VZCZCXRO6113
RR RUEHAG RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHBS #2324/01 1991440
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181440Z JUL 07
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 002324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2017 
TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID EUN XA
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER AND EU CONFER ON RANGE OF AFRICAN ISSUES 
 
Classified By: Unit Chief V. Carver for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The U.S. and EU were in general agreement 
about a broad range of African issues, with the important 
exceptions of Eritrea and Zimbabwe, when they met June 24 for 
four hours of troika consultations on African affairs.  On 
Eritrea, the EU favored continued engagement of President 
Isaias, while A/S Frazer said the U.S. is leaning toward 
isolation and harsher measures.  On Zimbabwe, the EU 
indicated it intends to invite President Mugabe to Lisbon for 
the EU-Africa Summit in December, a decision the U.S. does 
not support.  On Sudan and Somalia, the EU and U.S. agreed 
that continued political engagement and pressure are 
necessary to bring an end to the two currently most 
intractable conflicts in Africa.  On DRC and in West Africa, 
both sides agreed that great progress has been made in recent 
years, but that continued security sector reform and 
democratic institution building is needed.  End summary. 
 
Sudan and Chad 
-------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The EU recently gave 40 million euros to support AMIS 
through the African Union (AU), and another 50 million is in 
the approval process, said Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel, Director 
for African Affairs for the German MFA.  EU Member States 
have also made their own contributions, including 
approximately 75 million euros from the UK, 40 million from 
the Netherlands, and 25 million from Germany.  Koen Vervaeke, 
head of the Africa Unit for the Council Secretariat, said 
AMIS is funded through July, but will need an estimated 
additional 180 million euros through the end of the year. 
Jean-Christophe Belliard, an advisor in the Council 
Secretariat's Africa Unit, noted his concern that, although 
 
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the EU has funded AMIS, peacekeepers had not been paid in 
approximately four months.  A/S Frazer expressed her support 
for the French proposal to deploy French and other EU 
peacekeepers to eastern Chad to provide refugee camp security 
and rebuild villages. 
 
¶3. (C) In response to EU statements about working with 
President Bashir and offering carrots rather than sticks, A/S 
Frazer recounted the U.S.' discouraging August 2006 
experience with incentives, which it offered on the advice of 
the Chinese.  Frazer said the U.S. told the government of 
Sudan it would upgrade U.S. representation in Khartoum from a 
charge to an ambassador, arrange a meeting between Presidents 
Bashir and Bush at the UN General Assembly, roll back 
economic sanctions, and remove Sudan from the list of state 
sponsors of terror if Sudan, in return, would accept UN 
forces in Darfur and not launch military offensives there. 
Shortly thereafter, the government of Sudan launched a 
military offensive, held a high-profile meeting with 
Venezuelan President Chavez, and publicly criticized the U.S. 
 Despite that, Frazer said, the U.S. still remains ready to 
negotiate with Bashir and accept the previously-offered deal. 
 Both the U.S. and EU said their goal is to keep Sudan 
unified as a country (without secession of the South) and 
that neither is seeking regime change in Khartoum at the 
moment.  Belliard said he expects war if southern Sudan votes 
to secede by referendum in 2011, as it is allowed to under 
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, because Khartoum will not 
let the South and its oil reserves go peacefully. 
 
Somalia 
------- 
 
¶4. (C) Janetzke-Wenzel said improved humanitarian access and 
political inclusiveness are the EU's priorities for Somalia 
and its upcoming National Reconciliation Conference.  The EU 
has given 50 million euros for an AU headquarters in 
Mogadishu, and plans to commit an additional 36 million euros 
for reconstruction.  A/S Frazer noted the U.S. is hampered in 
its efforts to work in Somalia because of the dangerous 
environment there.  She said the internal U.S. assessment is 
that Prime Minister Gedi should step down.  EU officials 
concurred.  Frazer said all the neighboring countries in the 
Horn of Africa have been helpful in resolving strife in 
Somalia except Eritrea. 
 
Eritrea 
------- 
 
 
BRUSSELS 00002324  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶5. (C) A/S Frazer told the EU that Eritrea has sponsored and 
supported terrorism, and that U.S. patience with the regime 
is nearly exhausted.  She said the USG is considering adding 
Eritrea to the state sponsors of terrorism list and 
downgrading the U.S. diplomatic presence in Asmara.  EU 
officials were clearly surprised by that statement, and said 
they continue to believe that dialogue with Eritrea can lead 
to positive results.  "In the Horn, there are not a bunch of 
angels," said Roger Moore, Director for the Horn of Africa at 
the European Commission's Directorate General for 
Development.  "Either you talk to war criminals and bad guys 
or throw out the whole lot.  If we isolate and demonize them, 
it will make matters worse."  Frazer said that engaging 
Eritrea does not seem to have moderated its behavior and may, 
in fact, legitimize it.  Vervaeke suggested that the U.S. 
share its terrorism information with the EU in the interests 
of reaching a mutual understanding about how to proceed 
regarding Eritrea. 
 
