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