ISAIAS SPURNS QADHAFI'S AU INVITATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000213 SIPDIS LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS DEPT FOR AF/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2019 TAGS: PREL ER LY AU SUBJECT: ISAIAS SPURNS QADHAFI'S AU INVITATION REF: ASMARA 205 Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (C) Qadhafi sent a special envoy to Asmara to issue a personal invitation to Isaias to attend the African Union summit in Sirte, the Libyan charge d'affaires told the ambassador July 1. "The special envoy emphasized that the Sirte summit would provide Eritrea an opportunity to make its case about Somalia and other regional issues," the Libyan diplomat confided. When asked what the Eritrean response was to this special invitation, the frustrated CDA shook his head and said, "As is typical, the Eritreans gave no reply." The Eritrean deputy foreign minister verified that President Isaias is not attending the AU summit. ¶2. (C) When the Secretary (then FLOTUS) visited Eritrea in 1997, she lunched at the CMR with the current Eritrean ministers of justice and tourism. At a dinner July 1, the ambassador got Justice Minister Fawzia Hashim and Tourism Minister Askalu Menkerios to share warm reminisces about the visit. Askalu recalled planting a tree in the grounds of a rural clinic, and Fawzia said the luncheon with Eritrean women leaders was very special. When the ambassador mentioned that we have been trying for ten days to get a call through from the Secretary to President Isaias, both ministers stopped smiling and looked down at their plates. "Well, he has been traveling a lot lately," one of the ministers lamely offered. They appeared to be surprised and uncomfortable with the news of their president's obstreperousness. ¶3. COMMENT: Isaias seems hell-bent on furthering Eritrea's isolation; he has reportedly alienated Sudan (ref),Libya, and possibly Qatar. His narcissism may lead him to believe that his absence from Sirte will hurt Qadhafi and the AU more than Eritrea. His anger at IGAD and the AU over their criticism of Eritrea's meddling in Somalia probably caused him to reject Qadhafi's personal invitation. His refusal to date to speak with the Secretary could stem from his realization that the USG is not suddenly going to countenance his regime's gross violation of human rights at home and its destabilizing actions in the region. Isaias perhaps hoped that the new U.S. administration would for some reason abandon core U.S. values and strategic concerns, while he could continue his bad behavior and garner U.S. support. Miffed MFA officials claim the USG "encouraged" IGAD and the AU to take their strong anti-Eritrea stances. The imperious Isaias regime is increasingly isolated and sulky; in tough times it reverts to the militant stubbornness that saw it through 30 years of guerrilla war. End Comment. MCMULLEN