A/S JENDAYI E. FRAZER,S SEPTEMBER 25 MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 105880 SIPDIS DUBAI FOR IRPO LONDON FOR IRAN WATCHER PARIS FOR IRAN WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2018 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL IR SF SG SU ZI SUBJECT: A/S JENDAYI E. FRAZER,S SEPTEMBER 25 MEETING WITH SENEGALESE FM CHEIKH GADIO Classified By: Jendayi E. Frazer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: A/S Jendayi E. Frazer met with Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Gadio September 25 on the margins of UNGA. They discussed South African President Mbeki,s resignation, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Senegal,s relationship with Iran, and the state of Senegal,s democratic institutions. END SUMMARY. -------------- South Africa -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A/S Frazer sought Gadio,s view of the causes and implications of President Mbeki,s resignation. Gadio stated his belief that outrage amongst hardliners within the ANC over continued probing of the Zuma case forced Mbeki,s resignation. Gadio also noted that despite the possibly negative implications for the power sharing agreement in Zimbabwe, Mbeki,s renunciation of power could serve as a powerful example for other African leaders. -------------- Zimbabwe -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On the situation in Zimbabwe, Gadio noted that Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade had hoped Mbeki would take a stronger stance towards Mugabe but expressed concern over what Mbeki,s departure would mean for the recently brokered power sharing agreement. A/S Frazer added that according to the pre-agreement understanding, Morgan Tsvangirai understood that the MDC would have control over the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank, and Home Affairs and expressed concern that the deadlock in the allocation of ministries may mean that Mugabe is rolling back on his commitments. Gadio told Frazer he would be meeting with a representative of Zimbabwe,s Finance Ministry later in the day and would inquire on the status of the allocation of ministries. -------------- Sudan -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Frazer and Gadio discussed the situation in Sudan with a specific emphasis on the ICC indictment of President al-Bashir. Gadio mentioned that President Wade has asked the ICC to suspend the case for one year but stressed that the pressure the indictments have put on Sudanese leaders presents an opportunity to push Sudan to make concrete commitments. Frazer emphasized that the United States has not ratified the ICC and is not behind the indictment but will veto any movement to defer the case short of quantifiable improvements on the ground, including deployment of an additional 3,000-4,000 peacekeepers by end of 2008. -------------- Iran -------------- ¶5. (C) A/S Frazer sought Gadio,s views of Senegal,s relationship with Iran. Gadio stressed that Senegal cannot take an entirely &common approach8 on the Iranian problem since it chairs the OIC and added that Senegal,s position has allowed it to serve as a mediator between Iran and Western powers (Note: In an earlier meeting with DRL A/S David Kramer Gadio asserted that Iran believes Senegal is an "honest broker", end note). Gadio also made reference to certain commercial interests. He noted, for example, that Iran has promised to open a car factory and that it has not yet delivered on a longstanding promise to build an oil refinery. -------------- Senegal,s Democracy -------------- STATE 00105880 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) When Frazer sought the Foreign Minister,s view of the current political climate in Senegal, Gadio asserted that the recent constitutional amendment extending the president,s term from five to seven years does not apply to President Wade,s term. Gadio stressed that President Wade is open to dialogue, noting that recent restrictions on press freedom are in part the result of untrained journalists making unsubstantiated accusations about President Wade. RICE