C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 000187

SIPDIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/18
TAGS: PREL PINS ECOWAS NI
SUBJECT: ECOWAS HEADS OF STATE DISCUSS REGIONAL SECURITY, SELECT
CHAIRPERSON AND INTERIM PRESIDENT

CLASSIFIED BY: James P. McAnulty, Political Counselor, STATE, POL;
REASON: 1.4(B), (D)

--------------

SUMMARY

--------------




1. (C) Nigerian Acting President Goodluck Jonathan opened the 37th
Ordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West Africa States
(ECOWAS) Heads of State and Governments (HOS) Meeting in Abuja
February 16 with a call for increased transparency in government
and "redoubled efforts" at consolidating democracy. He asked
member states to fight corruption and begin implementing "best
practices" of good governance. ECOWAS issued a final communique
announcing the selection of Jonathan as Chairperson (in place of
ailing President Yar'Adua) and septuagenarian Ghanaian Victor Gbeho
as Interim President (in place of outgoing President Dr. Chambas),
both until December 2010. On Guinea, the HOS supported ongoing
mediation efforts of Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore and
security sector reform (SSR) initiatives by Senegalese General
Cisse. On Niger, ECOWAS leaders expressed regret over the stalled
negotiations between ECOWAS Mediator Nigerian General Abdulsalami
Abubakar and Niger President Tandja. Expressing "total
frustration" over Tandja's refusal to compromise, Abubakar asked to
step down, but later agreed to stay at the Jonthan's request.
Leaders called for the appointment of an African Union (AU) Special
Envoy on Niger, and Senegal President Wade made a separate,
unsolicited offer to assist in the Niger mediation efforts. On
Cote d'Ivoire, ECOWAS leaders recommended no sanctions. Outgoing
ECOWAS President Chambas told Ambassador the evening of February 17
that all of West African HOS were concerned about "Nigeria's
stability." They agreed that one way to show that the region was
behind Nigeria and wanted it to succeed was giving Jonathan the nod
as full ECOWAS Chairman. At the closing ceremony, HOS also signed
an agreement between the Commission and Sierra Leone on development
of a new Freetown logistics depot at the Lungi Airport.

--------------

GOODLUCK JONATHAN IS NEW ECOWAS CHAIRMAN

--------------




2. (C) The ECOWAS Heads of State (HOS) elected Nigerian Acting
President Jonathan as the full Chairman of ECOWAS, replacing
hospitalized President Yar'Adua until the end of December 2010.
Peace and Security Commissioner Colonel Mahamane Toure, who
attended the closed-door meeting, told PolCouns and PolMilOff
February 17 that the decision to elect Jonathan was not
controversial. Instead, HOS "expressed relief" that stakeholders
had reached a peaceful resolution to the lingering "power vacuum"
in Nigeria. Toure intimated that a few countries (including
Liberia, according to a Canadian diplomat) had expressed interest
in becoming the new chairperson. They all "bowed out," however,
after Jonathan's appointment as Acting President in Nigeria.
According to Toure, everyone "welcomed and congratulated" Jonathan
at the HOS meeting.



-------------- --------------

GHANAIAN GBEHO APPOINTED ECOWAS COMMISSION PRESIDENT

-------------- --------------




3. (C) Member nations appointed Ghanaian James Victor Gbeho as
interim President of the ECOWAS Commission. The 75-year-old Gbeho
served as Ghana's Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2001, Member of
Parliament from 2001 to 2005, and currently Foreign Policy Advisor
to Ghanaian President Mills. Colonel Toure had hoped that the HOS
would appoint a permanent president because seven ECOWAS

ABUJA 00000187 002 OF 003


Commissioners and the ECOWAS Vice President will turn over in
December 2010, leading to further uncertainty throughout the year
for the regional body.



-------------- --------------

GUINEA: SECURITY SECTOR REFORM AS THE WAY FORWARD

-------------- --------------




4. (U) The final communique (which Embassy forwarded to the
Department February 16 -- ref), hailed the January 15 Ouagadougou
Joint Declaration as a "positive and critical step in the effort to
restore constitutional order and end the crisis in Guinea." The
statement praised Guinean stake-holders for their maturity and
commended the productive mediation efforts of Burkinabe President
Blaise Compaore. ECOWAS HOS urged continued dialogue and
cooperation during the transition process, especially completion of
preparations for the holding of free and transparent elections
within six months. The communique supported a "joint ECOWAS-AU-UN
cooperation mission" led by Senegalese General Lamine Cisse to
support defense and security sector reform in Guinea. The leaders
reiterated the need for members of the National Transition Council,
Head of the Transition Government, members of the National Council
for Democracy and Development (CNDD), Prime Minister, Government of
National Unity members, and active duty members of the defense and
security forces to refrain from running as candidates in the next
elections.



