UN OFFICE FOR WEST AFRICA BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL,

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000682

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY
SUBJECT: UN OFFICE FOR WEST AFRICA BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL,
ANNOUNCES NEW JOINT INITIATIVE AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING AND
ORGANIZED CRIME


1. (SBU) UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) SRSG Djinnit
briefed the Security Council on July 7 on the biggest
challenges facing the region, namely unconstitutional changes
of government, security sector reform, and drug trafficking.
He warned of the slow pace of reform in Guinea. Djinnit said
UNOWA would continue to partner with Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) to address regional concerns,
and introduced the new "West Africa Coast Initiative," (WACI)
a joint program intended to improve local police capacity in
addressing drug trafficking and organized crime. WACI was
officially launched on July 8. UN Office of Drugs and Crime
Executive Director Costa told the Council some gains had been
made to combat drug trafficQrough the West African
region, but traffickers were now using different routes
through the north and south of the continent to get to
Europe. Costa warned of the growing problem of fake
medicines, electronic waste dumping, and oil bunkering that
plagued West Africa. Ambassador Rice encouraged UNOWA to
help strengthen the UN's integrated efforts. Rice also noted
the threats terrorism, sexual violence, drug trafficking and
youth unemployment posed to the region. Burkina Faso
introduced a draft Presidential Statement (PRST) which, inter
alia, commend UNOWA's role in consolidating peace and
security in the region. Negotiations of the text continue,
and the UK and Russia expressed reservations about the need
to issue it. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) Special
Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) Said Djinnit
summarized current developments in West Africa during an open
meeting with the UN Security Council on July 7. He said the
success of numerous governments' determination for peace was
evident in the absence of any current armed conflicts.
Djinnit also explained that the prospects for peace and
security was fragile due to the existing root causes of
conflict as well as the destabilizing impact of the global
financial crisis.


3. (SBU) SRSG Djinnit cited West Africa's three biggest
challenges as: 1) the resurgence of violent and/or
unconstitutional changes in government, 2) the need for
security sector reform, and 3) drug trafficking. Djinnit
stated that all recent examples of unconstitutional changes
in government in Africa, except for Madagascar, occurred in
West Africa. On the other hand, he said collaborative efforts
of UN agencies including UNOWA and the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS),with regional governments, have
resulted in establishing peaceful elections in Togo, as well
as cooperative efforts to return Mauritania to constitutional
rule. Djinnit warned of the slow pace and of Guinea's
progress in returning to its constitutional order, and said
the July 16-17 International Contact Group meeting should
provide the opportunity for a critical review as well as
offer ways to revamp the process. In regards to security
sector reform, Djinnit stated that UNOWA will focus attention
in countries where critical elections are scheduled for 2009
and 2010.


4. (SBU) Finally, Djinnit explained that West Africa has long
been an important route for drug trafficking, especially of
cocaine, originating in Latin America and destined for
Europe. He introduced the "West Africa Coast Initiative"
(WACI),(officially launched on July 8, see para. 12)
cosponsored by UNOWA, ECOWAS, and the International Criminal
Police Organization (INTERPOL). The initiative focuses
initially on improving the police force in four important
drug trafficking countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau,
Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Djinnit ended by stating that
UNOWA will continue to work closely with agencies, especially
ECOWAS, for the prevention, management, and termination of
conflicts.


5. (SBU) Executive Director for UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) Antonio Costa said the efforts the international
community has made in addressing drug trafficking in West
Africa seem to have had a positive effect, citing a
significant diminishment of drug trafficking through the
region in 2009. He added that so far this year, there have
been no drug seizures, a positive indication decrease in drug
trafficking. Yet, he explained the situation remains
volatile as he believes there is about 20 tons of cocaine
flowing through West Africa every year. Costa stated that
drug traffickers are diversifying the routes, including
throughout the Sahel and North Africa and down the south-west



coast towards Southern Africa, and illicit drugs will
continue to destabilize the region. Costa explained that the
UNODC and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
both supported ECOWAS' action plan against crime. Costa
urged Security Council members to help regional presidents
protect their borders by supplying hardware and helicopters.



6. (SBU) Moreover, Costa asked developed countries to stop
using West Africa as a dump for waste and fake medicines. He
added that up to 60 percent of medicine in West Africa was
counterfeit, 80 percent of its cigarettes were of illicit
origin, and that the region was a major destination for
European electronic waste, totaling about 8.7 million tons
from Europe alone. He also said oil bunkering derives from
the theft of ten percent of the region's oil output.


7. (SBU) Continuing the meeting in closed consultations,
Ambassador Rice encouraged UNOWA to strengthen its efforts to
coordinate a more coherent and integrated UN effort across
the sub-region. She said the U.S. remained gravely concerned
by the threat of terrorism and the cycle of kidnappings and
ransoms that continued to help finance al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Magreb, and called on UNOWA to continue to focus on
security and development in the region. Ambassador Rice said
drug trafficking through West Africa put the region in
serious peril. She also encouraged UNOWA to help build new
partnerships and strengthen existing ones to ensure human
rights, especially the rights of women and children, are
fully protected. Finally, she supported UNOWA's hosting of
the Youth Employment Network and noted youth unemployment was
a major potential cause for unrest.


8. (SBU) French PermRep Ripert stressed the need for improved
maritime security along West Africa's coastline. Ripert also
said democracy was being threatened in Niger and called on
UNOWA to use its good offices in conjunction with ECOWAS to
ensure Niger does not have an unconstitutional change of
government.


9. (SBU) Burkina Faso introduced a draft Presidential
Statement (PRST) that would, inter alia, commend UNOWA's role
in consolidating peace and security in the region. Experts
continue to negotiate the text. Both the UK and Russia noted
during the closed meeting that a PRST might not be the most
preferred product to show Council support for UNOWA. Russia
said a press statement would send all the necessary signals,
but it would not block consensus. China, Viet Nam, Libya,
Croatia and Uganda welcomed the draft PRST.


10. (SBU) Russia asked the Secretariat for more details on
UNOWA's request for an additional police component. The UK
asked for more information on how UNOWA can assist with
regional security sector reform in its next report (due in
six months).


11. (SBU) Austria, Libya and Japan echoed the U.S. concern
for youth unemployment. Austria and Costa Rica urged
Guinea-Bissau to create a "hybrid" (national with
international logistic and technical support) commission to
investigate its recent politically-motivated violence.

12 (SBU) UNODC Executive Director Costa said the West Africa
Coast Initiative (WACI) would be launched on July 8, 2009.
NOTE: USUN witnessed its launch on July 8, presided over by
Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS. WACI's purpose is to build
national and regional capacities to combat illicit drug
trafficking and organized crime in West Africa. The
Initiative is a led by ECOWAS Qeration with the UN
Department of Political Affairs, UNODC, UN DPKO, and
INTERPOL. The Initiative will initially target Cote
d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia-nations in
which there is already a United Nations police presence-but
will eventually be expanded to other ECOWAS states. It seeks
to combat illicit drug trafficking and organized crime in the
region by creating a comprehensive, coordinated, approach to
building national and regional capacities in the areas of law
enforcement, forensics, intelligence, border management,
money-laundering, and strengthening criminal justice systems.
END NOTE.
RICE