THE GAMBIA: UPDATE ON TIES WITH SENEGAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000243

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS RAO, ODC, AND DAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GA SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: UPDATE ON TIES WITH SENEGAL

REF: A. BANJUL 134 ET AL

B. BANJUL 83 ET AL(ALL NOTAL)

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SENEGALESE AMBASSADOR'S DOWNBEAT ASSESSMENT
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1. (C) In recent conversation with Ambassador, Senegalese
Ambassador Mamadou Fall asserted that heightened strains in
the Senegalese/Gambian relationship persisted and cited the
ongoing trial here of five Senegalese customs officials as a
case in point (ref a). It was clear, Fall asserted, that
Gambian authorities had no real case against the five
officials, as their alleged offense -- illegally entering
Gambia's territorial waters in their patrol boat -- was
actually sanctioned under bilateral agreements. He concluded
that the GOTG leadership had decided to prosecute the
officials to signal defiance to Dakar. Fall said that the
case was being followed closely by the Senegalese leadership
and that guilty verdicts would only exacerbate bilateral
tensions. (NOTE: The court had been scheduled to issue its
verdicts May 7, but failed to do so; our legal sources expect
issuance of the verdicts "within the next few days." END
NOTE)

CASAMANCE
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2. (C) Fall stated that the GOTG was maintaining its
unhelpful posture on the Casamance (ref b). He said that
three leading MFDC figures cooperating in GOS peace efforts
-- Alexandre Djibba, Magne Dieme, and Kamoughe Diatta --
picked up months ago by Gambian authorities remained in
detention here. In response to question, Fall observed that
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh was "probably" continuing to
provide sanctuary in The Gambia to elements associated with
MFDC hard-liner Salif Sadio. The Senegalese Ambassador was
pessimistic about prospects for an early improvement in The
GOTG's posture on the Casamance dossier. He acknowledged
that Jammeh's mischief-making stemmed at least in part from
his resentment at Senegalese authorities' alleged harboring
of the presumed ringleader in the March 2006 abortive coup
plot, then-CHOD Col Ndure Cham.

CALL FOR WADE-JAMMEH SUMMIT
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3. (C) Fall expressed frustration over the GOTG's rebuffing
of his repeated requests to meet with Jammeh to underscore
Dakar's concern over the mounting bilateral irritants. At
the same time, Fall ruled out any precipitous Senegalese move
-- e.g.,a repetition of the August/October 2005 closure of
the border with The Gambia -- in response to the Gambians'
"provocations." Arguing that a meeting between the
Senegalese and Gambian leaders could help greatly to ease
tensions, he confided that he had urged Dakar to have
President Wade take the initiative by offering to come to
Banjul. Fall said he was awaiting Dakar's reaction to his
suggestion and declined to speculate on prospects of a
favorable response.

COMMENT
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4. (C) We continue to believe that the Gambian "provocations"
toward Senegal are due in large part to still-deep resentment
by Jammeh over his suspicions of a Senegalese hand in the
March 2006 aborted coup plot and of GOS' harboring of the
presumed ringleader. The GOTG's refusal, as recounted by
Fall, to grant him an audience with Jammeh also suggests the
latter's unwillingness heretofore to set aside his
resentment and work with the GOS to ease tensions. The
verdicts in the trial of the Senegalese customs officials'
could serve as a signal of Jammeh's latest intentions toward
Senegal, as we find it plausible that he would seek to
influence the trial's outcome. END COMMENT
STAFFORD