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.

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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