Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ADDISABABA332
2010-02-18 10:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:  

AU SUMMIT -- S/A WOLPE ENGAGES EAST AFRICAN

Tags:  KPKO MARR PGOV PREL AU 
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8076
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000332 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, AND AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2020
TAGS: KPKO MARR PGOV PREL AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT -- S/A WOLPE ENGAGES EAST AFRICAN
COMMUNITY ON BURUNDI ELECTIONS

REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 200

B. ADDIS ABABA 201

C. ADDIS ABABA 280

Classified By: USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle, reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).

This message is from USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000332

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, AND AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2020
TAGS: KPKO MARR PGOV PREL AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT -- S/A WOLPE ENGAGES EAST AFRICAN
COMMUNITY ON BURUNDI ELECTIONS

REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 200

B. ADDIS ABABA 201

C. ADDIS ABABA 280

Classified By: USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle, reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).

This message is from USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle.


1. (U) January 30, 2010; 2:45 p.m.; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia


2. (U) Participants:

U.S.
Special Advisor Howard Wolpe
Deputy Special Advisor Jim Yellin
USAU Military Advisor Ellington (notetaker)

East African Community Secretariat
Deputy Secretary General Beatrice Kiraso
Principal International Relations Officer Joseph Clifford
Birungi


3. (SBU) Summary. On the margins of the African Union (AU)
Summit in Addis Ababa, U.S. Special Advisor for the Great
Lakes Region Howard Wolpe and East African Community (EAC)
Deputy Secretary General Beatrice Kiraso shared concerns
about the lack of international oversight of Burundi's peace
process and agreed on the need to establish a facilitation
mechanism should things go awry in Burundi's elections
process. Kiraso briefed Wolpe on the findings of a recent
EAC electoral support mission to Burundi, as well as the
consternation caused by its draft report. Wolpe agreed to
raise the report with Nkurunziza, Museveni, and Kikwete. If
Nkurunziza endorses the report and requests international
election monitors, the EAC says it is prepared to send
observers, although perhaps not in the numbers necessary to
cover Burundi's 12,000 polling stations. End Summary.


4. (SBU) In a January 30 meeting with EAC Deputy Secretary
General Beatrice Kiraso on the margins of the AU Summit in
Addis Ababa, U.S. Special Advisor for the Great Lakes Region
Howard Wolpe raised concerns about the lack of international
oversight of the peace process in the wake of the dismissal
of Head of United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi
(BINUB) Youssef Mahmoud and the withdrawal of the South
African protection mission. Wolpe also reviewed
post-conflict resolution activities previously undertaken in
Burundi, and sought EAC's assistance in providing long-term

election monitors for Burundi's upcoming elections, as well
as the establishment of
an international facilitation mechanism should the need arise
for intervention during the election period.


5. (SBU) Kiraso shared Wolpe's concerns about the lack of
international oversight of the peace process and the need for
a facilitation mechanism. She briefed Wolpe on the EAC's
recent electoral support mission to Burundi, which included
chairpersons, commissioners, and technical experts from the
electoral commissions of EAC member countries. The support
mission examined Burundi's electoral law, met with civil
society organizations, and engaged relevant GOB ministries
and the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).


6. (SBU) Per Kiraso, the electoral support mission found that
Burundi's CENI has the confidence of the population, but is
lacking the capacity to coordinate all election observer
activities. Other challenges noted in the EAC's findings are:
the fact that the GOB has apparently not budgeted for the
elections; insufficient arrangements for voting by Burundians
in the Diaspora; the dearth of regulatory mechanisms
governing roles in elections of security forces, electoral
officials, media, and observers; the timeframe for the
announcement of election results not being prescribed;
lagging voter registration and national identity card issues;
insufficient civic education; and inadequate provisions for
assisting illiterate and disabled voters. Kiraso also noted
that Burundi's custom of holding a series of elections over
several months complicates matters logistically and risks
voter fatigue.


7. (SBU) Kiraso reported that the EAC is tentatively planning
to send a team of six to eight eminent persons to Burundi as

ADDIS ABAB 00000332 002 OF 002


long-term observers beginning in February 2010. In the
second phase of election monitoring, the EAC proposes to send
two observers to each province one month before Burundi's May
elections. Finally, in the week before the elections, the
EAC would augment the two-person provincial observers to a
full monitoring team. Wolpe expressed satisfaction with the
EAC's responsiveness to President Nkurunziza's unprecedented
request for long-term observers, but reminded Kiraso that
Burundi's polling stations would increase from 6,000 to
roughly 12,000 nationwide, necessitating more observers than
the EAC seems ready to deploy.


8. (C) Kiraso, who led the EAC mission, noted with
disappointment the electoral support mission's report had not
yet been published. She reported that the November Council
of Ministers insisted that the EAC's report be endorsed by
the Burundian government before publication. Tanzania, she
confided, was the most opposed to publishing the report, even
questioning the authority for EAC's electoral support
mission. She opined that Tanzania is concerned that the EAC
is moving too fast towards regional integration. Uganda may
also be nervous that a similar monitoring process might be
used in its 2011 elections, said Kiraso. Wolpe promised to
raise the EAC's draft report with Presidents Nkurunziza,
Museveni, and Kikwete (Reftels).


9. (U) The next EAC Council of Ministers Meeting is scheduled
for March 22, reported Kiraso. In the meantime, the EAC
Secretary intends to travel to Bujumbura (26-27 February) to
smooth any feathers the electoral support mission might have
ruffled.


10. (SBU) Comment. Kiraso seemed disappointed with the
Council of Ministers apparent lack of interest in monitoring
elections, encouraging transparency, and consolidating
democracy in the region. However, at the secretariat level,
the EAC remains zealous in its pursuit of regional
integration, and Kiraso will continue to push for
international election monitors in Burundi. Kiraso is keenly
aware that the outcome of Burundi's elections, whether
positive or negative, will have regional ramifications. "The
interest of the EAC is to ensure that peace and stability
return permanently to the Republic of Burundi, otherwise
there will be a spill-over effect on the rest of the region."


11. (SBU) Comment continued. In a subsequent meeting,
Nkurunziza appeared amenable to Wolpe's suggestion that the
GOB formally endorse the findings of the EAC so that the
report could be finalized and used as a basis for
international election monitoring. Wolpe also recommended
that Nkurunziza request in writing that the EAC provide
international election observers. Nkurunziza agreed.
Nkurunziza also appeared receptive to Wolpe's suggestion that
the EAC partner with Burundi to provide a facilitation
mechanism should the need arise for intervention during the
election period.


12. (SBU) Note: Kiraso reported that the EAC's MOU on defense
will be upgraded to a protocol at a meeting in Kampala before
the end of February.


13. (U) Special Advisor Wolpe has not cleared this cable.
YATES