AFRICA UNION TO DIRECT MEMBER STATES TO IMPLEMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001995 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA, INL/AAE; ADDIS ABABA FOR U.S. MISSION TO AU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS NI SUBJECT: AFRICA UNION TO DIRECT MEMBER STATES TO IMPLEMENT SANCTIONS ON GUINEA REF: A. ABUJA 1993 ¶B. ABUJA 1903 ¶1. (SBU) The African Union (AU) hosted a Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting in Abuja October 29 in which Guinea featured as a major topic of discussion (reftel a). Several African Heads of State, including President Deby of Chad, Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, President Kibaki of Kenya, and Vice President Taha of Sudan, attended the AU PSC and endorsed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) position on targeted sanctions (reftel b),including a trade embargo and a visa ban on certain members of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) junta and its collaborators. ¶2. (SBU) The AU PSC also endorsed the recent creation of a Commission of Inquiry (COI),the work of both the International Contact Group on Guinea, and Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore's role as ECOWAS Facilitator to dialogue with Guinea's current leadership. Within one week, the AU planned to send written communications requesting all member states to implement sanctions against a list of individuals and put them into force immediately after distribution to member states and international partner organizations, thereby promoting universal implementation. ¶3. (SBU) Guinea had a placard and space within the forum, but Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to us that no delegation attended the PSC session from Guinea. ¶4. (U) The text of the October 29 AU PSC communique on Guinea follows: Begin Text: Communique of the 207th Meeting of the Peace and Security Council The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU),at its 207th meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, at the level of Heads of State and Government, on 29 October 2009, adopted the following decision on the situation in the Republic of Guinea: Council, (1) Recalls its previous decisions on the situation in Guinea, in particular paragraph 7 of the communique PSC/PR/Comm. (CCIV) adopted at its 204th meeting held on 17 September 2009; (2. Strongly condemns, once again, the killings and deliberate acts of violence against unarmed civilians and the rape of women by armed unites under the authority of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) during the peaceful demonstration organized on 28 September 2009; (3) Endorses the decisions of the Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),held in Abuja, Nigeria, on 17 October 2009. In this regard, Council expresses its full support of the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry on the events of 28 September 2009. Council reaffirms its full support to the mediation undertaken by President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso on behalf of ECOWAS; (4) Requests the Commission, in accordance with paragraph 7 of the above mentioned communique, and in close collaboration with ECOWAS and members of the International Contact Group on Guinea, to take all the necessary measures towards the implementation of targeted sanctions, including denial of visas, travel restrictions and freezing of assets, against the President and members of the CNDD, as well as members of the Government and any other civilian or military individual whose activities are aimed at maintaining the Qwhose activities are aimed at maintaining the unconstitutional status quo in Guinea. In this regard, Council requests the Commission to circulate, within a week, to AU Member States, for implementation, the list of the individuals to be targeted by the sanctions; (5) Decides that these measures and the list mentioned above will be communicated to the United Nations Security Council ABUJA 00001995 002 OF 002 and all other AU partners, including the European Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the International Organization of the Francophonie and the other members of the International Contact Group on Guinea, as well as to the League of Arab States, in order to give them a universal character; (6) Decides to remain seized of the matter. End text. SANDERS