COTE D'IVOIRE: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000168 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2019 TAGS: PREL SNAR ECON CVIS IV SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH FOREIGN MINISTER BAKAYOKO REF: A) ABIDJAN 38 B) STATE 18283 Classified By: Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt for Reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Bakayoko on March 10 to discuss a variety of topics including HIPC, the situation in Guinea, Sudan, Iraq, and Cote d'Ivoire's new policy regarding visas for Americans. The key points from the conversation are noted below. ¶2. (C) HIPC: FM Bakayoko, who demarched Ambassador (ref A) about USG support for Cote d'Ivoire to reach the decision point, was very keen to know how the USG would vote at the upcoming IMF Board meeting. Ambassador told him that the U.S. was pleased with the progress reported by the last IMF Mission and did not anticipate that we would oppose Cote d'Ivoire reaching the decision point in March. ¶3. (C) Guinea: The Foreign Minister said Cote d'Ivoire feels strongly that Guinea should not become isolated in the region as this could encourage the members of the junta to accept support and friendship from radical elements. Citing the example of Ousmane Conte's arrest, the FM said that action against the former President's son had only been possible because Guinean officials were satisfied that they would not be condemned by their neighbors or accused of political retribution. Bakayoko said that Cote d'Ivoire agrees with ECOWAS' strategy of trying to prod Guinea towards democracy by engaging with rather than opposing the current leadership. Ambassador reiterated the USG view that elections should take place as soon as possible to permit a legitimate government to be put in place. ¶4. (SBU) New visa requirement for American citizens: Ambassador told FM Bakayoko that a couple of important issues still needed to be resolved, namely the question of personal interviews and visa validity reciprocity. Bakayoko reiterated the GOCI's desire for a smooth implementation of the new visa requirement and said he would discuss with the Ivorian embassy in Washington what measures could be taken to avoid a situation in which the USG would have to severely reduce the validity of visas it issues to Ivorian citizens. ¶5. (U) Iraq: Ambassador shared with FM Bakayoko points from ref B regarding the Obama administration's strategy for Iraq. Bakayoko appreciated having the data and promised to share it with President Gbagbo. ¶6. (U) Sudan: Regarding the issuance of an arrest warrant for President Bashir, Bakayoko said that Cote d'Ivoire sees a need for both justice and peace in Sudan. Bashir, he said, is essential to achieving peace in Sudan and the GOCI believes this is a case in which attaining peace should take precedence. ¶7. (SBU) Elections in Cote d'Ivoire: Ambassador told Bakayoko that she was disappointed that a date for elections has still not been set and reminded the FM that USG assistance to Cote d'Ivoire will remain limited by law until elections take place. Bakayoko said he understood the sanctions issue and insisted that while elections remain a priority, a thorough identification process is both the pre-requisite and the key to solving the underlying cause of the crisis. He argued that the only delays were technical and logistical, citing for example the terrible state of the roads in many parts of the country which have made it impossible for enrollment teams to reach remote areas. The government cannot simply abandon or ignore the voters in remote areas, Bakayoko said, so it has no choice but to let the enrollment process continue. According to Bakayoko, in order to avoid political recriminations, the government needs to be sure that a comparable number of voters have been registered in every region. He did not know when an acceptable level of registration would be achieved. ¶8. (C) Comment: FM Bakayoko is a generally competent though not very energetic minister. A member of the PDCI, he has managed to get along with both President Gbagbo and PM Soro by sticking very carefully to the official government line. None of his comments came as a surprise although his remarks about the identification process are interesting. We understand that the FPI has many supporters in rural areas who remain unregistered, which may explain the emphasis they are now placing on ensuring that all regions are reached, and the need for a "comparable" number of voters. Bakayoko has consistently been helpful with regard to the implementation of the new visa requirement for Amcits and we are hopeful that his promise to address the reciprocity issue will bear fruit. NESBITT