VZCZCXRO6814
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0940/01 1081901
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181901Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4885
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0024

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000940 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W, AF/SPG, AF/RSA, IO/PSC, AND INR/AA 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2011 
TAGS: PREL KPKO SU GA GV IV MR PU SG US
SUBJECT: AF/W DIRECTOR CARTER DISCUSSES SUDAN AND WEST 
AFRICA 
 
REF: A. DAKAR 00939 (NOTAL) 
     ¶B. DAKAR 00766 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: AF/W Director Phillip Carter discussed 
peacekeeping and Darfur with Armed Forces Chief of Staff LTG 
P.K. Fall early in his visit.  Carter concluded his 
successful visit to Senegal with a tour d,horizon of African 
issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Ambassador 
Mankeur Ndiaye told Carter that Senegal is increasing its 
presence in Darfur.  The CHOD highlighted some of Senegal,s 
problems in Darfur and emphasized that Senegalese troops are 
not fighting in Guinea-Bissau.  Ndiaye urged the United 
States to increase assistance to Guinea-Bissau and noted that 
the fragile state may the new UN Peacebuilding Commission,s 
first test.  Carter emphasized progress toward elections in 
Cote d,Ivoire and Mauritania.  He stressed that the United 
States supports a constitutional, political transition in 
Guinea.  Ndiaye said President Wade had called President 
Jammeh to refute allegations of Senegalese support for the 
coup plot.  Ndiaye also said that Senegal agrees that 
Mauritanian refugees in Senegal may return home.  END SUMMARY. 
 
LIBERIA 
------- 
¶2.  (U) On March 28, the last day of Director of West African 
Affairs (AF/W) Phillip Carter,s visit to Senegal, Carter and 
then Charge spent over an hour with Ambassador Mankeur 
Ndiaye, the Director of Cabinet at the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA); Papa Omar Ndiaye, the Director of 
International Organizations; and the new Director of African 
and Asian Affairs.  After addressing Charles Taylor,s flight 
(Ref B), Carter turned to other African issues. 
 
U.S.-SENEGAL AGENDA 
------------------- 
¶3.  (C) Noting a convergence in virtually all areas of 
engagement, Carter joked about the paucity of bilateral 
issues that needed to be resolved between the United States 
and Senegal.  Charge gave Ndiaye a copy of Millennium 
Challenge Corporation CEO Danilovich,s March 28 letter to 
Prime Minister Macky Sall, and Ndiaye responded that Senegal 
must sign a Millennium Challenge Account Compact.  Carter 
commented positively on Senegal,s extensive involvement in 
peacekeeping and the Africa Contingency Operations Training 
and Assistance (ACOTA) program. 
 
PEACEKEEPING 
------------ 
¶4.  (C) During Carter,s March 27 call on the LTG P.K. Fall, 
the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CHOD), Carter thanked 
Fall for Senegal,s extensive contributions to peacekeeping, 
and Fall responded that Senegal has over 2,000 peacekeepers 
in the field and as many in training.  Fall said the armed 
forces have another 3,500-4,000 soldiers in the Casamance, 
where they are deeply involved in reconstruction.  He 
underscored that they were not involved in the fighting in 
northern Guinea-Bissau. 
 
DARFUR 
------ 
¶5.  (C) Fall said that Senegal strongly supports re-hatting 
the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS).  Fall stated 
that the AU has yet to reimburse Senegal for the 1.2 billion 
CFA francs (CFAF) (USD 2.4 million) that it has spent on the 
Sudan deployment to date.  Moreover, many Senegalese 
peacekeepers have not been deployed due to logistical 
problems, including shortages of fuel and lack of 
helicopters, as well as command, control and communications 
problems. 
 
¶6.  (C) Ndiaye stated that Senegal is preparing to increase 
its presence from 538 to 700 soldiers.  Carter stressed that 
we must convert the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan into 
a UN peacekeeping operation, and Ndiaye agreed, noting that 
command is a sensitive issue for the AU countries. 
 
COTE D,IVOIRE 
------------- 
¶7.  (C) Turning to Cote d,Ivoire, Carter noted that General 
Abdoulaye Fall is impressive and is managing a difficult task 
at commander of the UN force in Cote d,Ivoire.  Carter noted 
the positive momentum from the February 25 meeting and said 
that the international community needs to reinforce Prime 
Minister Charles Konan Banny,s position.  Ndiaye noted the 
Banny and his Foreign Minister had just made separate visits 
to Dakar and that President Laurent Gbagbo may soon come. 
 
DAKAR 00000940  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
GUINEA 
------ 
¶8.  (C) Turning to Cote d,Ivoire,s other western neighbor, 
Guinea, Carter underscored that the United States supports a 
political and constitutional transition.  Ndiaye responded 
that the army must play a role because &the Government does 
not function.8  Nonetheless, the recent successful labor 
strike demonstrated that Guinea is changing. 
 
THE GAMBIA 
---------- 
¶9.  (C) Ndiaye then raised The Gambia and noted that the GOTG 
had paraded alleged coup plotters before the television 
cameras the previous evening and that they had accused 
Senegalese officials of involvement in the coup plot.  Ndiaye 
said President Wade had called President Jammeh to assure him 
that was not true.  Moreover, the Gambian Ministers of 
Agriculture and Interior were coming to Dakar.  Ndiaye said 
former Chief of Staff Cham,s whereabouts were unknown. 
Ndiaye assured us that in spite of the allegations, Senegal 
plans to proceed with both the proposed bridge across the 
Gambia River and with the establishment of a Permanent 
Gambia-Senegal Secretariat.  He added that the only obstacle 
to both is financing. 
 
MAURITANIA 
---------- 
¶10.  (C) Carter then raised Mauritania, noting that while the 
political space is more open, there was no other option but 
to hold elections as soon as possible.  He said the census 
was not perfect, but, given the country,s ambitious election 
schedule, the process in Mauritania needed to move forward. 
Ndiaye noted that Col. Fal had just visited Senegal and had 
said that no Mauritanian refugees remained in Senegal. 
Charge queried if that is the GOS,s position, and Ndiaye 
demurred, saying that it seems clear that Mauritanians who 
wish to return may do so. 
 
GUINEA-BISSAU 
------------- 
¶11.  (C) Completing the regional tour d,horizon, Ndiaye 
urged the United States to provide more assistance to 
Guinea-Bissau.  Ndiaye said it could and should be the first 
test for the new UN Peacebuilding Commission.  Charge noted 
that we currently provide approximately USD 2 million in 
assistance to Guinea-Bissau and are working with the World 
Bank and IMF, which had a joint team in Bissau at the time. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶12.  (U) Mr. Carter has cleared this message.  Ref A reports 
on other discussions, particularly on the economy and 
Senegalese politics.  END COMMENT. 
JACOBS