SENEGAL ON AU CHAIRMANSHIP VOTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 000231 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF, AF/RSA AND AF/W ADDIS ALSO FOR USMISSION TO THE AU LONDON FOR POL - AFRICA WATCHER PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017 TAGS: PREL SG SUBJECT: SENEGAL ON AU CHAIRMANSHIP VOTE REF: STATE 008022 Classified By: DCM ROBERT P. JACKSON FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). (C) On January 26, Acting Foreign Minister Claude Absa Diallo agreed to meet the DCM on very short notice to discuss the African Union (AU) Summit. DCM made reftel demarche to an obviously ailing Diallo. She agreed that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir would not be the ideal AU Chairman. She cautioned, however, that the text of the communique from the last AU Summit did not include caveats about resolving the Darfur conflict. Moreover, while a majority of AU members, including Senegal, might prefer that Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso accept a second term, a minority of countries are positioned to impose Bashir. DCM stressed that would be unfortunate; Diallo replied that she would speak with Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, who is already in Addis Ababa, to underscore U.S. concerns. JACOBS