UNSC DISCUSSIONS IN GHANA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ACCRA 001375 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: GH PGOV PREL SO SU AU UNSC KPKO SUBJECT: UNSC DISCUSSIONS IN GHANA ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On June 18, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and other members of the UN Security Council visited Ghana as part of a five-day African tour. They met as a group with Foreign Minster Nana Akufo-Addo and President John Kufuor. Akufo-Addo was encouraged by recent progress in Sudan and the DRC. He saw the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute as intractable and was optimistic about Cote d'Ivoire, highlighting the need for continued international support, especially in ensuring credible elections. The upcoming AU Summit would focus on strengthening the AU Commission, AU finances, and a road map for greater African integration. The UNSC Ambassadors supported stronger ties between the UN and the AU's Peace and Security Council. Ambassador Khalilzad said the U.S. would welcome a Ghanaian contribution to the hybrid force in Sudan and would help Ghana fulfill its troop commitment to AMISOM. Ambassador Khalilzad also met separately with presidential advisor on the African Union Nana Effah Appenteng, who supported the formation of a regional contact group on Sudan and encouraged engagement with Egypt on the Ethiopia/Eritrea border impasse. End summary. Sudan -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Sudan is the "major preoccupation of Africa," Akufo-Addo stated, emphasizing that a resolution to the Darfur problem requires close cooperation with the Government of Sudan, even if it is complicit in the Darfur violence. He was encouraged by the just-completed UNSC Mission visit to Sudan and by the Sudanese government's apparent willingness to be constructive. President Kufuor planned to speak to President Bashir soon and was determined to help ensure that the momentum of the recent UNSC trip is not lost. Somalia -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Akufo-Addo was more pessimistic about Somalia, stressing the need for an all-inclusive political dialogue. Without progress on this front, the conditions were "not propitious" for the insertion of AU forces, he said. This helps explain why countries have been slow to commit troops to AMISOM. The Ghanaian military, for example, questions whether they would be going to keep or make the peace, he noted, adding that logistics is also a challenge. DRC --- ¶4. (SBU) The peace process is ongoing in the DRC and the international community is providing as much support as possible. He thought there should be an explicit AU role in promoting dialogue. He hoped the absence of opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba would allow for tempers to lower. Ethiopia-Eritrea -------------- ¶5. (SBU) This conflict never seems to find resolution, Akufo-Addo said, hoping that the international community would do what it can to get agreement between the parties. Cote d'Ivoire -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Cote d'Ivoire is "progressively being resolved," he said. Since the Ouagadougou Accord, which has the strong backing of the AU and ECOWAS, there is clearly greater optimism for peace, unification and real democratic development. He saw the recent agreement to transfer election authority as a "polite way" to sideline UN High Representative for Elections Gerard Studman, who had difficulties with President Gbagbo. ¶7. (SBU) There is still a great need for international monitoring of the situation. When UN forces leave Cote d'Ivoire there will still be a need for international involvement in keeping the peace. Credible elections are key to the stability of the country and the election process ACCRA 00001375 002 OF 003 requires international support and certification of results. He thought the Government of Cote d'Ivoire's plans to hold the election in the first quarter of 2008 was acceptable, especially if the postponement increases the credibility of the election. AU Summit -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The focus of the June 25-July 3 African Union Summit in Accra will be to explore the kind of mechanism which will drive the union of Africa, according to Akufo-Addo. Ghana was not expecting a continental government over night, but hoped the Summit would help strengthen the AU Commission and reach agreement on financing the AU. The bulk of AU funds need to come from within Africa, especially from several key countries, he said, stressing the need for Africa to "find its own locomotive". Akufo-Addo also hoped the AU Summit would provide a better road map, with benchmarks, for the process of African integration, including a clearer definition of the AU's relationship with African regional bodies. Akufo-Addo noted Ghana's support for the UN and called for a more structured relationship between the UN Security Council and the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union. Views from UNSC Ambassadors -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The UNSC Ambassadors offered the following observations: -- South Africa and the U.K. (Mission leaders for Ghana): South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo agreed with the need to strengthen the relationship between the AU's Peace and Security Council and the UN. The UN would try to provide a mechanism for assistance to the PSC, perhaps on a case by case basis, given financing difficulties. U.K. