VZCZCXRO5612
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0932/01 1071958
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171958Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4866
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 0063
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0016
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0724
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0020
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0704

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000932 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/W, AF/RSA AND NEA/IR 
NSC FOR AF SENIOR DIRECTOR COURVILLE 
ACCRA ALSO FOR WARP 
LISBON ALSO FOR DAO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016 
TAGS: ODIP PREL EAID PINS KPKO IR PU SG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR JACOBS PRESENTS HER CREDENTIALS TO 
PRESIDENT WADE 
 
REF: JACKSON-FRAZER E-MAIL OF APRIL 14 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: During my 30-minute meeting with President 
Abdoulaye Wade on April 14, we discussed the strong bilateral 
relationship, U.S. assistance to Senegal, his upcoming visit 
to Iran, Senegal,s Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) 
proposal, counter-terrorism, conflict resolution, the 
Casamance peace process, peacekeeping, health, education and 
the investment climate.  Wade expressed interest in an 
official working visit.  He spent longer with me than with 
most new ambassadors and said that his door is open.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) In a colorful ceremony filled with pomp, I presented 
my credentials and Ambassador Richard Roth,s letter of 
recall to President Abdoulaye Wade on April 14.  Wade and I 
spent 30 minutes one-on-one discussing bilateral, regional 
and international issues.  Our meeting was longer than his 
meetings with the new South Korean, Venezuelan and Thai 
Ambassadors, who also presented their credentials on April 14. 
 
¶3.  (C) President Wade warmly welcomed me to the Presidential 
Palace and emphasized the strong ties that bind our two 
countries.  He said he is proud of his relationship with 
President Bush and hopes that he may be invited for an 
official working visit.  I responded that we share mutual 
interests, including counter-terrorism and conflict 
resolution.  When I thanked him for Senegal,s peacekeeping 
efforts, he said he is very pleased with Senegal,s 
contributions. 
 
U.S. ASSISTANCE 
--------------- 
¶4.  (SBU) Summarizing our cooperation, I noted that the 
United States has provided USD 204 million in assistance 
since 1998, including USD 40 million in FY-2005.  I also 
mentioned the President,s Malaria Initiative (PMI) of which 
Wade was already aware and extremely appreciative.  Wade 
invited me to see how U.S., Senegalese and other donor 
efforts are promoting health and education, which he said is 
&the answer.8  I told him that I planned to start visiting 
some of our aid projects this month; he suggested that I 
might accompany Mrs. Wade on some of her trips around 
Senegal.  He also asked for U.S. help in attracting 
businesses to Senegal. 
 
CASAMANCE 
--------- 
¶5.  (C) I asked Wade about the humanitarian situation 
resulting from the fighting in northern Guinea-Bissau, 
specifically asking if there is anything the United States 
can do.  Wade stressed that the GOGB had decided to oust 
Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MFDC) Atika 
leader Salif Sadio and his supporters.  He noted that a 
heavily mined border isolates Guinea-Bissau.  He hoped that 
Sadio will join the peace process, and he said that he has 
asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to 
see the prisoners taken by the Bissau-Guinean Army.  Wade 
said the most useful U.S. contribution would be road 
construction and demining, which the United States is already 
examining.  (COMMENT: The GOGB announced shortly after my 
meeting that Sadio,s headquarters had been captured.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
IRAN 
---- 
¶6.  (C) Shifting to international conflicts, Wade said that 
he had asked Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs Cheikh 
Tidiane Gadio to travel to Washington to inform us that Wade 
has accepted an invitation to visit Tehran beginning on April 
16 (Ref).  Wade related that he had been invited by both the 
former and current Iranian Presidents.  He stated that he is 
interested in mediating between Iran and the U.S. -- but only 
if he can be successful.  I told Wade that the U.S. is 
promoting a diplomatic solution but strongly opposes Iranian 
development of nuclear weapons.  I also noted that Russia and 
others have tried to mediate.  Wade, however, seems to 
believe that he might be more successful because he is Muslim. 
 
DAKAR 00000932  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶7.  (C) President Wade mentioned the &strong bilateral 
relationship8 three times during our conversation.  He is 
clearly interested in an official visit to the White House 
and seemed sincere about his door being open.  END COMMENT. 
JACOBS