONCERNS ABOUT SUDANESE PRESIDENT BASHIR'S
POSSIBLE CANDIDACY FOR AU CHAIR

REF: SECSTATE 226663

Classified By: Political Officer Tyler Sparks for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000033

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2011
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: CONCERNS ABOUT SUDANESE PRESIDENT BASHIR'S
POSSIBLE CANDIDACY FOR AU CHAIR

REF: SECSTATE 226663

Classified By: Political Officer Tyler Sparks for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) On January 12 Ambassador Eastham met with Minister of
Foreign Affairs Davies Katsonga, and the issue of next weeks
African Union summit arose. Katsonga spoke at length about
who the next Chairman might be, unequivocally ruling out
President Bashir of the Sudan and President Sassou of
Congo-Brazzaville.


2. (C) Katsonga stated that neither Bashir nor Sassou would
be acceptable as Chairman, as both have problems running
their own countries. Katsonga stated that the African Union,
as a new organization, needs a leader that can bring
respectability to the organization, and which neither Bashir
nor Sassou could. He also pointed out that two important
voting blocks come into play in selecting a Chair, namely
that Christian countries outnumber Muslim countries (which is
a roadblock for Bashir) and Anglophone countries outnumber
Fracophone (causing the same problems for Sassou). Katsonga
instead pointed towards more likely candidates Mozambique,
Tunisia (which would also face the Muslim "problem") or South
Africa.
EASTHAM