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry agreed, emphasizing that the UN needs to do more with the AU to help Africa. He noted what he saw as significant positive change in Sudan and identified a slim window of opportunity for reconciliation in Somalia. Both thanked Ghana for its leadership in the AU and its positive role in the UNSC. -- U.S.: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad agreed with the need to strengthen the capacity of the AU PSC and its relationship with the UN. He stressed the need for continued engagement and pressure on Sudan and said he would welcome Ghana's contribution to the hybrid force. He thanked Ghana for its willingness to contribute to AMISOM, stating that the U.S. is will to help with this. There was a parallel need in Somalia for political reconciliation and for putting in place a peacekeeping mechanism, he said. He appreciated Ghana's willingness to speak out on Zimbabwe and thought the AU could play an important role in establishing conditions for an election in Zimbabwe. -- France: Ambassador Jean Marc de La Sabliere agreed that there was the real prospect for normalcy in Cote d'Ivoire and that credible elections were key. He saw the need for a renewed UNSC mandate for peacekeeping forces in Cote d'Ivoire. There needed to be more clarity about the significance of the recent transfer of election tasks to a Special Representative, as well as the outcome of a recent meeting between Compoare, Gbagbo and Sorro. He relayed AU Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare's belief that the AU could play a greater role in promoting political dialogue in the DRC. -- Russia: Ambassador Konstantin Dolgov agreed with the need to work closely with the Government of Sudan and thought AU support was critical. The conditions in Somalia were not ripe for UN troops to support AU efforts, absent more progress on the political front, he said. -- Others: Slovak Ambassador Peter Burian hoped the AU would participate in an upcoming seminar in Pretoria on the strategic process for security sector reform (Akufo-Addo agreed the AU should participate). Italian Ambassador Aldo ACCRA 00001375 003 OF 003 Mantovani urged continued pressure on Somalia. Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya urged the AU to take the lead on behalf of the international community on African issues and saw the need to give the AU priority over other regional organizations. President Kufuor Favors AU Forces to Somalia -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In a separate meeting with the UNSC Mission, President Kufuor said some measure of stability was essential in Somalia before there could be much progress on the political front. Ghana and other African countries were prepared to contribute troops to AMISOM (Ghanaian troops have been ready for one year, he said) but logistical and other assistance has not been forthcoming, he stated. He urged the UN to deliver on its assistane promises. On Sudan, he hoped every effort would be made to facilitate political dialogue and deploy the proposed hybrid force. Meeting with Effah-Appenteng: Sudan and Ethiopia/Eritrea -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) On the margins of the UNSC meetings, Ambassador Khalilzad met with newly named Presidential Special Advisor on the African Union and Ghana's former Ambassador to the United Nations Nana Effah-Appenteng. Effah-Appenteng was cautiously optimistic about Sudan, agreeing with the need to maintain pressure on President Bashir. He thought President Bush's threatened sanctions had helped make Bashir more cooperative. Ambassador Khalilzad asked if he thought there was a potential regional role. Effah-Appenteng saw the possible benefit of a regional contact group, given the mistrust than hampers bilateral efforts and the complicated role played by Chad. He would explore President Kufuor's thoughts on whether it would be helpful for the UN to play a catalytic role in this. Ambassador Khalilzad hoped Ghana would contribute to the hybrid force ¶12. (SBU) On the Ethiopia/Eritrea border dispute, Effah-Appenteng said that on paper Ghana had relations with Eritrea, but this did not mean much in reality. Influencing Eritrea was difficult, but he suggested we engage Egypt or possibly the Gulf states as an intermediary. Ethiopia's position is complicated by its involvement in Somalia, he added. (Note: In a separate discussion with PolChief June 18, MFA Supervising Director for Africa and the African Union ¶C. Nii Amon Kotey said the GOG did not have new ideas for tackling the Ethiopia/Eritrea border dispute. It was a long-standing, difficult problem which he hoped would eventually solve itself. End note.) Comment -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The atmospherics of the UNSC Mission visit to Ghana were excellent. The Ghanaians were hospitable and informed. Akufo-Addo and Kufuor clearly were pleased with the praise Ghana received and used the occasion to highlight Ghana's 50th anniversary Jubilee and its recent achievements (including a discovery of oil announced on the day of the UNSC Mission visit). President Kufuor's plea for previously promised assistance is a clear sign that Ghana remains committed to contributing to AMISOM. Ambassador Khalilzad encourages the Department to do what we can to respond to Ghana's request for help with this deployment. BROWN