Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ADDISABABA2643
2009-11-06 11:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:
ETHIOPIA STUDYING" APPROPRIATE RESPONSE ON NIGER
how-toVZCZCXRO1127 OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO DE RUEHDS #2643 3101121 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 061121Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6757 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE 3318 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 3456 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 1967
C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 002643
SIPDIS
AF/W FOR DENNISON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA STUDYING" APPROPRIATE RESPONSE ON NIGER
REF: (A) STATE 110957 (B) ADDIS ABABA 02622
Classified By: CDA Tuli Mushingi for Reasons 1.4 B/D
C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 002643
SIPDIS
AF/W FOR DENNISON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA STUDYING" APPROPRIATE RESPONSE ON NIGER
REF: (A) STATE 110957 (B) ADDIS ABABA 02622
Classified By: CDA Tuli Mushingi for Reasons 1.4 B/D
1. (C) Pol/Econ Counselor discussed Niger with Diector of
the Americas Directorate Tesfaye Wilma on November 2 and with
Ethiopian Ambassador to the African Union Konjit Sinegiorgis
on November 6. Tesfaye said Ethiopia is very concerned about
the situation in Niger and welcomes ECOWAS activism on it.
He said, however, that the Niger problem is quite different
from the coups in Mauritania, Guinea, and Madagascar and
Ethiopia and the AU does not have the same set of legal
options in dealing with misconduct by a continuously sitting
government.
2. (C) Ambassador Konjit said the AU has taken the only
action obviously open to it regarding Niger in issuing a
communique from Abuja on October 30 endorsing the October 17
decision of ECOWAS to suspend Niger's membership. Like
Tesfaye, however, she insisted that the AU's rules would not
allow it to readily follow suit. She said Ethiopia had not
taken a position within the AUPSC for or against suspending
Niger but would continue to study AU options in consultation
with ECOWAS regional leadership. She closed by mentioning
that the AU Peace and Security Council meets on November 9
but that Niger is not on the agenda. To Pol/Econ Counselor's
question about Niger possibly being raised under "other
business" at that meeting, Konjit said that was a possibility
but she had no instructions to do so for Ethiopia.
MUSHINGI
SIPDIS
AF/W FOR DENNISON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA STUDYING" APPROPRIATE RESPONSE ON NIGER
REF: (A) STATE 110957 (B) ADDIS ABABA 02622
Classified By: CDA Tuli Mushingi for Reasons 1.4 B/D
1. (C) Pol/Econ Counselor discussed Niger with Diector of
the Americas Directorate Tesfaye Wilma on November 2 and with
Ethiopian Ambassador to the African Union Konjit Sinegiorgis
on November 6. Tesfaye said Ethiopia is very concerned about
the situation in Niger and welcomes ECOWAS activism on it.
He said, however, that the Niger problem is quite different
from the coups in Mauritania, Guinea, and Madagascar and
Ethiopia and the AU does not have the same set of legal
options in dealing with misconduct by a continuously sitting
government.
2. (C) Ambassador Konjit said the AU has taken the only
action obviously open to it regarding Niger in issuing a
communique from Abuja on October 30 endorsing the October 17
decision of ECOWAS to suspend Niger's membership. Like
Tesfaye, however, she insisted that the AU's rules would not
allow it to readily follow suit. She said Ethiopia had not
taken a position within the AUPSC for or against suspending
Niger but would continue to study AU options in consultation
with ECOWAS regional leadership. She closed by mentioning
that the AU Peace and Security Council meets on November 9
but that Niger is not on the agenda. To Pol/Econ Counselor's
question about Niger possibly being raised under "other
business" at that meeting, Konjit said that was a possibility
but she had no instructions to do so for Ethiopia.
MUSHINGI