AF PDAS THOMAS-GREENFIELD MEETS SENIOR MINISTER OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000612

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA AND INR/AA
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
PARIS FOR POL - D,ELIA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2017
TAGS: PREL PINS KDEM GV MR SO SU SG
SUBJECT: AF PDAS THOMAS-GREENFIELD MEETS SENIOR MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS GADIO


Classified By: AMBASSDOR JANICE L. JACOBS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) During a March 12, 2007 meeting with Senegalese
Foreign Minister Gadio, AF PDAS Thomas-Greenfield praised a
peaceful Mauritanian election while Gadio expressed hope that
the new President will rejoin ECOWAS and deal with the
refugee situation. On Somalia, Gadio agreed that a clear
message of support from the African Union (AU) was needed for
Ugandan troops there and on Sudan, he questioned President
Bashir,s sincerity when he said the Sudanese government
would protect the people of Darfur. On Guinea he described
as friendly the March 11, 2007 meeting between Presidents
Wade and Conte. He urged the U.S. to give Guinea emergency
assistance to strengthen Prime Minister (PM) Kouyate,s
position. END SUMMARY.

GUINEA
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2. (C) Following the conclusion of the Regional Security
Initiative conference on March 13, the Ambassador and AF PDAS
Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on Senior Minister for Foreign
Affairs Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, who had just returned from
Conakry. Gadio described Lansana Conte as vigorous and good
humored (although he stayed seated) and said that the meeting
between the Presidents had been very friendly and cordial.
Conte accepted help from Senegal and gave assurances that the
new PM will be given the authority to govern. Gadio
described the relationship between Conte and Kouyate as
comfortable and thought the PM had the President,s full
support. He underlined that, in the end, Conte wanted to
make sure that both he and his family were protected. Gadio
then urged the United States to give assistance to Guinea so
that the PM could begin to restore electricity, water and
rice supplies. He mused that quick successes would show the
people of Guinea that Kouyate was a man who could deliver.


3. (U) Upon President Wade,s return to Senegal, he told the
press that he is &very optimistic about Guinea,s future.
Wade also promised to help Guinea with its most urgent
problems ) food, especially rice; electricity; and
sanitation.

SOMALIA
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4. (C) PDAS Thomas-Greenfield asked that the AU issue a
clear statement of support for Ugandan troops in Somalia and
urged Senegal to follow suit. Gadio agreed and went further
by saying that the AU,s mixed signals are jeopardizing the
safety of the troops. Of greatest importance is that a
withdrawal of Ethiopian troops should be timed to coincide
with the arrival of peacekeepers so that a vacuum is not
created for the Islamic Courts to fill. He went on to say
that the Senegalese Army was already stretched thin and so
they might only be able to provide high ranking officers to
give technical support. He then revealed that Wade wanted to
send religious leaders whose brotherhoods have acolytes in
Somalia and asked if the United States would support this.
PDAS Thomas Greenfield saw merit in this idea and agreed that
it made sense for Somalia to send a special envoy to Senegal
to make this request.

SUDAN
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5. (C) Gadio was disdainful of a claim from President Bashir
that it was the job of the Sudanese government to protect the
people of Darfur, and he added that a recalcitrant Bashir had
said that the UN had already gone too far and that they could
only provide technical and logistical support to the AU
troops already there.

MAURITANIA
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6. (C) After PAS Thomas-Greenfield congratulated the GOS on
Senegal,s successful presidential election, both
Thomas-Greenfield and Gadio agreed that the election in
Mauritania had gone very well. Gadio said that the
Senegalese government was hopeful that a new president would
return Mauritania to ECOWAS and that the refugee issue would
finally be dealt with. He expressed concern that the power
structure of Mauritania was disadvantageous to the more than
70 percent of the population of African descent and hoped
that a Darfur-like situation would never arise there.


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COMMENT
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7. (C) Gadio was in excellent humor, appearing relaxed and
jovial although his elderly father is hospitalized following
a fall. Gadio is hopeful that it will be possible to see the
Secretary when he visits Washington next week. END COMMENT.

SIPDIS


8. (U) AF PDAS Thomas-Greenfield has cleared this message.


9. (U) Visit Embassy Dakar,s SIPRNET site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/af/dakar.
JACOBS