VZCZCXRO4419
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDS #2494/01 2930852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 200852Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6547
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 7959

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002494 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, S-USSES, AF/E, AF/W, AND IO/UNP 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
DOD FOR OSD (VHUDDLESTON) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU
SUBJECT: USAU AMBASSADOR AND AU'S PEACE AND SECURITY 
COMMISSIONER REVIEW CRISES IN AFRICA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In their first meeting, USAU Ambassador 
Battle and AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra 
reviewed political crises on the African continent and each 
pledged to reinforce cooperation in the peace and security 
arena, including in the emerging counternarcotics effort. 
Lamamra believes Sudan's conflict must be resolved as it has 
an enormous stake across Africa.  The AU and the U.S. must 
work together on Sudan and it is encouraging that SE Gration 
is firmly engaged and that our positions are coming together. 
 He said AU and U.S. positions on Somalia are similar, but he 
worries that Somalia could become another Afghanistan.  On 
Guinea, Lamamra called for Dadis Camara to go and predicted 
the AU would impose sanctions on the coup perpetrators if 
constitutional order is not restored.  Madagascar's 
stakeholders have yet to fully implement the Maputo agreement 
for power sharing, but a meeting of the chief rivals in Addis 
Ababa in early November could provide a way forward.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) USAU Ambassador Battle, accompanied by USAU A/DCM 
and AU Desk Officer, called on Lamamra at AU headquarters on 
October 16.  The Ambassador assured Lamamra that the AU was 
"absolutely central to American policy" and was a critically 
important institution.  Lamamra, a long-time Algerian 
diplomat and perhaps the most sought-after AU official on 
matters of peace and security, acknowledged that the United 
States support for AU missions was "invaluable" to the 
continental organization. 
 
Counternarcotics 
---------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The discussion immediately turned to the interests 
the USG and the AU share in combating narcotics trafficked 
from South Africa to Europe via West Africa.  The Ambassador, 
having just returned from consultations with USAFRICOM 
leadership, suggested to Lamamra that the AU consider having 
an AFRICOM team visit to engage AU officials about the nature 
of the problem and to address possible assistance.  Lamamra 
enthusiastically accepted the proposal, saying narcotics 
presented a national security threat on the continent.  He 
cited governments in West Africa that were vulnerable to drug 
lords.  Lamamra said islands off West Africa were known 
transit points for drugs originating from South Africa on 
their way to Europe.  It was important to assess the nature 
of the threat and to examine how best to fight the drug 
traffic and prevent it from expanding.  The Ambassador 
concurred, adding that it was critical to stop the phenomenon 
before it further imperils West African populations. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Lamamra added that the AU will want to study how it 
can pool its resources on the continent in order to provide 
an effective response to the drug traffic.  He said existing 
customs services, naval forces, and law enforcement agencies 
in West Africa were not up to the task as long as they worked 
alone. 
 
Continuing conflicts 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Conflicts in various parts of Africa require further 
consultation with the United States, Lamamra said.  The 
existing mechanism of International Contact Groups for 
Madagascar, Guinea, and Mauritania has proven effective in 
addressing the aftermath of unconstitutional changes of 
government, he assessed.  The AU has appreciated that the 
international community has lined up behind the AU in order 
to speak with one voice against coup perpetrators.  Lamamra 
said he believes that the U.S. and the AU are in agreement on 
how to tackle problems in the Great Lakes Region and in 
Somalia, and that our positions are becoming closer on how to 
address the situation in Sudan. 
 
Sudan: Enormous stakes ahead 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The U.S. and the AU need to ensure that they succeed 
in developing a common vision of what Sudan will be in the 
future and what is a desirable outcome in Sudan, Lamamra 
said.  He urged the U.S. and AU to "pool our efforts" and he 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002494  002 OF 003 
 
 
praised SE Gration for his engagement on Sudan.  Lamamra 
noted that the heads of state of the 15-member AU Peace and 
Security Council would convene in Abuja on October 29 to 
deliberate the findings and recommendations of the High-Level 
Panel on Darfur report.  That report was presented to AU 
Commission Chairperson Jean Ping by panel chairperson and 
former South African President Thabo Mbeki earlier in 
October.  The AU has invited international partners to attend 
the session. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Sudan remains one of Africa's most dangerous 
conflicts, Lamamra assessed.  With elections in 2010 and 2011 
in Sudan, the stakes for that country and for the continent 
as a whole are "enormous," he added, and the Sudanese 
conflict is certainly not one that the U.S. can solve alone. 
The Ambassador agreed with Lamamra, noting that the U.S. no 
longer has the desire to solve problems alone. 
 
Somalia: Another Afghanistan? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) In Lamamra's view, Somalia is the continent's other 
most dangerous conflict.  "It runs the risk of becoming 
another Afghanistan," he warned, citing the local, regional, 
and global ramifications of a conflict left unchecked. 
Lamamra said the AU had evidence of growing numbers of 
foreign fighters in Somalia. 
 
Guinea: Time for Dadis to go 
---------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Lamamra assessed that Captain Dadis Camara is a "big 
part of the problem" and "he needs to go" in order for Guinea 
to return to constitutional order and stability.  He called 
for a neutral transition, meaning coup perpetrators should 
not be allowed to run in upcoming elections.  Lamamra and the 
Ambassador agreed that narcotics trafficking and consumption, 
including by the illegal government in Conakry, were further 
devastating and corrupting the country.  Lamamra previewed 
the October 17 ECOWAS summit that was expected to address the 
situation in Guinea.  Lamamra made clear that the AU Peace 
and Security Council had given Dadis Camara a deadline to 
respect the return to constitutional order or face sanctions 
from the AU. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The September 28 killings at the stadium in Conakry 
aggravated circumstances.  The AU supports the need for an 
immediate investigation into the September 28 events. 
Lamamra emphasized that there could not be any impunity after 
what happened.  (Note: The AU PSC is expected to follow 
ECOWAS' lead in imposing sanctions on those responsible for 
the coup.)  Lamamra also noted that Blaise Compaore would 
continue to play a facilitator role to find a way out of the 
crisis.  The Ambassador expressed concern that the exit 
strategy not result in more violence. 
 
Madagascar: Difficulties implementing Maputo agreement 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) On efforts to find a solution in Madagascar, 
Lamamra explained that the four governing families there had 
yet to agree to fully implement the Maputo agreement for 
power-sharing.  He noted that former President Ravalomanana 
had refused to accept Rajoelina as president of the 
transition government, and that there was disagreement over 
where to hold a meeting among the key stakeholders.  One 
distinct possibility is for a meeting to take place in Addis 
Ababa in early November, Lamamra told the Ambassador.  If 
that is the case and it is successful, it would launch the 
transitional period leading to elections in June 2010. 
 
Climate change 
-------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Lamamra and the Ambassador agreed about the 
importance of Africa speaking with one voice on the issue of 
climate change at the summit in Copenhagen in December.  The 
U.S. is concerned that Africa will be devastated if the 
international community does not address the ecological 
impacts of climatic changes.  Lamamra spoke of an urgent need 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002494  003 OF 003 
 
 
to save the coming generations of Africans. 
MEECE