Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ADDISABABA354
2009-02-09 16:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:  

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

Tags:  PREL PGOV FR XA AU 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3714
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0502
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3255
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 000354 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, AF/SPG, AF/W, AF/E, AF/C, AND
IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV FR XA AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT -- AF ACTING A/S CARTER MEETS WITH
FRENCH DELEGATION

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 000354

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, AF/SPG, AF/W, AF/E, AF/C, AND
IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV FR XA AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT -- AF ACTING A/S CARTER MEETS WITH
FRENCH DELEGATION

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


1. (C) Summary: AF Acting Assistant Secretary met with
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs AF A/S-Equivalent Stephane
Gompertz, Presidential Advisor for African Affairs Remi
Marechaux, and Ambassador Jean-Christophe Belliard February 2
on the margins of the African Union Summit. On Sudan, the
French were surprised at the pressure the USG was receiving
from the AU and African states to support an Article XVI
deferral of the International Criminal Court indictment of
Sudanese President Bashir. The discussion revealed
differences of opinion within the French government on
whether to hold a hard line on the Mauritanian coup. France
asked for U.S. help with Guinean elections, and Carter said
we would send a representative to the Contact Group meeting
scheduled for February 16, in Conakry. France is
increasingly worried about developments which threaten
democracy in Senegal. On Madagascar, France is looking into
the possibility of identifying a mediator. The two sides
shared a similar view on the situations in the Eastern Congo
and Zimbabwe. End Summary.

DARFUR


2. (C) Speaking about the situation in the South Darfur town
of Muhajariya, Gompertz said that it was good that the
Nigerian UNAMID troops had been ordered to stay in place,
noting that it would have been much worse had UNAMID accepted
the Government of Sudan,s instructions to depart. Gompertz
wondered if Sudan was anxious to attack the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) forces in town because it felt it
needed to score a victory in advance of the International
Criminal Court (ICC) issuance of the arrest warrant for
President Bashir. Belliard opined that JEM is trying to
establish itself as the representative of the rebels prior to
the Doha negotiations. Gompertz pointed out that the
Government lost in the last round of fighting with JEM.
Carter said that JEM had told the USG that it was ready for a
fight, a possible allusion to anti-aircraft guns. It is
likely to be a bloody stalemate.


3. (C) Carter said the USG is doing what it can to prevent

hostilities, including demarches both to the GOS and to JEM,
issuing a statement condemning the JEM provocation and the
GOS bombings, and gearing up for a UN Security Council
Presidential Statement. He said that the Egyptian Minister
for Cooperation had rebuffed his request that Egypt urge
Sudan to take a pause in fighting and to negotiate,
countering that the USG should first offer a carrot to Sudan
in the form of support for a UNSC Article XVI deferral of the
ICC indictment. When asked if Gompertz or Marechaux had
received similar pressure from AU member states or from the
AU Commission, they said "aside from a half-hearted attempt
in Paris by the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs, not a
word," and were bemused to hear that Carter had received such
a barrage of diplomatic overtures and entreaties on Sudan,s
behalf. Belliard noted Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor
had twice refused to take the floor today in the AU plenary
to defend Sudan regarding the ICC indictment: "the Sudan
Peoples, Liberation Movement is not against this," he said.


4. (C) Carter said Chadian Foreign Minister Faki had just
minutes ago refused his request to issue a statement calling
on JEM to withdraw from Muhajariya. Belliard was not
surprised, saying Chadian President Deby could not show
weakness in the face of rebels threatening his own regime, in
particular Timan Erdimi. At Carter,s request, Gompertz
agreed to contact Deby to ask him directly to urge JEM to
leave the town. Shortley proposed France seek to use the
African members of the Dakar Agreement Contact Group, which
facilitated a peace agreement between Chad and Sudan in March
2008, to call for an end to hostilities. France took this on
board, and suggested it may be worthwhile speaking to Libya
as well. Carter pointed out that the efforts were
worthwhile, but could possibly be ex post, as Sudan,s
24-hour ultimatum had already passed.

MAURITANIA AND GUINEA

5. (C) Turning to Mauritania, Carter noted that the USG is
sticking to the message that Aziz must step down and
reinstate the constitutionally elected President before any
elections could be envisioned. Carter said pressure on coup

ADDIS ABAB 00000354 002 OF 003


leader Aziz is increasing. Gompertz said: "Do you think so?
I am not so sure I would be so optimistic." Marechaux
intervened, saying France has given essentially the same
message as the United States. Representing their different
views on the coup, Gompertz and Marechaux jockeyed for
position, the former defending a softer line and the latter a
more firm opposition. (Note: This apparent tension is also
reflected in Embassy Paris reporting on the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, realpolitik vis a vis Africa, compared with
the Presidency,s championing of democracy. End Note.)


