KENYA REITERATES IT WILL ADHERE TO AU POSITIONS ON GUINEA

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000799 STATE PASS USTR FLORIZELLE LISER, CONNIE HAMILTON, PATRICK DEAN COLEMAN, AND WILLIAM JACKSON STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W JIM HUNTER, AF/E MARIA BEYZEROV AND SUSAN DRIANO, AND AF/EPS ANN BREITER, GABRIELLE MALLORY, MARY B. JOHNSON, AND TAWANNA DAVIDSON STATE ALSO FOR AF/EX SYLVIE MARTINEZ AND SONJA WRAY-BROWN AF/PD FOR CLAUDIA ANYASO AND TIJEN AYBAR STATE ALSO FOR EEB/TPP/BTA AMY HOLMAN STATE PLEASE PASS USAID/EA AND USAID/AFR/SD BRUNO CORNELIO AND JEFF MALLICK TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS AND REBECCA KLEIN COMMERCE FOR KEVIN BOYD, ALICIA ROBINSON, AND BECKY ERKUL AGRICULTURE FOR DON EVANS AND CATHY MCKINNELL LABOR FOR SUDHA HALEY AND MAUREEN PETTIS ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU MISSION SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAID ETRD AGOA PGOV PREL GV MA KE SUBJECT: KENYA REITERATES IT WILL ADHERE TO AU POSITIONS ON GUINEA AND MADAGASCAR REFS: (A) STATE 35767 (B) NAIROBI 731 (C) NAIROBI 619 (D) STATE 27823 Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Paul Mdungu, the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Africa Division deputy director, reiterated April 21 that Kenya will adhere to all African Union policies on Madagascar and Guinea. Describing our requests (refs A and D) as "reasonable," Mdungu said Kenya fully understands the USG's position that Madagascar and Guinea should not be invited to the August 4-6 AGOA Forum in Nairobi. The USG demand is consistent with the AU's suspension of Guinea's and Madagascar's memberships, Mdungu continued, adding that the organization is now preoccupied with finding another site for its upcoming summit originally scheduled for Antananarivo. Kenya supports our call that constitutional rule be promptly restored and democratic elections held in both countries (ref A). ¶2. (SBU) Mdungu's comments echoed those made to Economic Counselor at the conclusion of the Government of Kenya's April 9 AGOA Forum preparatory committee meeting when Ministry of Trade Chief Economist and committee co-chair Richard Sindiga underscored to him that Kenya has no intention of inviting Guinea and Madagascar to the AGOA Forum. Similarly, Johnson Weru, head of the MFA's Economic and External Trade Division, has told econoff on several occasions that Kenya will align its views pertaining to matters involving both countries with the AU's. Ranneberger