THE DEPUTY SECRETARY IN MALI - MEETINGS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAMAKO 001361

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2017
TAGS: PREL PINS ASEC ML
SUBJECT: THE DEPUTY SECRETARY IN MALI - MEETINGS WITH
PRESIDENT TOURE AND FOREIGN MINISTER

REF: BAMAKO 01015

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Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1.(C) Summary: The Deputy Secretary's November 14-15 visit
to Mali reaffirmed our strong bilateral ties and sent a clear
message of support for Mali's Community of Democracy
Presidency. President Toure acknowledged the important
contribution of Millennium Challenge funds, expressed his
heart-felt thanks to the Deputy Secretary for recent U.S.
assistance to Malian troops fighting in the north, and
pledged Mali's continued strong support for the U.S. in the
fight against global terrorism. President Toure and the
Deputy Secretary reviewed the difficult security issues in
the north and throughout the Sahel region and also discussed
Mali's offer of 800 soldiers for peacekeeping duty in Darfur
and the possibility of finding a work-around on Mali's
inability to sign an Article 98 Agreement. End Summary.

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Meeting with President Toure
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2.(C) President Toure told the Deputy Secretary that he was
extremely proud of what he described as Mali's privileged
relationship with the U.S. He said one discovers one's true
friends during times of crisis and thanked the Deputy
Secretary for the September 11-12 air drop of humanitarian

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supplies to besieged Malian troops in the northern town of
Tinzawaten (reftel). This humanitarian assistance, said the
President, preserved the dignity and saved the image of the
Malian Army.

3.(C) The Deputy Secretary responded that the air support
was only possible thanks to the excellent level of U.S-Mali
cooperation, and said he was extremely impressed by the
spectrum of U.S. assistance to Mali which includes programs
supported by the DOD, USAID, the Department of State, Peace
Corps and now the MCC. The Deputy Secretary assured
President Toure that the U.S. will continue our military
cooperation with Mali.

4.(C) The President expressed concern over the deteriorating
security in northern Mali, describing the current situation
as "more and more worrisome." President Toure said Mali,
which borders 7 other countries, is unable to patrol a
frontier that totals more than 7,000 KM. In addition, the
peace agreement that ended the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s
called for the withdrawal of Malian military forces from the
north. Mali's compliance with this agreement created a
security vacuum that terrorists, extremists and illicit
traffickers have now turned to their advantage.

5.(C) President Toure described the continued standoff
between the Malian government and Tuareg bandit Ibrahim
Bahanga not as a new Tuareg rebellion but rather as an
attempt by Bahanga to secure drug and gun trafficking zones.
Mali regards Bahanga as a terrorist not because he is tied to
AQIM but because Bahanga rejected the Algiers Accords,
attacked Malian military and civilian officials, took these
officials hostage, and planted land mines that have killed
numerous civilians. While President Toure did not
specifically link Bahanga to AQIM, he said Bahanga's actions
have increased the instability that benefits AQIM.
"Bahanga," said the President, "is strengthening banditry,
insecurity, the fundamentalists and Algerian Salafists."
Mali remains committed to a political solution and continues
to hope that Bahanga will liberate the hostages and return to
the framework of the Algiers Accords.

6.(C) Toure said Algeria was "overwhelmed" by the extremist
threat that now forms a band from Mauritania through Mali as
far as Chad and Libya. During a trip to Algiers later this
month President Toure intends to propose a new security
cooperation framework with Algeria based on the one Mali
currently has with Mauritania.

7.(C) President Toure also requested increased U.S. military
assistance. He said Mali is committed to fight terrorists
who are supported by illicit traffickers but that new and
largely untrained recruits currently comprise more than 60
percent of the Malian army. As a result, the Malian military
needs equipment, training and more cooperation with the U.S.
Mali also requires assistance to get its contribution to the
Darfur peacekeeping mission off the ground. President Toure
confirmed that in addition to approximately fifty Malian
advisors currently working for the peacekeeping missions in
Haiti, the DRC and Sudan, Mali has offered an additional
battalion of 800 soldiers for Darfur peacekeeping duties.

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However, since all of Mali's military equipment is currently
tied up by security issues in the north, Mali is unable to
meet the material eligibility requirements for UN
peacekeeping missions. If the logistical means - in the form
of 26 Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) - appear, Mali's
peacekeeping battalion is ready to go.

8.(C) The Deputy Secretary told the President that he had
recently discussed the APC issue with Assistant Secretary for
African Affairs Jendayi Frazer. The Deputy Secretary noted,
however, that it is easier for the U.S. to provide
counter-terrorism assistance than military equipment.
Providing Mali with military hardware poses a problem given
the absence of an Article 98 agreement.