--------------

NIGER: ABUBAKAR WANTS TO STEP DOWN

--------------




5. (C) On Niger, the HOS commended efforts by ECOWAS Mediator
Nigerian General Abubakar, but criticized the "limited progress"
made since December 21, 2009. They urged parties to show greater
flexibility, end the current impasse, and return the country to
"constitutional legality." A French diplomat told PolMilOff that
during the meeting Abubakar had asked to step aside as Mediator out
of "total frustration" with President Tandja's unwillingness to
budge or compromise. He agreed to continue after receiving pleas
from Jonathan and an ECOWAS promise to seek assistance from the AU.
The Final Communique requested that the AU appoint a Special Envoy
on Niger. Separately, Senegal President Wade volunteered to help
facilitate mediation efforts. Toure remarked that Wade's offer was
"totally unsolicited, surprising the other heads of state."
Canadian and French diplomats speculated that Wade's involvement
may be motivated out of self-interest, in a desire to reach a
compromise that would justify future action by him in Senegal.
When asked about Wade's motives February 17, Toure agreed with this
assessment.



-------------- --------------

COTE D'IVOIRE: NO STRONG STATEMENT AND NO SANCTIONS

-------------- --------------




6. (C) ECOWAS HOS urged all political stake-holders in Cote
d'Ivoire to take appropriate measures to continue the peace process
in accordance with relevant provisions of the Ouagadougou Political
Agreements. The Final Communique urged continue dialogue leading
to the "finalization of the electoral list and the fixing of a firm
date" for elections. A French diplomat, who spoke to a Special
Assistant to President Wade, claimed to PolMilOff February 16 that

ABUJA 00000187 003 OF 003


Wade had played a major role in "watering-down" the language of the
communique and preventing sanctions.



-------------- -

LUNGI AIRPORT LOGISTICS DEPOT AGREEMENT SIGNED

-------------- -




7. (SBU) During the closing ceremony the HOS signed an agreement
with Sierra Leone to open a new logistics depot at the Lungi
airport in Freetown. The U.S. Mission requested a copy of the
agreement from ECOWAS and will forward it to the Department upon
receipt. Colonel Toure stated that the agreement assigns two
parcels of land at the airport to ECOWAS, one for the facility and
one for a residence compound. The agreement also permits land
development and construction of buildings. ECOWAS reportedly has
allocated 2.5 million dollars from next year's budget for
commencement of the project.



--------------

Participants

--------------




8. (U) Participants included Benin President Dr. Thomas Boni Yayi,
Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, Cape Verde President Pedro
Pires, Ghana President John Evans Atta Mills, Guinea-Bissau
President Malam Bacai Sanha, Liberia President Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf, Nigeria Acting President Goodluck Jonathan,
Senegal President Maitre Abdoulaye Ade, Sierra Leone President
Ernest Bai Koroma, Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe,
Gambian Vice President Aja Dr. Isatou Njie Saidy, Cote d'Ivoire
Foreign Minister Youssouf Bakayoko, Mali Minister of Malians in the
Diaspora and African Integration Dr. Badara Aliou Macalou, AU
Special Envoy to Guinea Ibrahima Fall, and United Nations Secretary
General for West West Africa Special Representative Said Djinnit.
Niger and Guinea remain suspended from ECOWAS. The HOS listened to
presentations by Niger's Prime Minister and a spokesperson for the
Coordination of Forces for Democracy and Republic (CFDR),
representing the opposition coalition.



--------------

COMMENT

--------------




9. (C) The appointment of an interim ECOWAS Commission President
has frustrated EU, French, Swiss, and German diplomats attending
the summit because such action will likely delay necessary
institutional reform at ECOWAS. The communique did not address the
existing hiring freeze, and ECOWAS officials have previously
expressed reluctance to hire or make institutional changes after
Chambas announced his departure. END COMMENT.
SANDERS