AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL WITH AFRICAN UNION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 001747 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/RSA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2019 TAGS: PREL UN AU SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL WITH AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON PING REF: ADDIS ABABA 1745 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) During Ambassador Yamamoto's farewell call with African Union Chairperson Jean Ping on July 22, they discussed the desirability of commencing a U.S./AU political dialogue patterned after the consultations the AU has with the European Union. Starting with his attendance at the UNGA this fall, Ping would like to make two trips per year to the United States for official meetings. The Ambassador welcomed the proposal saying the AU was "key to everything we're doing in Africa." He suggested that Ping consider visiting the United States in the spring of 2010 and that the visit include meetings with a broad spectrum of interlocutors, from members of Congress to business enterprises. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Yamamoto also praised Ping for his leadership as AU Commission Chairperson, noting that during Ping's 18-month watch, the AU has benefitted from direction and is focused more on administration. "We will try to do our best," Ping replied appreciatively. The AU's chief executive cited some of his organization's preoccupation -- Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea/Djibouti, and Darfur. ¶3. (C) On Eritrea's support for the al-Shabaab in Somalia, Ping said he had tried to convince President Afewerki to issue a visa to African Affairs Bureau A/S Carson so that the U.S. and Eritrea could have a dialogue. The Eritreans continue to deny involvement with al-Shabaab, Ping said. He reportedly told the Eritreans that nobody would believe their denial, and that they should quickly accept the outstretched hand of the United States before the opportunity is lost. If they don't, Ping said, the Eritreans will be further isolated by the international community. ¶4. (C) On Madagascar, the Ambassador assured Ping that the United States supported the AU "100 percent," but acknowledged that differences between the United States and France remained. Ping agreed that the French were deeply entrenched in Madagascar and were not completely objective in their approach to helping resolve the island nation's political crisis. (Note: The farewell call took place as the International Contact Group on Madagascar was taking place in the AU's plenary hall. See reftel. End note.) Both sides agreed that the Madagascar crisis requires a consensual political process and that a unilateral arrangement for elections would not return the country to constitutional order. The Ambassador said it was tragic that development aid to Madagascar was being cut because the Malagasy people are the ones who are going to suffer. ¶5. (C) Ping's Chief of Staff, Ambassador John Shinkaye of Nigeria, informed USAU earlier in the day that Ping would lead the AU delegation to the next UNGA. That delegation would likely include Political Affairs Commissioner Julia Dolly Joiner, Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra, and one or two other AU Commissioners, depending on the themes of the summit. Shinkaye said Ping would be interested in bilateral meetings in Washington following his attendance at the UNGA, and he added that the AU's Ambassador in Washington, Amina Ali, would be in contact with AF/RSA and other agencies and offices to follow up. ¶6. (C) Comment: AU Commission Chairperson Ping is determined to strengthen ties to the United States. He and Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha have told several interlocutors from the Department and NSC that the AU would like to invite POTUS to a future AU Summit in order to address Africa's leaders in what they regard as Africa's capital. In the meantime, we are seeing more AU Commission leadership missions to the United States. Mwencha was in Washington in the spring, Commissioner for Science and Technology Jean Pierre Ezin leads a week-long mission to Washington starting on July 25, and Commissioner for Peace and Security Lamamra will be in New York the week of July 27 for meetings at USUN with Ambassador Wolff and other UN officials. As busy as they are, the AU Commission leadership bends over backwards to host USG officials in Addis. ¶7. (C) Comment continued: USAU strongly recommends meetings at the highest appropriate level for these AU officials (Note: AU commissioners are equivalent to ministers, while the AU Commission chairperson and deputy chairperson are equivalent to ministers of state. End note.) We would also urge initial inter-agency discussions about what a US/AU political dialogue might look like. YAMAMOTO