VZCZCXRO4269
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #2040 1341241
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141241Z MAY 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9650
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 9302
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 5272
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 4696
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2044
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1173
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2242
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2199
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002040 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KE SO SU
SUBJECT: KENYA TO RETAIN IGAD CHAIR, PLANS SUMMIT ON 
SUDAN'S CPA 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Kenya will retain the chairmanship of IGAD 
at least through August and probably beyond.  Kenya's 
immediate tasks as IGAD Chair are 1) to convince Eritrea to 
return to IGAD, 2) to promote Somali reconciliation and the 
success of AMISOM, and 3) to convene an IGAD Head of State 
summit on Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) before 
the end of August, without alienating the Government of 
Sudan.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Tom Amolo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director 
for Political Affairs, spoke to PolCouns about the state of 
IGAD diplomacy.  Foreign Minister Tuju is consulting with 
IGAD Heads of State about next steps, hence his recent trip 
to Djibouti and his imminent trip to Uganda.  Amolo said that 
consensus opinion within IGAD is that now is not the time for 
the chairmanship to rotate to Ethiopia.  Ethiopia shares this 
view. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Amolo said that before the rotation of the 
chairmanship to Ethiopia can occur, Kenya must try to woo 
back Eritrea, which suspended its membership following the 
Council of Ministers meeting in April due to disagreements 
concerning Somalia.  Eritrea is very unlikely to return to an 
IGAD headed by Ethiopia, Amolo added.  He indicated that 
Kenya is also considered by IGAD members to be in a better 
position than Ethiopia to promote regional diplomacy on 
behalf of a favorable outcome in Somalia and the success of 
AMISOM. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Amolo said that yet another reason for retention of 
the chairmanship by Kenya is that "delicate negotiations" are 
underway for the convening of a Head of State IGAD Summit 
sometime before the end of August on the topic of Sudan's 
Comprehensive Peace Agreement.  "If this issue is not handled 
correctly, then Sudan could walk away from IGAD just as 
Eritrea did."  Amolo pointed out that IGAD is a "guarantor" 
of the CPA and hence had a role to play in ensuring its 
implementation.  "But we cannot do this alone.  We need all 
those who made the CPA a reality to re-engage with the 
parties to insist they live up to their commitments."  Amolo 
confirmed that the CPA will be the sole focus of the IGAD 
Summit. 
RANNEBERGER