6. (C) On Guinea, Carter left no ambiguity on where the USG
stood, saying we have to exert maximum pressure on the junta.
He said the international community should push for
parliamentary elections as soon as possible, have the junta
step aside, and then take up to a year to prepare for
presidential elections, with a constitutionally elected
parliament ruling the country in the interim. In response to
a question from Gompertz as to what kind of pressure the USG
had in mind, Carter mentioned travel sanctions. Marechaux
pointed out that the Contact Group (established the preceding
day) wanted to create a roadmap which includes lifting the
ban on political party and labor union activity, extracting a
commitment from the junta that they will not stand for
elections, and halting arbitrary detentions. Marechaux said
the Contact Group has identified a six million euro gap in
elections funding needs. The next meeting of the group will
be held in Conakry, on February 16.

SENEGAL

7. (C) Marechaux said France is extremely worried about
Senegal. President Wade thinks he is smarter than everyone
else, does not communicate with his French advisors or anyone
else, and regularly pulls all-nighters during which he comes
up with expensive new schemes he seeks to finance off budget.
In mid-December, France had to extend him a 125 million euro
loan to prevent Senegal from going bankrupt, but indications
are that the country is nearing bankruptcy again. President
Sarkozy wrote to Wade telling him to get his act together,
but the French are skeptical it will do any good. The next
IMF review is scheduled for June, and France will be unable
to come to the rescue again. Carter agreed with Gompertz and
Marechaux that demonstrations inspired by non-indigenous
imams was worrisome. Marechaux said a test will be upcoming
municipal elections -- if the opposition is prevented from
scoring gains, it could mean trouble for a country which once
prided itself as a flagship of African democracy.

MADAGASCAR

8. (C) Turning to Madagascar, Carter said neither of the
principal antagonists -- the President and the Mayor of
Antananarivo -- are listening. One approach would be to
suggest to President Ravalomanana to announce he will not run
again, and then build support allowing him to remain in
office for the remaining two and a half years, addressing the
socio-economic problems the country faces, and allow the
political process to develop for the next elections.
Marechaux who, prior to joining the French Presidential staff
was the DAS-Equivalent responsible for Madagascar, offered
that was one solution. He emphasized France had two red
lines: no extra-constitutional solution and no return to the
status quo. He said France is looking into the possibility
of engaging a mediator, possibly a senior politician from
Mauritius or Mozambique. Carter agreed that the USG would
not accept an extra-constitutional change of government and
that the status quo was not an equilibrium for the country.

EASTERN CONGO

9. (C) On Eastern Congo, both agreed that the situation had
improved, virtually overnight. Carter said he had told
Rwandan Foreign Minister Rosemary Museminali earlier in the
day that Rwanda should minimize civilian casualties in joint
security operations with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC),
and should not overstay their welcome. Carter said the USG
is trying to push for a political solution under the auspices
of UN mediator Obasanjo and AU mediator Mkapa. He said
Rwandan President Kagame appears to want to move away from a
permanent security posture to focusing on the economics,
hoping to turn Rwanda into a Central African variant of
Singapore. For the time being, at least, DRC President
Kabila seems interested in the potential of allowing Eastern
Congo to come into the sphere of Rwanda,s economic growth,

ADDIS ABAB 00000354 003 OF 003


so long as the region remains an integral part of the DRC.
Carter said the Achilles Heel is the FARDC. He asked for
cooperation from France and the European Union on security
sector transformation -- reform is too weak a word for the
task at hand.

ZIMBABWE

10. (C) Gompertz asked about Zimbabwe. Carter said the
international community needs to be vigilant and continue to
monitor developments in the wake of the Mugabe-Tsvangirai
agreement. The USG wants to see actions on the ground that
reflect true implementation of the agreement before we will
lift sanctions or reengage economically with the Government
of Zimbabwe. We will continue to provide humanitarian
assistance, insisting on controls and accountability. He
said that AU officials had told him they were going to give
the agreement six months and then evaluate how it is
progressing. Gompertz said a priority for Foreign Minister
Kouchner is humanitarian access for medical relief workers
and the freeing of political prisoners. Carter said that a
medical group had sounded the alarm that the health system
had deteriorated to such a state that those being treated for
communicable diseases were not keeping up with their
medication, and the risk of a pandemic of drug-resistant
strains of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases had
risen to nightmarish.
YAMAMOTO