Burkina Faso: Meetings with President Compaore and

UNCLAS OUAGADOUGOU 000519 DEPT FOR IO/UNP ROBIN MEYER AND REBECCA GOLDENBERG AF/W FOR TOM DOUGHERTY, EMILY PLUMB SIPDIS TAGS: PREL PHUM PINR UNSC ZI UV LY SF SUBJECT: Burkina Faso: Meetings with President Compaore and Discussion with MFA Cabinet Director on Security Council Meeting on Zimbabwe REF: A) STATE 63183 B) Ouagadougou 514 ¶1. Ambassador met with President Blaise Compaore the evening of June ¶13. The President said that he had just discussed Zimbabwe with Minister of Foreign Affairs Bassole (currently in Paris) and Burkina Faso's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Michael Kafando. The PermRep is awaiting a briefing on the humanitarian situation and will then officially commit to a "yes" vote for a Security Council meeting on Zimbabwe. President Compaore assured the Ambassador that Burkina Faso is committed to supporting the meeting. Compaore was extremely critical of President Mugabe, saying that he is creating a "mess" of his country and that the international community must pressure him to ensure stability in the region. He expressed his thanks to the United States for helping Africans try to solve the Zimbabwe problem. He mentioned that ECOWAS is planning to send observers for the elections. ¶2. Ambassador discussed the Secretary of State's invitation to FM Bassole to co-chair a roundtable discussion on Zimbabwe on June 19. Compaore fully supports the discussion as a lead up to the formal UNSC meeting on the subject. ¶3. In a separate discussion on July 13, DCM was assured by the Foreign Ministry's Cabinet Director Vincent Zakane that Burkina Faso would vote affirmatively in favor of a UNSC meeting on Zimbabwe. He reiterated his view that it would be "highly desirable" that the UNSC work closely with the African Union. He stated that both institutions should tell the Zimbabwe Government that: the international community was closely following preparations for the Presidential election run-off, pre-election violence should be ended, harassment of the diplomatic corps stopped and civil society be allowed to participate fully in a democratic electoral process. JACKSON