9.(C) As he has stated previously, President Toure said he
personally favored an Article 98 agreement. He added that
the Malian National Assembly, however, would likely not
ratify an agreement and the presidency would rather not open
the door for a public debate in the Assembly on Malian
national security. Given this restriction, the President
said he was open to any other possibilities that could
satisfy the Article 98 requirement. After the meeting with
President Toure, Foreign Minister Ouane told the Deputy
Secretary that Mali would work on a proposal.

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MCC has President's Personal Attention
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10.(C) Turning to Mali's Millennium Challenge Compact, Toure
praised Ambassador Danilovich's appearance on television the
night before and his clear explanation of the MCC program. He
said he knew that many African countries had applied for MCC
support and that Mali's application was one of the few
accepted. President Toure said he was pleased to see that
two thirds of Mali's Compact focused on agricultural
production. He said he was personally following the progress
of Mali's Compact on a daily basis and had decided to locate
the Malian government entity managing the Compact within the
presidency to facilitate this oversight. The President then
asked how the falling value of the dollar will impact the
Compact's budget.

11.(C) Ambassador Danilovich said that of the 16 countries
with MCC Compacts, Mali's program was one of the best and
that he was convinced Mali's Compact would reduce poverty and
stimulate economic growth. Amb. Danilovich told the
President that the MCC would find a solution that would
balance the falling value of the dollar and rising oil prices
in a way that would not negatively affect Mali's Compact.

12.(C) At the close of the meeting, President Toure told the
Deputy Secretary and Amb. Danilovich that he had recently
heard a report on Radio France that described Mali as the
"favorite child" of the U.S. President Toure said he was
extremely happy to hear Mali described as such and that he
agreed with the description. "You can," said the President,
"count on us."

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Meeting with Foreign Minister
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13.(C) Foreign Minister Ouane said it was an honor for Mali
to welcome the Deputy Secretary, not only for the Community
of Democracies Ministerial but for an important working visit
to discuss U.S-Mali bilateral relations. Ouane stressed our
shared security and development concerns and described Mali
as a committed ally in the fight against terrorism. He said
Mali's democratic convictions and firm stance against
extremism provided the basis for a strong partnership with
the U.S. Continued insecurity in northern Mali, however, is
sapping Mali's already limited resources and hampering its
ability to support development needs. He said Mali was
"ready for resolute action against the enemies of liberty"
and requested an enlarged strategic partnership with the U.S.


14.(C) Ouane said terrorist elements and influences
currently found in northern Mali originated in Algeria. He
drew a distinction between Malian Tuaregs and AQIM, noting
that Mali's Tuareg population has disassociated itself with
extremism and terrorist ideologies. He characterized Malian
nationals, whether ethnic Tuareg or otherwise, who provide
economic or logistical support to AQIM as bandits involved in
trafficking everything from arms to drugs to cigarettes.
Referring to illicit traffickers and AQIM, Ouane said this
base must be suffocated so that this extremism does not
spread. "We do not want," he continued, "terrorists using

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our territory as a safe haven. Their presence puts in
question our security and that of the region."

15.(C) Minister Ouane also discussed Mali's view of
stability in the sub-region. Ouane said the region is
beginning to stabilize and cited recent democratic elections
in Sierra Leone as one example. Ouane agreed that the
situation in Cote d'Ivoire remained precarious. He said Mali
follows developments in Cote d'Ivoire very closely due to the
large population of Malian expats (perhaps as many as two
million) living in the country, the importance of Cote
d'Ivoire as a trade route for landlocked Mali, and the
problems Mali encountered following the last influx of
Ivoirian refugees into southern Mali.

16.(U) Participants in Meeting with President Toure

United States:
The Deputy Secretary
Ambassador Danilovich, MCC CEO
Ambassador McCulley
D Staff Gustavo Delgado
MCC Mali Director Jon Anderson
Political Officer Aaron Sampson (notetaker)

Mali:
President Amadou Toumani Toure
Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane
Diplomatic Advisor Mamadou Traore
Advisor Mamadou Tieoule Konate


17.(U) Participants in meeting w Foreign Minister

United States:
The Deputy Secretary
Ambassador McCulley
D Staff Gustavo Delgado
Political Officer Aaron Sampson (notetaker)

Mali:
Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Moussa Diakite

18.(U) The Deputy Secretary's staff has cleared on this
message.
McCulley