Zimbabwe 
-------- 
 
¶6. (C) Representatives from the outgoing German and incoming 
Portuguese EU presidencies noted the EU's intention to invite 
President Mugabe to the EU-Africa Summit in December. 
Janetzke-Wenzel said, "We realize that Africa as a whole 
suffers if Zimbabwe is isolated."  Frazer said the U.S. does 
not think Mugabe should be invited to the summit in Lisbon, 
and that isolation and sanctions are the most effective 
strategies.  Both sides said regime change may come from 
within the ruling ZANU party rather than the opposition. 
Moore noted that Mugabe is immensely popular throughout 
Africa, but Frazer said she believes it is shallow, 
emotionally-based support that could readily turn against him. 
 
Congo 
----- 
 
¶7. (C) Vervaeke said that, despite fighting during March in 
Kinshasa, the transition to a democratically-elected 
government in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been 
a major success over the past year.  The Parliament and 
Senate are functioning well, and the EU Mission in Kinshasa, 
rather than the EU member state missions, has become the 
focal point for EU-DRC diplomatic relations, he said. 
Remaining challenges include reforming the armed forces and 
disarming North Kivu rebel leader Gen. Laurent Nkunda.  A/S 
Frazer said the U.S. would like to work with the DRC to oust 
the LRA from northern DRC.  Belliard said EU Foreign Policy 
chief Javier Solana is concerned that instability in the Horn 
of Africa could spill over to the Great Lakes Region and 
undermine all the efforts to bring peace there in recent 
years.  He praised the U.S.'s efforts in organizing the 
Tripartite Plus negotiations which have helped the Great 
Lakes countries resolve lingering differences. 
 
West Africa 
----------- 
 
¶8. (C) Manuel Lopez Blanco, European Commission Director for 
West and Central Africa, said the EU has given 600 million 
euros to promote regional integration and capacity building 
in the Mano River area.  The EU is devoting particular 
attention to security sector reform in Guinea Bissau, which 
has become a hub for drug trafficking and other criminal 
activity, he said.  On Togo, Janetzke-Wenzel said the new 
government has actively engaged with the EU.  Frazer said the 
President of Togo canceled a meeting it requested with 
Secretary Rice, and there has been little high-level contact 
 
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since then.  Both sides noted that Burkinabe President 
Compaore has been helpful in the region recently, 
particularly in helping to broker a peace agreement in 
neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.  Turning to Nigeria, the U.S. and 
EU noted that, although the recent presidential elections 
were fraught with fraud, they are optimistic because the new 
president appears to be capable and professional. 
 
Cross-cutting issues 
-------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) The EU briefed the U.S. on its Joint EU-Africa 
Strategy, which will be negotiated between the EU and AU 
during a series of working sessions between now and the 
 
BRUSSELS 00002324  003 OF 003 
 
 
December EU-Africa Summit.  Main priority areas for the 
strategy are peace and security, government, trade, and 
development.  RSA Director Jerry Lanier gave a brief overview 
of plans for AFRICOM, and EU officials said they look forward 
to hearing more details as they develop, especially the 
decision about where to locate the headquarters.  The EU also 
briefed the U.S. about its June 15 troika consultations with 
China on Africa, which EU officials characterized as frank, 
open, and successful.  On the issue of pressuring Sudanese 
President Bashir to resolve Darfur, EU officials said the 
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister told them that China knows how 
to pressure Sudan if necessary.  Janetzke-Wenzel said the EU 
suspects China may have been influential in getting Bashir to 
agree to deployment of the UN/AU hybrid force. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) The U.S. and EU were in general agreement on most 
issues discussed, with the exceptions of Eritrea and 
Zimbabwe.  The EU clearly intends to invite President Mugabe 
to its EU-Africa Summit in December, despite strong 
objections from the U.S. (and some EU member states).  A/S 
Frazer's statements about the U.S. policy measures under 
consideration toward Eritrea surprised and concerned EU 
officials, who, in general, almost always favor more 
conciliatory approaches to foreign governments.   End comment. 
 
 
¶11.  (U) Assistant Secretary Frazer did not have the 
opportunity to clear this message. 
GRAY 
.