AU SUMMIT: AF ACTING A/S CARTER MEETS WITH AU

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 000276

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/RSA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2019
TAGS: PREL AU SU CD
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT: AF ACTING A/S CARTER MEETS WITH AU
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: On January 30, AF Acting Assistant Secretary
Phillip Carter met with African Union Deputy Commissioner
Erastus Mwencha. Mwencha expressed enthusiasm for the
incoming Obama Administration and sketched ambitious plans
for the AU Commission, while Carter encouraged his
interlocutor to focus on putting into place good policies as
a pre-condition for new foreign assistance flows. End
Summary.


2. (C) Referring to the election of President Obama, Mwencha
said he saluted the people of America as champions of
democracy and said that his election gave hope to millions of
young Africans. He explained that the AU is embarked on a
grand experiment to try to integrate Africa. Currently, the
Commission is at work on its second strategic plan, which is
based on four pillars: peace and security, development,
shared values, and capacity building. He complained about
the difficulty of keeping talented personnel at the AU,
saying that the best are frequently lured away by higher
salaries at the United Nations, other international
organization, or the private sector.


3. (C) Carter said that the new Administration will continue
to do what it can to support our partners, and said the USG
values highly its relationship with the AU. Nevertheless,
referring to the world economic crisis, this will be a
challenging year. He said that the USG would like to see
greater democracy, greater accountability, and better
governance not only in African countries but in the AU
itself. In a time of relatively scarce resources, he noted
that the USG is looking to see positive actions -- and
results -- precede new resource flows. We have to be able to
show that our assistance is having an effect. We also need
to be able to show to the American people that assistance is
not open-ended: there has to be a clear trajectory and an end
point where assistance is no longer needed. Mwencha said he
understood, and agreed.


4. (C) Carter went on to congratulate the AU for the
principled stand it has taken on the military coups in
Mauritania and Guinea. He said that until only recently we
thought that the era of coups in Africa was over, but there
is a danger that these coups will be the start of a new trend
and that the AU needs to keep together in its rejection of
coups and extra-constitutional means of changing government.
Carter and Mwencha also decried the scourge of the narcotics
trade, particularly in West Africa, and noted the undermining
effect this trade has had on Latin American and Caribbean
democracies. Mwencha said he looked forward to working with
the new Administration and will be planning another trip to
the United States in the near future.


5. (C) Comment: Mwencha is an intelligent, capable person who
is overseeing a very ambitious agenda at the AU. If he and
his colleagues can manage expectations about their own plans
as well as the USG's ability to help, it could result in a
fruitful, mutually beneficial relationship. End Comment.


6. (U) Acting A/S Carter reviewed a copy of this message
before departing post.
YAMAMOTO