EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES EMBRACE TOGOLESE

UNCLAS LOME 000813 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EAID TO SUBJECT: EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES EMBRACE TOGOLESE POLITICAL ACCORD REF: A. LOME 800 ¶B. LOME 798 ¶C. LOME 741 ¶D. LOME 667 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The GOT has begun to see positive diplomatic fallout from Sunday's successful completion of the national political dialogue (refs a and b). In early September, President Faure Gnassingbe plans to travel to Brussels, Rome, and Paris to be received by top host government and EU officials, followed by an official visit to Berlin in mid-October. The EU, historically Togo's biggest donor, also has decided to include Togo in programming for the 10th European Development Fund (FED),which runs from 2008 to 2013. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Background. The signing on August 20 by all the participants in the Togolese national dialogue, which included the GOT and its affiliated political parties (the president's party, the RPT, along with the so-called moderate opposition),the major opposition parties -- the so-called radical opposition, and two organizations representing civil society, was viewed widely as an important step in ending Togo's long political crisis. The crisis came to a head in 2005 when Togo's long-term dictator, President Gnassingbe Eyadema, died unexpectedly and was succeeded in a flawed and non-transparent process by his son, Faure. Widespread political violence ensued, in which 500 people died, mostly at the hands of the security forces, and 40,000 fled to neighboring countries. At the time of Eyadema's death, Togo was beginning to emerge from nearly 20 years of a donor boycott in response to the GOT's abysmal governance human rights record. Several months before his death, Eyadema agreed to implement 22 commitments he undertook with the EU in the areas of democracy, governance, and human rights and was beginning to make progress when he died. ¶3. (SBU) Background cont. Despite his inauspicious start, the U.S.-educated Faure espoused a reformist agenda from the outset, including a pledge to follow through with the 22 EU commitments, the first of which was a national political dialogue. Although the "radical opposition" was initially hostile -- to the point of refusing to recognize Faure's mandate -- Faure was able to convince his rivals of his willingness to break with the past and engage them as partners in negotiations regarding the future. The EU recognized the progress Faure was making in this and other areas by releasing small tranches of the over 100 million Euros in frozen assistance that had accumulated over the years but refused to go any further pending a successful outcome to the national dialogue (ref c). End Background. ¶4. (U) The signing of a comprehensive political agreement on August 20 marked the successful completion of the dialogue process. The agreement calls for fundamental reforms in Togolese institutions, mostly to be undertaken after election of a new legislature in late 2007, and the immediate appointment of a government of national union (to include the radical opposition),tasked with preparing for free and fair legislative elections as well as implementing the most urgent reforms in other specified areas. Although short on details, numerous safeguards are built into the agreement, including the appointment of a monitoring committee chaired by dialogue facilitator President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso and that includes ECOWAS and the EU in its membership. ¶5. (SBU) Anxious to demonstrate support for progress in a country that has shown little over the past 20 years, the EU and key member states have been quick to respond. The EU charge in Lome told the Ambassador following the signing ceremony that in addition to being received by President Chirac in Paris on September 7 (ref C),an invitation that was extended even before the outcome of the dialogue was known, President Faure will travel to Brussels on September 3 and 4, where he will be received by the King, prime minister, and EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel, and to Rome on September 6, where he will meet with Prime Minister Prodi. After Paris, Faure will return to Lome before departing for the UNGA in New York. After returning from the UNGA, Faure will travel to Berlin on October 13, where he will be received by Chancellor Merkel. In addition, Togo will be included in the upcoming European Development Fund budget cycle, the 10th FED that runs from 2009 to 2013, with the objective of helping Togo "with its economic revival and social justice (programs)" according to an EU press release. ¶6. (SBU) The GOT also has been making progress in the area of macroeconomic reforms. After satisfying the IMF's preconditions, Togo is about to sign an agreement with the Fund to begin a Staff Monitored Program before the end of 2006, whose successful completion would restore Togo's eligibility for concessional IMF financing (ref d). e restoration of EU development aid will be crucial to the GOT's ability to repay its arrears to the World Bank and thus regain eligibility for World Bank programs. ¶7. (SBU) Comment. Although a secondary partner relative to the EU, France, and Germany, the U.S. nonetheless has played an important role in Togo historically. The statement by the Department's acting press spokesman August 22 congratulating the government and opposition upon the signing of the political accord was front page news in Lome. Post will be recommending further measures we can take to encourage the Togolese leadership to continue on the reform path. End Comment. DUNN