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O 181628Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0350
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0008
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0007
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0009
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 000187 
 
SIPDIS 
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/18 
TAGS: PREL PINS ECOWAS NI
SUBJECT: ECOWAS HEADS OF STATE DISCUSS REGIONAL SECURITY, SELECT 
CHAIRPERSON AND INTERIM PRESIDENT 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: James P. McAnulty, Political Counselor, STATE, POL; 
REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1. (C) Nigerian Acting President Goodluck Jonathan opened the 37th 
Ordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West Africa States 
(ECOWAS) Heads of State and Governments (HOS) Meeting in Abuja 
February 16 with a call for increased transparency in government 
and "redoubled efforts" at consolidating democracy.  He asked 
member states to fight corruption and begin implementing "best 
practices" of good governance.  ECOWAS issued a final communique 
announcing the selection of Jonathan as Chairperson (in place of 
ailing President Yar'Adua) and septuagenarian Ghanaian Victor Gbeho 
as Interim President (in place of outgoing President Dr. Chambas), 
both until December 2010.  On Guinea, the HOS supported ongoing 
mediation efforts of Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore and 
security sector reform (SSR) initiatives by Senegalese General 
Cisse.  On Niger, ECOWAS leaders expressed regret over the stalled 
negotiations between ECOWAS Mediator Nigerian General Abdulsalami 
Abubakar and Niger President Tandja.  Expressing "total 
frustration" over Tandja's refusal to compromise, Abubakar asked to 
step down, but later agreed to stay at the Jonthan's request. 
Leaders called for the appointment of an African Union (AU) Special 
Envoy on Niger, and Senegal President Wade made a separate, 
unsolicited offer to assist in the Niger mediation efforts.  On 
Cote d'Ivoire, ECOWAS leaders recommended no sanctions.  Outgoing 
ECOWAS President Chambas told Ambassador the evening of February 17 
that all of West African HOS were concerned about "Nigeria's 
stability."  They agreed that one way to show that the region was 
behind Nigeria and wanted it to succeed was giving Jonathan the nod 
as full ECOWAS Chairman.  At the closing ceremony, HOS also signed 
an agreement between the Commission and Sierra Leone on development 
of a new Freetown logistics depot at the Lungi Airport. 
 
 
 
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GOODLUCK JONATHAN IS NEW ECOWAS CHAIRMAN 
 
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¶2.  (C) The ECOWAS Heads of State (HOS) elected Nigerian Acting 
President Jonathan as the full Chairman of ECOWAS, replacing 
hospitalized President Yar'Adua until the end of December 2010. 
Peace and Security Commissioner Colonel Mahamane Toure, who 
attended the closed-door meeting, told PolCouns and PolMilOff 
February 17 that the decision to elect Jonathan was not 
controversial.  Instead, HOS "expressed relief" that stakeholders 
had reached a peaceful resolution to the lingering "power vacuum" 
in Nigeria.  Toure intimated that a few countries (including 
Liberia, according to a Canadian diplomat) had expressed interest 
in becoming the new chairperson.  They all "bowed out," however, 
after Jonathan's appointment as Acting President in Nigeria. 
According to Toure, everyone "welcomed and congratulated" Jonathan 
at the HOS meeting. 
 
 
 
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GHANAIAN GBEHO APPOINTED ECOWAS COMMISSION PRESIDENT 
 
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¶3.  (C) Member nations appointed Ghanaian James Victor Gbeho as 
interim President of the ECOWAS Commission.  The 75-year-old Gbeho 
served as Ghana's Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2001, Member of 
Parliament from 2001 to 2005, and currently Foreign Policy Advisor 
to Ghanaian President Mills.  Colonel Toure had hoped that the HOS 
would appoint a permanent president because seven ECOWAS 
 
ABUJA 00000187  002 OF 003 
 
 
Commissioners and the ECOWAS Vice President will turn over in 
December 2010, leading to further uncertainty throughout the year 
for the regional body. 
 
 
 
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GUINEA:  SECURITY SECTOR REFORM AS THE WAY FORWARD 
 
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¶4. (U) The final communique (which Embassy forwarded to the 
Department February 16 -- ref), hailed the January 15 Ouagadougou 
Joint Declaration as a "positive and critical step in the effort to 
restore constitutional order and end the crisis in Guinea."  The 
statement praised Guinean stake-holders for their maturity and 
commended the productive mediation efforts of Burkinabe President 
Blaise Compaore.  ECOWAS HOS urged continued dialogue and 
cooperation during the transition process, especially completion of 
preparations for the holding of free and transparent elections 
within six months.  The communique supported a "joint ECOWAS-AU-UN 
cooperation mission" led by Senegalese General Lamine Cisse to 
support defense and security sector reform in Guinea.  The leaders 
reiterated the need for members of the National Transition Council, 
Head of the Transition Government, members of the National Council 
for Democracy and Development (CNDD), Prime Minister, Government of 
National Unity members, and active duty members of the defense and 
security forces to refrain from running as candidates in the next 
elections. 
 
