VZCZCXRO6879
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #1988/01 2771604
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041604Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9318
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0077
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 0092
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 2167
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0043
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0008
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 001988 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/E, AF/S, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KUNR PGOV IR ZI SG
SUBJECT: WADE'S POST-U.N. DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE 
 
DAKAR 00001988  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (U) On October 1, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade gave a 
rambling, two and a half-hour press conference where he detailed his 
participation at the 62nd UN General Assembly meeting in New York 
and his other meetings and activities during his September trip to 
the United States.  He opined that the situation between the United 
States and Iran is not yet ripe for mediation but said he will 
continue to engage the Iranian authorities to encourage them to 
dialogue with the United States.  Wade urged that a seat with veto 
power be awarded to Africa on the UN Security Council.  Announcing 
that he will travel to Harare within two weeks, Wade argued that 
South African President Thabo Mbeki alone cannot deal with the 
crisis in Zimbabwe and that more African heads of state need to be 
engaged.  Wade also announced that Senegal would be receiving 
discounted fuel from Iran, Nigeria, and Equatorial Guinea and that 
companies from Iran, Dubai, Nigeria, and the United States are 
planning to build fuel depots in Senegal.  He also raised Senegal's 
stalled MCC program and other development issues to be reported 
septel. End Summary. 
 
THE IRAN NUCLEAR QUESTION IS NOT RIPE FOR NEGOTIATION 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Wade said that while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 
had agreed to Wade being an intermediary with the United States, 
President Bush's preconditions made this a difficult undertaking. 
Wade explained, "My goal is for the two to talk to each other."  He 
emphasized that he is not discouraged and would include Teheran in 
his itinerary when he travels to the Middle East in the next few 
days to discuss the agenda of the March 2008 Summit of the 
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Dakar.  He 
underlined his belief that the tripartite approach regarding Iran's 
nuclear program is not working and that more countries need to be 
included in those discussions. 
 
A UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT FOR AFRICA 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Asked about Security Council reform, he said Africa must 
speak with one voice and demanded an African seat with veto power. 
He said it is an injustice that the continent is not represented 
when the majority of the Council's discussions are about Africa and 
its problems.  He argued that developed countries should not impose 
on Africa which country should be its representative, but added that 
Senegal's preference is Nigeria. 
 
SENEGAL MAY PULL OUT OF DARFUR 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) Commenting on the situation in Darfur where Senegal lost 
another soldier during a September 30 rebel attack, Wade said he 
will order an investigation into this latest death and if it is 
proven that the Senegal soldiers were poorly armed and unable to 
defend themselves, he will withdraw Senegal's entire peacekeeping 
contingent.  He declared that it was on Sudan's insistence that he 
had agreed to provide 450 police officers and to increase Senegal's 
presence in peace-keeping operations - "because they trust us" -- 
but warned that he will not send Senegalese soldiers to their death. 
 He opined that this weekend's attack undermines international 
confidence in Sudan's commitment to a larger peace operation. 
 
 
THE ZIMBAWE CRISIS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT TO SOUTH AFRICA 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Responding to a South African journalist in English, Wade 
said, "South Africa is a goodwill neighbor, but the crisis should 
not be left to President Mbeki alone to resolve."  He noted that, 
despite all of Mbeki's engagement with Mugabe, little progress had 
been made.  Wade said that he had met with President Mugabe in New 
York and is planning to travel to Harare within two weeks.  He added 
that the Zimbabwean question should be tackled with the inclusion of 
many African heads of state, arguing "we should have an official 
position about Zimbabwe; this has not been the case so far."  Wade 
said he is taking this initiative to alleviate the suffering of the 
Zimbabwean people and to mediate between Mugabe, the opposition and 
the United Kingdom prior to next year's election. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶6.  (SBU) Wade's press conference was a diplomatic spectacle to 
demonstrate to the Senegalese people and his African audience the 
 
DAKAR 00001988  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
respect he is afforded by world leaders.  The two hour plus show 
seemed to be a response to the growing protests he faces from his 
opposition in Senegal, who attended and publicly heckled Wade during 
his address to the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington  (Wade 
did not mention this during his press conference, however, and was 
dismissive when a Senegalese journalist made reference to the 
incident).  The opposition is currently campaigning internationally 
to denounce his weaknesses in the areas of good governance and 
democratic reforms.  Wade is hoping to assuage the anger of some of 
his disillusioned people with prestigious diplomatic moves.  By 
announcing large commercial deals with foreign partners, Wade seems 
to be seeking to distract the Senegalese from the economic problems 
ordinary people face (or at least reassure them that things will get 
better soon.)  By focusing most of his remarks on Iran, Darfur, the 
UN Security Council seat and Zimbabwe, Wade is burnishing his 
credentials as a statesman and a world leader.  Moreover, the tone 
of his remarks and past comments suggest a desire to demonstrate 
that he and Senegal are as integral to solving crises in Africa as 
Mbeki and South Africa. 
PIAZZA