A/S FRAZER'S MEETINGS IN GHANA: SUDAN, SOMALIA, AU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ACCRA 001585 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2017 TAGS: AU GH PGOV PREL SO SU SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER'S MEETINGS IN GHANA: SUDAN, SOMALIA, AU SUMMIT REF: ACCRA 1438] Classified By: PolChief Scott B. Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e) ¶1. (C) Summary: On the margins of the July 18-19 AGOA Forum in Accra, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazer and NSC Special Assistant to the President on African Affairs Bobby Pittman met with senior GOG officials, including outgoing Foreign Minister Akufo-Addo and President Kufuor for discussions focused on Sudan and Somalia, but also covering the AU Summit, the Middle East, and West Africa (septel). On Sudan, President Kufuor was more cautious than other senior GOG officials, saying that as AU Chair he did not want to be at odds with the other African UNSC members, especially South Africa (comment: This has been Kufuor,s consistent message. End comment.) On Somalia, the GOG requested we send planners to prepare for Ghana's AMIS troop contribution (A/S Frazer said we would send them). Foreign Minister Akufo-Addo was pleased that the recent AU Summit effectively blocked Khadaffi's vision for African unity, in favor of greater integration in specific technical areas. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) A/S Frazer delivered the following message on Sudan in all her meetings: 1) the transition from AMIS to a hybrid force needs to happen by October 1, 2007; 2) there is a need for a Chapter VII mandate for the protection of civilians and humanitarian assistance; and 3) the hybrid force in Darfur needs a single, unified command and control structure, ultimately reporting to the UN. The USG does not believe reference to the Committee of Experts is necessary in the resolution, and does not have redlines on this matter, she said. She noted that the Government of Sudan had already edited the text of a draft resolution, but UNDPKO was pushing back on the October 1 start-up date. It was important for countries with troops on the ground in Darfur to press for the October 1 date, she added, stressing the need for Ghana's leadership on the Darfur issue. Sudan -------------- ¶3. (C) Nana Effah-Apenteng, Advisor to President Kufuor on the AU and Ghana's former Ambassador to the UN, told A/S Frazer he hoped Ghana would be able to co-sponsor a UNSC resolution on Sudan but said this decision would be made at the highest levels of the GOG and that Ghana's preferred outcome was a consensus resolution, preferably achieved while China was still chair of the UNSC. He noted that in the past the GOG withdrew from co-sponsoring after Sudanese President Bashir objected. Effah-Apenteng thought no African country, including Ghana, would oppose the October 1 date. He agreed with the need for unity of command and control and shared our frustration with UNPKO delays. He thought Ghana would not insist on the Committee of Experts language but saw the need for someone to monitor implementation of the resolution. ¶4. (C) Foreign Minister Nana Akufo-Addo agreed that the UN was not being helpful on Darfur but said Ghana has a difficult position, as both AU Chair and a UNSC member. He hoped to get an African consensus on a resolution. He thought South African and Congo-Brazzaville were not fully on board with a Chapter VII mandate. ¶5. (C) Secretary and Advisor to the President D.K. Osei said President Kufuor would have "no problem at all" with the U.S. position on the October 1 date, Chapter VII and command and control. Osei opined that Ghana's Ambassador to the UN Leslie Christian was not aggressive enough and said he would call him to ask him to consult with the U.S. right away. (Note: Osei placed the call and instructed Christian during the meeting. End Note) Osei noted that Kufuor feels he needs to represent the AU, not Ghana alone, and would not want to contradict AU Commissioner Alpha Oumar Konare or take a stance at odds with the other two African countries on the UNSC. According to Osei, President Kufuor also fears that a more independent stance would provide ammunition to Libyan President Muammar Khadaffi (Osei said the GOG now has even more credible evidence of Khadaffi's subversive efforts during the AU Summit than Kufuor shared with Ambassador Bridgewater in June, per reftel). Osei was reluctant to see compromise on the Committee of Experts language. He thought ACCRA 00001585 002 OF 003 South Africa's President Mbeki had diminished his stature with his stance on Bashir and noted that South African Ambassador