 
 
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NIGER:  ABUBAKAR WANTS TO STEP DOWN 
 
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¶5.  (C) On Niger, the HOS commended efforts by ECOWAS Mediator 
Nigerian General Abubakar, but criticized the "limited progress" 
made since December 21, 2009.  They urged parties to show greater 
flexibility, end the current impasse, and return the country to 
"constitutional legality."  A French diplomat told PolMilOff that 
during the meeting Abubakar had asked to step aside as Mediator out 
of "total frustration" with President Tandja's unwillingness to 
budge or compromise.  He agreed to continue after receiving pleas 
from Jonathan and an ECOWAS promise to seek assistance from the AU. 
The Final Communique requested that the AU appoint a Special Envoy 
on Niger.  Separately, Senegal President Wade volunteered to help 
facilitate mediation efforts.  Toure remarked that Wade's offer was 
"totally unsolicited, surprising the other heads of state." 
Canadian and French diplomats speculated that Wade's involvement 
may be motivated out of self-interest, in a desire to reach a 
compromise that would justify future action by him in Senegal. 
When asked about Wade's motives February 17, Toure agreed with this 
assessment. 
 
 
 
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COTE D'IVOIRE:  NO STRONG STATEMENT AND NO SANCTIONS 
 
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¶6.  (C) ECOWAS HOS urged all political stake-holders in Cote 
d'Ivoire to take appropriate measures to continue the peace process 
in accordance with relevant provisions of the Ouagadougou Political 
Agreements.  The Final Communique urged continue dialogue leading 
to the "finalization of the electoral list and the fixing of a firm 
date" for elections.  A French diplomat, who spoke to a Special 
Assistant to President Wade, claimed to PolMilOff February 16 that 
 
ABUJA 00000187  003 OF 003 
 
 
Wade had played a major role in "watering-down" the language of the 
communique and preventing sanctions. 
 
 
 
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LUNGI AIRPORT LOGISTICS DEPOT AGREEMENT SIGNED 
 
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¶7.  (SBU) During the closing ceremony the HOS signed an agreement 
with Sierra Leone to open a new logistics depot at the Lungi 
airport in Freetown.  The U.S. Mission requested a copy of the 
agreement from ECOWAS and will forward it to the Department upon 
receipt.  Colonel Toure stated that the agreement assigns two 
parcels of land at the airport to ECOWAS, one for the facility and 
one for a residence compound.  The agreement also permits land 
development and construction of buildings.  ECOWAS reportedly has 
allocated 2.5 million dollars from next year's budget for 
commencement of the project. 
 
 
 
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Participants 
 
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¶8. (U) Participants included Benin President Dr. Thomas Boni Yayi, 
Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, Cape Verde President Pedro 
Pires, Ghana President John Evans Atta Mills, Guinea-Bissau 
President Malam Bacai Sanha, Liberia President Ellen 
Johnson-Sirleaf, Nigeria Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, 
Senegal President Maitre Abdoulaye Ade, Sierra Leone President 
Ernest Bai Koroma, Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, 
Gambian Vice President Aja Dr. Isatou Njie Saidy, Cote d'Ivoire 
Foreign Minister Youssouf Bakayoko, Mali Minister of Malians in the 
Diaspora and African Integration Dr. Badara Aliou Macalou, AU 
Special Envoy to Guinea Ibrahima Fall, and United Nations Secretary 
General for West West Africa Special Representative Said Djinnit. 
Niger and Guinea remain suspended from ECOWAS. The HOS listened to 
presentations by Niger's Prime Minister and a spokesperson for the 
Coordination of Forces for Democracy and Republic (CFDR), 
representing the opposition coalition. 
 
 
 
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COMMENT 
 
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¶9. (C) The appointment of an interim ECOWAS Commission President 
has frustrated EU, French, Swiss, and German diplomats attending 
the summit because such action will likely delay necessary 
institutional reform at ECOWAS.  The communique did not address the 
existing hiring freeze, and ECOWAS officials have previously 
expressed reluctance to hire or make institutional changes after 
Chambas announced his departure.  END COMMENT. 
SANDERS