P 071628Z SEP 01
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6214
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 002990 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/11 
TAGS: PREL PHUM SG
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT WADE SEIZES OPPORTUNITY TO 
DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM LIBYA 
 
REF:  DAKAR 2916 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL OFFICER CHRIS ROCHESTER. 
REASONS 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
¶1. (U) ON AUGUST 28, SENEGALESE AUTHORITIES REFUSED 
PERMISSION TO APPROXIMATELY 100 YOUNG WOMEN TO BOARD 
A LIBYAN CHARTERED AIRCRAFT, WHICH APPARENTLY LANDED 
WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION, AND WHICH WAS ALLEGEDLY 
TAKING THE WOMEN TO LIBYA TO PARTICIPATE IN A 
CULTURAL EVENT CELEBRATING THE THIRTY-SECOND 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBYAN REVOLUTION.  WHAT BEGAN AS 
A SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS MATTER QUICKLY 
INTENSIFIED TO A SIGNIFICANT DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT 
BETWEEN LIBYA AND SENEGAL. 
 
¶2. (U) SENEGALESE AUTHORITIES STRONGLY SUSPECTED THAT 
THE CULTURAL PRETEXT WAS IN FACT A BLATANT OPERATION 
IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING.  ON AUGUST 31, THE DAKAR 
PROSECUTOR FORMALLY CHARGED AND DETAINED THREE WOMEN, 
WHO WERE SUSPECTED OF COORDINATING THE SCHEME.  THE 
LIBYAN GOVERNMENT DENIED ANY INVOLVMENT IN 
TRAFFICKING AND CLAIMED THAT IT HAD SENT THE AIRCRAFT 
TO DAKAR SOLELY TO BRING A SENEGALESE DANCE TROUPE 
(NUMBERING APPROXIMATELY THIRTY-FIVE MEMBERS) TO 
LIBYA. THE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ALLEGATIONS ARE 
SERIOUS, BUT THE MORE INTERESTING ASPECT OF THE 
MATTER HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF 
SENEGAL. 
 
¶3. (C) THE GOS REACTED PUBLICLY AND VIGOROUSLY.  FOREIGN 
MINISTER GADIO DEPLORED THE INCIDENT IN A ROUND OF 
MEDIA APPEARANCES AS "AN UNFRIENDLY ACT."  THE 
PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED THAT THE GOS WAS 
TAKING A NUMBER OF STEPS IN RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT: 
THE GOS WAS RECALLING AMBASSADOR MAMADOU DIOUF FROM 
TRIPOLI FOR CONSULTATIONS; A DIPLOMATIC NOTE HAD BEEN 
CONVEYED TO LIBYAN AUTHORITIES; LIBYA WAS REQUIRED TO 
REDUCE ITS DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN SENEGAL; THE NUMBER 
OF TRANSIT VISAS FOR LIBYAN NATIONALS WOULD BE 
RESTRICTED.  FINALLY, PRESIDENT WADE SPOKE OUT ABOUT 
THE MATTER PUBLICLY, SAYING THAT THE INCIDENT WAS "AN 
UNFRIENDLY GESTURE TOWARD SENEGAL."  HE ADDED THAT HE 
WAS HURT ("BLESSE") THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED AND THAT 
HIS FIRST DUTY WAS "TO PROTECT THE SENEGALESE 
PEOPLE."  HE NOTED, WITHOUT ELABORATION, THAT THE 
INCIDENT "WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT" AND THAT THERE HAD 
BEEN "PRECEDENTS" FOR THIS KIND OF THING WITH LIBYA. 
ASKED IF HE WERE CONSIDERING FURTHER DIPLOMATIC 
SANCTIONS, PRESIDENT WADE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD MAKE 
FURTHER DECISIONS AFTER CONSULTING WITH HIS RECALLED 
AMBASSADOR. 
 
¶4. (C) THE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED HUMAN TRAFFICKING 
INCIDENT AND THE EVENTUAL JOURNEY - LONG OR 
ABBREVIATED - OF THE CASE THROUGH THE COURTS ARE OF 
INTEREST, BUT MORE SIGNIFICANT IS THE PROBABILITY 
THAT PRESIDENT WADE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE INCIDENT TO 
SEND A VIGOROUS PUBLIC MESSAGE TO THE SENEGALESE 
PEOPLE, THE REGION AND THE WEST THAT HE INTENDED TO 
KEEP HIS DISTANCE FROM LIBYA.  WHEN ADDED TO OTHER 
RECENT, LESS PUBLIC, REMARKS TO US BY PRESIDENT WADE 
(REFTEL), THE IMPRESSION IS THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS 
DECIDED TO ABRUPTLY DECELERATE WHAT HAD BEEN AN 
ACTIVE POLICY OF HIGH-LEVEL CONTACTS WITH LIBYA. 
 
¶5. (C) PRESIDENT WADE VISITED TRIPOLI SEVERAL TIMES SOON 
AFTER HIS ELECTION (NOT TO MENTION CONTACTS WHILE HE 
WAS IN THE OPPOSITION).  KHADAFI MADE A NUMBER OF 
PROMISES TO WADE, BOTH FINANCIAL AND PAN-AFRICAN 
(PARTICULARLY CONCERNING THE AFRICAN UNION), THAT 
CONFORMED TO HIS USUAL PATTERN OF INGRATIATION. 
PRESIDENT WADE APPEARED TO BE PERSUADED AT THE TIME 
THAT THE LIBYAN PROMISES (INCLUDING TO SUPPLY OIL AT 
DISCOUNT PRICES, TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN THE 
CONSTRUCTION OF AN OIL REFINERY, TO MAKE OTHER LARGE 
BUT UNSPECIFIED INVESTMENTS IN SENEGAL AND WEST 
AFRICA AND TO SUPPORT REGIONAL AND PAN-AFRICAN 
POLITICAL PROJECTS), WERE SERIOUS.  THERE IS NOW A 
REAL DEGREE OF TENSION, EVEN BITTERNESS, BETWEEN 
SENEGAL AND LIBYA, GENERATED BY AN APPARENTLY SHARP 
REVERSAL OF SENEGALESE CONFIDENCE IN TRIPOLI. 
 
¶6. (C) FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER DJIBO KA MAY HAVE BEEN ON 
TARGET WHEN HE SAID IN A RECENT INTERVIEW THAT THIS 
CHILL IN BILATERAL RELATIONS WAS INEVITABLE, GIVEN 
THE EXCESSIVE ENTHUSIASM, EVEN "AMATEURISM," OF 
SENEGALESE RELATIONS WITH LIBYA SINCE THE 
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  KA ARGUED THAT IF SENEGAL 
WISHED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY "THE COUNTRIES AND 
INSTITUTIONS THAT COUNT IN THE WORLD," IT HAD TO STAY 
THE COURSE DIPLOMATICALLY AS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY 
GIVING PRIORITY TO OTHER DEMOCRATIC NATIONS. 
 
 
ELAM-THOMAS