VZCZCXRO0895
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHAR #1375/01 1711706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201706Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4716
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0341
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0110
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0015

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ACCRA 001375 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: GH PGOV PREL SO SU AU UNSC KPKO
SUBJECT: UNSC DISCUSSIONS IN GHANA 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  On June 18, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad 
and other members of the UN Security Council visited Ghana as 
part of a five-day African tour.  They met as a group with 
Foreign Minster Nana Akufo-Addo and President John Kufuor. 
Akufo-Addo was encouraged by recent progress in Sudan and the 
DRC.  He saw the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute as 
intractable and was optimistic about Cote d'Ivoire, 
highlighting the need for continued international support, 
especially in ensuring credible elections. The upcoming AU 
Summit would focus on strengthening the AU Commission, AU 
finances, and a road map for greater African integration. 
The UNSC Ambassadors supported stronger ties between the UN 
and the AU's Peace and Security Council.  Ambassador 
Khalilzad said the U.S. would welcome a Ghanaian contribution 
to the hybrid force in Sudan and would help Ghana fulfill its 
troop commitment to AMISOM.  Ambassador Khalilzad also met 
separately with presidential advisor on the African Union 
Nana Effah Appenteng, who supported the formation of a 
regional contact group on Sudan and encouraged engagement 
with Egypt on the Ethiopia/Eritrea border impasse.  End 
summary. 
 
Sudan 
----- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Sudan is the "major preoccupation of Africa," 
Akufo-Addo stated, emphasizing that a resolution to the 
Darfur problem requires close cooperation with the Government 
of Sudan, even if it is complicit in the Darfur violence.  He 
was encouraged by the just-completed UNSC Mission visit to 
Sudan and by the Sudanese government's apparent willingness 
to be constructive.  President Kufuor planned to speak to 
President Bashir soon and was determined to help ensure that 
the momentum of the recent UNSC trip is not lost. 
 
Somalia 
------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Akufo-Addo was more pessimistic about Somalia, 
stressing the need for an all-inclusive political dialogue. 
Without progress on this front, the conditions were "not 
propitious" for the insertion of AU forces, he said.  This 
helps explain why countries have been slow to commit troops 
to AMISOM.  The Ghanaian military, for example, questions 
whether they would be going to keep or make the peace, he 
noted, adding that logistics is also a challenge. 
 
DRC 
--- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The peace process is ongoing in the DRC and the 
international community is providing as much support as 
possible.  He thought there should be an explicit AU role in 
promoting dialogue.  He hoped the absence of opposition 
leader Jean-Pierre Bemba would allow for tempers to lower. 
 
Ethiopia-Eritrea 
---------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  This conflict never seems to find resolution, 
Akufo-Addo said, hoping that the international community 
would do what it can to get agreement between the parties. 
 
Cote d'Ivoire 
------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Cote d'Ivoire is "progressively being resolved," 
he said.  Since the Ouagadougou Accord, which has the strong 
backing of the AU and ECOWAS, there is clearly greater 
optimism for peace, unification and real democratic 
development.   He saw the recent agreement to transfer 
election authority as a "polite way" to sideline UN High 
Representative for Elections Gerard Studman, who had 
difficulties with President Gbagbo. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  There is still a great need for international 
monitoring of the situation.  When UN forces leave Cote 
d'Ivoire there will still be a need for international 
involvement in keeping the peace.  Credible elections are key 
to the stability of the country and the election process 
 
ACCRA 00001375  002 OF 003 
 
 
requires international support and certification of results. 
He thought the Government of Cote d'Ivoire's plans to hold 
the election in the first quarter of 2008 was acceptable, 
especially if the postponement increases the credibility of 
the election. 
 
AU Summit 
--------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  The focus of the June 25-July 3 African Union 
Summit in Accra will be to explore the kind of mechanism 
which will drive the union of Africa, according to 
Akufo-Addo.  Ghana was not expecting a continental government 
over night, but hoped the Summit would help strengthen the AU 
Commission and reach agreement on financing the AU.  The bulk 
of AU funds need to come from within Africa, especially from 
several key countries, he said, stressing the need for Africa 
to "find its own locomotive".  Akufo-Addo also hoped the AU 
Summit would provide a better road map, with benchmarks, for 
the process of African integration, including a clearer 
definition of the AU's relationship with African regional 
bodies.   Akufo-Addo  noted Ghana's support for the UN and 
called for a more structured relationship between the UN 
Security Council and the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of 
the African Union. 
 
Views from UNSC Ambassadors 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  The UNSC Ambassadors offered the following 
observations: 
 
--  South Africa and the U.K. (Mission leaders for Ghana): 
South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo agreed with the need 
to strengthen the relationship between the AU's Peace and 
Security Council and the UN.  The UN would try to provide a 
mechanism for assistance to the PSC, perhaps on a case by 
case basis, given financing difficulties.  U.K. Ambassador 
Emyr Jones Parry agreed, emphasizing that the UN needs to do 
more with the AU to help Africa.  He noted what he saw as 
significant positive change in Sudan and identified a slim 
window of opportunity for reconciliation in Somalia.  Both 
thanked Ghana for its leadership in the AU and its positive 
role in the UNSC. 
 
