DEMARCHE ON MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO CHARLES

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000573 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016 TAGS: PREL KAWC XY AU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO CHARLES TAYLOR: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE REF: STATE 26600 Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Post conveyed reftel talking points to Ralph Scheide, the Austrian MFA's Assistant Secretary-level Director for the Middle East and Africa; to Caroline Gudenus, Head of the MFA's Sub-Saharan Africa Division; and to Klaus Famira-Parcsetich, the MFA's Acting European Political Correspondent on February 21 and 23. In a February 24 follow-up meeting with EconUnit Chief, Gudenus said the GoA agreed with the USG approach for facilitating Taylor's extradition. According to Gudenus, the MFA's Special Envoy for Africa, Georg Lennkh, had recently discussed this issue with Liberian President Shirleaf. Shirleaf appeared open to broach Taylor's extradition with Nigerian President Obasanjo, but did not explicitly commit herself to take action. ¶2. (C) Gudenus noted that, although the political situation in Liberia is hopeful, it is still fragile. Under these circumstances, Gudenus cautioned that the USG and EU should move discretely to urge Shirleaf to contact Obasanjo. Gudenus added that the GoA would have an opportunity to raise this issue with ECOWAS in April and during an AU troika meeting in May. EconUnit Chief urged Gudenus to accelerate contacts with ECOWAS and the AU, given possible time and funding constraints for the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Gudenus promised the GoA would undertake to contact the Liberian Government as soon as possible. McCaw