PRESIDENT SIRLEAF'S POSITION AT ECOWAS SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONROVIA 000041

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC GV LI
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SIRLEAF'S POSITION AT ECOWAS SUMMIT

REF: MONROVIA 13

Classified By: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield for Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).


1. (C) President Sirleaf confirmed to Ambassador January 12
that she was "instrumental" in removing a provision in the
draft ECOWAS communique on Guinea calling for sanctions
(leaving in a condemnation of the coup, suspension of Guinea
from ECOWAS, and a demand that the CNDD take immediate steps
to restore constitutional order) and having language added
calling on the international community to continue financial
support in order to keep the transition to constitutional
rule on track. She repeated what she said in a press
conference earlier that day that "the poor people in Guinea
would suffer" from sanctions rather than the junta, but added
her concern that sanctions might bring about demonstrations
forcing the junta to react strongly.


2. (C) She remarked that the communique gave strong support
for early elections, to be concluded in 2009, and that the
Mano River Union leaders present (including Ivoirian
president Gbagbo and Sierra Leonean president Koroma) backed
her position.


3. (C) President Sirleaf told Ambassador that Guinea was
making progress toward HIPC decision point and hoped the
process will not go off track. She also hoped that the EC
will not delay in providing EDF-10 funding to Guinea.
Ambassador noted that the USG had already decided to impose
sanctions on Guinea.


4. (C) Sirleaf confessed that she "still doesn't know why"
Libyan leader Qadhafi stopped in Monrovia (reftel). While
the two discussed bilateral assistance, Qadhafi barely raised
Guinea, and gave no indication which faction Libya supported.
On the other hand, Senegalese President Wade had called her
about his concern that Liberian mercenaries were preparing to
go to Guinea to back the Conte faction against the junta.
She tried to assuage his fears, and told Ambassador she has
sent security and intelligence teams to the border to
investigate, and they have not yet found any evidence of
Liberians crossing the border to fight.


5. (C) Comment: President Sirleaf is clearly concerned that
instability in Guinea could cross over into Liberia, and she
does not want to do anything to make matters worse. She is
committed to the process for early elections as the solution
to the present situation, but we still have disagreement on
the best way to achieve lasting stability in Guinea.

THOMAS-GREENFIELD