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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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. DAKAR 00000612 002 OF 002 COMMENT -------------- ¶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