GHANAIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISOR TOUR D'HORIZON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 001155

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2034
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR MOPS GH TO
SUBJECT: GHANAIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISOR TOUR D'HORIZON

REF: A. A) ACCRA 1085 AND REVIOUS (NOTAL)

B. B) ACCRA 1111

C. C) STATE 107847

Classified By: Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
.


1. (C) SUMMARY. The Ambassador hosted Presidential Foreign
Affairs Advisor Victor Gbeho for lunch and a tour d'horizon
on October 20. Highlights of the discussion follow. END
SUMMARY.

GHANA WILL SUPPORT GOOD GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA
--------------


2. (C) Asked about what we should be doing to build on our
bilateral relationship, Gbeho described the bilateral
relationship as outstanding. He noted that Ghana as still
basking in the glow of the visit by President Obama. Gbeho
said that Ghana understands President Obama's focus on
governance and will support his message on democracy and good
governance on a continent-wide basis. He said the GOG can be
expected to take a very firm line on issues such as Guinea
and Niger, but that Ghana would prefer to work through
multilateral organizations such as ECOWAS and the African
Union. Wherever possible, Ghana will want to build a
consensus rather than raise its voice alone. He described
this as a long-held Ghanaian preference that is unlikely to
change.


3. (C) On the issue of good governance, he noted that the
GOG is deeply committed to fighting corruption and that
President Mills had just accepted the resignations of two
cabinet ministers facing allegations of corruption (REF A).
Gbeho opined that the case against the Ministers was not
necessarily as strong as it appeared at first glance. He
thought that the allegations against them might not stand up
in court and that the Ministers might later be exonerated.
Whatever might happen in the future, the Mills Government
feels that the allegations alone are enough to require that
they leave office.

GHANAIAN PEACEKEEPERS NEED SUPPORT
--------------


4. (C) Gbeho noted that at UNGA, President Mills had made a
strong pitch for support for Ghanaian peacekeeping. He added
his own personal request for "whatever support is available."
He noted that the Ghanaian military is stretched thin on
peacekeeping missions and "needs all the support it can get."
He added that "The military guys will tell you that they
want specific equipment and that it has to be new, but don't
pay any attention to them. They need everything and will
take whatever you have available." I noted that physical
assets are not particularly abundant right now, but that we
will keep his request in mind.

JERRY RAWLINGS WARNING ON TOGO
--------------


5. (C) Gbeho was Foreign Minister under Rawlings and remains
a close confidante of the former President. Gbeho noted that
he had just come from a meeting with Rawlings and that
Rawlings had asked that he pass on a warning. Rawlings
believes that the Government of Togo is preparing to steal
elections and is seeking arms to support its efforts. He
asserted that they are trying to get the arms from Angola.
Rawlings urges the USG to keep pressure on the Togolese
government and consider high profile meetings with the
opposition. Gbeho stressed that he was passing on Rawlings'
message and pointedly avoided expressing his own view on the
veracity of the report. NOTE: Post leaves it for our
colleagues in Embssy Lome and the Department to judge the
value of Rawlings' warning. END NOTE.

RAWLINGS OUT OF TOUCH
--------------


6. (C) Turning the discussion to Jerry Rawlings himself,
Gbeho (strictly protect) noted that Rawlings remains an
important political figure, but that his criticism and other
interference in the current government's affairs is
counterproductive. Gbeho stated that part of the problem is
that Rawlings is living in the past. He refuses to accept
that Ghana has moved on since he left the Presidency and that
different times require different methods. This is
exacerbated by the fact that Rawlings increasingly views
disagreement with him as personal disloyalty. He noted that
"when he decides he dislikes someone, he expects everyone
around him to dislike them, too." Gbeho attributed this
changing attitude to "vanity" and noted that this had never
been a problem in the past. Gbeho suggested that it would be
extremely useful if a position with a UN Commission or
something similar could be arranged to keep Rawlings
occupied.

GHANA'S FIRST CHOICE IS TO BUY KOSMOS' ASSETS ITSELF
-------------- --------------


7. (C) On oil, Gbeho stated frankly that the GOG's preferred
outcome is to purchase Kosmos Energy's share in the Jubilee
Consortium. He added, however, that the fact that it is
Ghana's preferred outcome doesn't make it a fact, or even
very likely. He said that Ghana would have to pay market
price and that Ghana would have to find the financing. The
financing could come from the Chinese, but even if there is a
Chinese offer, it will come with many strings attached.
Ghana will have to examine any Chinese offer to decide
whether it is really in Ghana's interests. Gbeho did not
discuss any other options. He did express negative feelings
about Kosmos Energy, noting his opinion that "Kosmos broke
the law," although he provided no further details. I
responded by drawing on language provided by the Department
stressing the importance of rule of law and transparency and
the impact on possible investors in Ghana (Refs B and C).


8. (C) COMMENT. Gbeho is generally well informed on a broad
range of issues. He is viewed by most as connected primarily
to Rawlings, but there is no doubt that he has real influence
within the Mills Administration. His views on Rawlings are
significant. If Rawlings is alienating his own loyalists,
his influence within the Party could begin to wane. That
said there is no indication that his vast popularity with the
grass roots of the party and the average Ghanaian on the
street is diminishing. On oil, Gbeho's viewpoints seem in
synch with what we are hearing from other sources. The GOG
is interested in buying out Kosmos, but it is not clear how
realistic this interest is. END COMMENT.
TEITELBAUM