to the UN Kumalo appears to be at odds with Pretoria on Sudan. ¶6. (C) Osei then invited Frazer to an unscheduled meeting with President Kufuor in the room next door. Striking a more cautious note than Osei, Kufuor told Frazer that Ghana's position on the UNSC was "tricky", since the GOG did not want to be out of step with the other two African UNSC members. He said Ghana would always want to go along with South Africa and if South Africa is on board with the October 1 date, Chapter VII and command and control, Ghana would also support it, "leading from behind." It was important to make Bashir feel like he has input into the command and control to retain his cooperation, Kufuor added. Somalia -------------- ¶7. (C) Foreign Minister Akufo-Addo was somewhat encouraged that the Somalis appear serious about national reconciliation and political inclusion. Ghana has notified the USG of its required support to send troops to Somalia, he said, noting that during his recent visit to Ghana U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad had told the GOG the U.S. was ready to provide this support. Akufo-Addo said the GOG was ready for U.S. planners for such a deployment to come to Ghana, "tomorrow". In A/S Frazer's meeting with President Kufuor, D.K. Osei said Presidential Advisor General (Retd.) Seth Obeng had begun discussions with U.S. Ambassador to the AU Cindy Courville about such planners. A/S Frazer told Akufo-Addo and President Kufuor that we would send the planners. Middle East -------------- ¶8. (U) The Foreign Minister asked A/S Frazer what could be done to improve the situation in the Middle East. The majority of Africans sympathize with Palestine and view the Palestine issue as the main factor driving radicalization in the region, separate from all other problems in the Middle East, Akufo-Addo said. Frazer highlighted USG efforts to obtain a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel, but also stressed the key role of improving governance and democracy in the region to address the primary cause of radicalization of the Arab Street. Some Arab states are using the Palestinian issue for domestic political reasons, she said. AU Summit -------------- ¶9. (C) Akufo-Addo was pleased with the July 1-3 African Union Summit in Accra, which he thought reached a "sensible conclusion". One of the goals of the GOG and others leading up to the Summit was to "give direction" to the "incessant demands" for African unity from President Khadaffi, which the Foreign Minister thought could have been destabilizing. As a result of this summit, there was now a "clear, strong consensus" represented in the Accra Declaration, including a framework for progress on African integration. Akufo-Addo thought Ugandan President Museveni in particular played a very valuable, constructive role at the Summit by arguing convincingly for the need to focus integration on specific, practical areas of cooperation such as economic integration, the environment and trade, rather than to dwell on "loud proclamations of African unity". The Foreign Minister regretted there was not sufficient time at the Summit to deal with security challenges in Somalia, Darfur and elsewhere. Praise for President Bush: Request for an FTA -------------- ¶10. (U) D.K. Osei noted that "the people of Ghana were very disappointed" with Secretary Rice's canceled trip to the AGOA Forum. Nonetheless, Osei said Kufuor appreciated Rice's phone call to him and felt that President Bush had not taken sufficient credit for what he has done to benefit Africa. In A/S Frazer's meeting with Kufuor, the Ghanaian President praised President Bush for "opening America up ACCRA 00001585 003 OF 003 for Africa," and expressed interest in a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. ¶11. (C) Comment: President Kufuor is clearly making the decisions on Somalia and Sudan and is very cautious as AU Chair, trying to accommodate other African countries rather than take the lead in the decision making. He commented that if he took a different position from other African countries on the Security Council "this would not be leadership". We have begun consultations with Washington on getting planners for the Ghana deployment to Somalia. The GOG had earlier told us they did not need our planners, but the Foreign Minister and President could not be clearer that they now want U.S. planners as soon as possible. The participation in the Kufuor meeting of D.K. Osei and in the Akufo-Addo meeting of Ghana's next Foreign Minister, Akwasi Osei-Adjei, should help keep the message from the GOG consistent on Sudan and Somalia. ¶12. (U) This message was cleared by Assistant Secretary Frazer. BRIDGEWATER