GILCHRIST OLYMPIO IN TOGO, TALKS ABOUT NATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LOME 000474 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR D'ELIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM TO SUBJECT: GILCHRIST OLYMPIO IN TOGO, TALKS ABOUT NATIONAL DIALOGUE REF: LOME 447 LOME 00000474 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador David B. Dunn; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Summary: Gilchrist Olympio, the absentee head of the principal Togolese opposition party, the Union des Forces de Changement (UFC) called on the Ambassador on April 28 during a rare visit to Togo. Olympio was in Togo to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Togolese independence April ¶27. Dialogue between the GoT and the opposition parties commenced on April 21. UFC is participating in the dialogue despite concerns about lack of an outside facilitator. Regional overseer Obasanjo seems to have handed Togo off to Campaore. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Gilchrist Olympio, the self-exiled head of the principal Togolese opposition party, the Union des Forces de Changement (UFC) called on the Ambassador on April 28 during one of his rare visits to Togo. Olympio came to Togo to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Togolese independence on April 27 in a program organized by the UFC. As a conciliatory gesture, the GoT commemorated TogoQ,s independence on a much grander scale that was ever seen before. Former President Eyadema insisted that January 13, the day he came to power (and coincidentally the date that GilchristQ,s father Sylvanus Olympio, the first president of Togo, was assassinated, probably with the collusion of Eyadema) in a coup, be celebrated as Independence Day. (Although some members of the opposition participated in the government ceremonies, neither Olympio nor any UFC members did.) A big April 27 celebration is new. The Ambassador commented that symbols are important, especially in a context where there is a confidence gap, so it is important for Olympio, without being naQve, to appropriately encourage these gestures. ¶3. (SBU) Olympio, age 70, appeared to be in good health, although in conversation he was inclined to wander off the point and talk about the importance of his own role in the topic at hand. He was not tightly focused. ¶4. (U) The Ambassador agreed with Olympio that the role of the international community is very important in helping Togo get past the current crisis. He said we are all anxious to see the parties reach a consensus on reform. For the United States, Togo is important, in that advancement of democracy is a critical component of U.S. foreign policy. Moreover, an unstable Togo would be bad for the region, and democracy offers the best chance for social harmony and economic growth. The Ambassador pointed out that the USG is preparing to help Ghana and Benin with their economic development with significant resources. It is the political situation that is holding back development in and foreign assistance to Togo. ¶5. (C) Olympio said that, despite apprehension over the lack of an outside facilitator, the UFC decided to participate in the national dialogue that began on April 21 in Lome. He pointed out that he had hoped that a facilitator, with the backing of the EU, the UN, and the US, would act as a catalyst for Togolese efforts and would play a major role in implementation of what would be agreed. The Ambassador noted that there is not much argument about which issues need to be discussed. He said the GoT has been saying the right things, and having the opposition engage with the government is the best way to test its seriousness about reform. ¶6. (C) When Olympio pointed out the need for reform of the army, the Ambassador acknowledged the importance of such reform, including the definition of the armyQ,s mission, but advised that one would need to proceed cautiously, as experience with coups dQ,etat in countries where the military was worried about reform has shown. Olympio talked about phased reform of the military whereby, at first, a few officers would be shifted around and the army would be kept in the barracks until after elections. In a second phase, three to five years out, recruitment policies would change to include all areas of the country, not just the north. In the third phase, the military would have a structured mission that would not include a policing function. ¶7. (SBU) In a discussion about mediators, Olympio was initially surprised when President Campaore of Burkina Faso called him in March to talk about national dialogue. Nigerian President Obasanjo seems to have dropped his role as regional dealmaker in Togolese politics, and Burkina FasoQ,s Campaore appears to have taken over. CampaoreQ,s Minister of Security has been representing him in Lome at the Dialogue. LOME 00000474 002.2 OF 002 ¶8. (SBU) Olympio confided that the position of France is worrying to him. France likes stable regimes in Africa to the exclusion of other considerations, e.g. democracy. He had an appointment with the French ambassador immediately after his call at the American Embassy. Olympio said he planned to ask for French support for the dialogue going on now, for help to ensure that the next electoral process is credible, and for assistance in ensuring that the army remains in the barracks during the run up to and through elections. ¶9. (C) Comment: Despite his long absence from Togo, Olympio remains the second most important person in the country's political dynamic. In this meeting, he appeared more youthful than his age would suggest. However, his tendency to focus on themes and events peripheral to the core issues of Togolese politics, and occasional evasiveness, leads us to question his value to the process of (needed) change in Togo. End Comment DUNN