--  U.S.:  Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad agreed with the need 
to strengthen the capacity of the AU PSC and its relationship 
with the UN.  He stressed the need for continued engagement 
and pressure on Sudan and said he would welcome Ghana's 
contribution to the hybrid force.  He thanked Ghana for its 
willingness to contribute to AMISOM, stating that the U.S. is 
will to help with this.  There was a parallel need in Somalia 
for political reconciliation and for putting in place a 
peacekeeping mechanism, he said.  He appreciated Ghana's 
willingness to speak out on Zimbabwe and thought the AU could 
play an important role in establishing conditions for an 
election in Zimbabwe. 
 
--  France:  Ambassador Jean Marc de La Sabliere agreed that 
there was the real prospect for normalcy in Cote d'Ivoire and 
that credible elections were key.  He saw the need for a 
renewed UNSC mandate for peacekeeping forces in Cote 
d'Ivoire.  There needed to be more clarity about the 
significance of the recent transfer of election tasks to a 
Special Representative, as well as the outcome of a recent 
meeting between Compoare, Gbagbo and Sorro.  He relayed AU 
Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare's belief that the 
AU could play a greater role in promoting political dialogue 
in the DRC. 
 
--  Russia:  Ambassador Konstantin Dolgov agreed with the 
need to work closely with the Government of Sudan and thought 
AU support was critical.  The conditions in Somalia were not 
ripe for UN troops to support AU efforts, absent more 
progress on the political front, he said. 
 
--  Others:  Slovak Ambassador Peter Burian hoped the AU 
would participate in an upcoming seminar in Pretoria on the 
strategic process for security sector reform (Akufo-Addo 
agreed the AU should participate).   Italian Ambassador Aldo 
 
ACCRA 00001375  003 OF 003 
 
 
Mantovani urged continued pressure on Somalia.  Chinese 
Ambassador Wang Guangya urged the AU to take the lead on 
behalf of the international community on African issues and 
saw the need to give the AU priority over other regional 
organizations. 
 
President Kufuor Favors AU Forces to Somalia 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  In a separate meeting with the UNSC Mission, 
President Kufuor said some measure of stability was essential 
in Somalia before there could be much progress on the 
political front.  Ghana and other African countries were 
prepared to contribute troops to AMISOM (Ghanaian troops have 
been ready for one year, he said) but logistical and other 
assistance has not been forthcoming, he stated.  He urged the 
UN to deliver on its assistane promises.  On Sudan, he hoped 
every effort would be made to facilitate political dialogue 
and deploy the proposed hybrid force. 
 
Meeting with Effah-Appenteng: Sudan and Ethiopia/Eritrea 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  On the margins of the UNSC meetings, Ambassador 
Khalilzad met with newly named Presidential Special Advisor 
on the African Union and Ghana's former Ambassador to the 
United Nations Nana Effah-Appenteng.  Effah-Appenteng was 
cautiously optimistic about Sudan, agreeing with the need to 
maintain pressure on President Bashir.  He thought President 
Bush's threatened sanctions had helped make Bashir more 
cooperative.   Ambassador Khalilzad asked if he thought there 
was a potential regional role.  Effah-Appenteng saw the 
possible benefit of a regional contact group, given the 
mistrust than hampers bilateral efforts and the complicated 
role played by Chad.  He would explore President Kufuor's 
thoughts on whether it would be helpful for the UN to play a 
catalytic role in this.  Ambassador Khalilzad hoped Ghana 
would contribute to the hybrid force 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  On the Ethiopia/Eritrea border dispute, 
Effah-Appenteng said that on paper Ghana had relations with 
Eritrea, but this did not mean much in reality.  Influencing 
Eritrea was difficult, but he suggested we engage Egypt or 
possibly the Gulf states as an intermediary.  Ethiopia's 
position is complicated by its involvement in Somalia, he 
added.  (Note:  In a separate discussion with PolChief June 
18, MFA Supervising Director for Africa and the African Union 
¶C. Nii Amon Kotey said the GOG did not have new ideas for 
tackling the Ethiopia/Eritrea border dispute.  It was a 
long-standing, difficult problem which he hoped would 
eventually solve itself.  End note.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU)  The atmospherics of the UNSC Mission visit to 
Ghana were excellent.  The Ghanaians were hospitable and 
informed.  Akufo-Addo and Kufuor clearly were pleased with 
the praise Ghana received and used the occasion to highlight 
Ghana's 50th anniversary Jubilee and its recent achievements 
(including a discovery of oil announced on the day of the 
UNSC Mission visit).  President Kufuor's plea for previously 
promised assistance is a clear sign that Ghana remains 
committed to contributing to AMISOM.  Ambassador Khalilzad 
encourages the Department to do what we can to respond to 
Ghana's request for help with this deployment. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BROWN