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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OUAGADOUGOU 000547 
 
AF/W FOR EPLUMB, JHUTCHISON 
NSC FOR KAREN O'DONNELL 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/9/2023 
TAGS: PREL ECIN EINV ETRD UNSC UV LY IS
SUBJECT: Burkina Faso President Compaore's Relations With Libya's 
Quaddafi Increasingly Strained 
 
OUAGADOUGO 00000547  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified by Amb. Jeanine Jackson; reasons 1.4(b,d) 
 
Reftels:  A) Ouagadougou 000519  B) Ouagadougou 000432 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  The once strong relations between President Blaise 
Compaore and Muammar Quaddafi have deteriorated recently.  President' 
Compaore's trip to Israel, his lack of support for Quaddafi's vision 
of a "United States of Africa" and of the Community of Sahel-Saharan 
States, and his comments on Quaddafi's lack of respect for his peers 
have demonstrated his desire to distance himself from Quaddafi. 
Compaore has been emboldened by the international community's 
recognition of Burkina Faso's leadership role in Africa.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C ) During a meeting with President Compaore on June 13 to 
discuss Burkina Faso's continued support for the U.S. position on 
Zimbabwe (Ref A), Ambassador asked Compaore whether he intended to 
participate in the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (Cen-Sad) Summit 
in Cotonou.  He replied that he would attend briefly but only because 
he wanted to demonstrate support for Benin's President, Yayi Boni. 
He said that he saw no utility in the meeting, and did not believe 
that it would result in tangible outcomes. 
 
¶3.  (C) During the meeting, Compaore seemed anxious to discuss his 
relationship with "the Guide," Muammar Quaddafi.  He said there were 
certainly "misunderstandings" since Compaore's visit to Israel for 
the anniversary celebrations (Ref B).  Quaddafi had "bluntly 
disapproved" of the visit, and had threatened to no longer visit 
Burkina Faso or invite Compaore to visit Libya.  Compaore laughed, 
saying that he had ignored the threat and gone to Israel anyway.  He 
also mentioned that the Togo President Faure Gnassingbe had consulted 
with him on whether to go to Israel as he had received the same 
threat from Quaddafi; Compaore had advised him that "you are a young 
guy, don't go, I will go as the more established leader in the 
region" and represent ECOWAS.  (Note and Comment:  Gnassingbe did not 
go to Israel, but instead sent a Minister to represent him.  Burkina 
Faso Foreign Minister Djibril Bassole visited Tripoli June 8, on his 
way to Europe and the U.S., in part to mend fences.  End Note and 
Comment.) 
 
¶4.  (C) Ambassador asked President Compaore whether he had met 
Quaddafi's son Saif.  Compaore replied that had met him on several 
occasions, and described Saif as "more trustworthy than his dad." 
Saif recently proposed to Compaore a number of well thought out and 
well presented projects for Burkina Faso, and then asked Compaore to 
try to convince his father to agree to the projects.  President 
Compaore also told Ambassador that he believes Quaddafi should talk 
to Israel because dialogue is the best solution.  He surmised that 
there would be serious problems in Quaddafi's family after his death 
related to "succession" - i.e., the fact that Quaddafi has had two 
wives and eight children.  Saif, who is the most interested and 
competent in economic and political affairs, is the son of second 
wife and far down the chain of "succession." 
 
¶5.  (U) President Compaore attended Cen-Sad, spending over 24 hours 
in Cotonou, but he intentionally did not attend the official 
reception in honor of the summit participants.  According to press 
reports in Ouagadougou, President Quaddafi called for the dismantling 
of most African regional organizations, in favor of the Libya-funded 
and controlled Cen-Sad, arguing that the other organizations had 
failed.  He called on all those who would like to benefit from his 
investments and financing to join the Cen-Sad.  He added that those 
who oppose his African government projects are "ignorant and 
traitors" who "work for western nations." 
 
¶5.  (U) The local press described Quaddafi's pronouncements as being 
"disrespectful" of his peers, and that he is "treating (us) like 
children."  Compaore was particularly annoyed, according to some 
reports, that Quaddafi attacked regional organizations. 
 
¶6.  (U) Comment:  During the ECOWAS Heads of State Summit in January 
2008 in Ouagadougou, President Quaddafi tried to garner support for 
his Africa government concept.  At that time, President Compaore went 
along with the idea in principle, but with several stated 
preconditions:  1) the establishment of the institution must be 
preceded by a process and a number of steps that would facilitate 
integration, including the free movement of people and goods; 2) 
African leaders need to ensure that their citizens support such an 
organization.  However, Compaore is now among those African leaders 
who have recently expressed opposition to the establishment of United 
 
OUAGADOUGO 00000547  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
States of Africa, arguing that it is unrealistic and that focus 
should be on regional organizations and integration instead. 
 
¶7.  (U) The dismissal of Compaore's long-time confident and 
Agriculture Minister, Salif Diallo, who also served as a bridge 
between the Compaore government and Libya, has also contributed to 
deteriorating relations. 
 
Jackson