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FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 000188 
 
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SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/W 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
PARIS FOR WBAIN 
USEU FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
SECDEF FOR DASD VICKI HUDDLESTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM XA
SUBJECT:  AU SUMMIT -- LIBERIAN PRESIDENT JOHNSON SIRLEAF UPBEAT 
ABOUT LIBERIA'S FUTURE 
 
This message is from USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle 
 
¶1.  (U) January 30, 2010, 5:25 p.m.; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
 
¶2.  (U) Participants: 
 
United States 
Under Secretary Maria Otero 
Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson 
NSC Senior Director Michelle Gavin 
Ambassador Michael Battle 
Special Advisor Nicole Goldin 
AU Desk Officer Ryan Bowles (notetaker) 
 
Liberia 
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 
Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele 
 
¶3. (SBU) Summary: An upbeat President Johnson Sirleaf told U/S Otero 
and the U.S. delegation to the African Union (AU) Summit that 
Liberia is making great progress on its development agenda.  She 
reported on her discussions with Guinean coup leader Dadis Camara, 
and agreed to consider associating Liberia with the Copenhagen 
climate change accord.  End Summary. 
 
¶4.  (U) U/S Otero and the U.S. delegation met with Liberian 
President Johnson Sirleaf on the margins of the AU Summit. 
President Johnson Sirleaf warmly greeted the delegation, and 
provided an update on the current status of Liberia's development 
agenda. 
 
---------------------------- 
Liberia's development agenda 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Turning first to peace and security, she noted that Liberia 
is at peace, and thanked the U.S. for providing training and 
mentorship for more than 2,000 Liberian soldiers.  On December 31, 
Liberia took over responsibility for its armed forces development 
program, and will pursue offers of additional training from Nigeria, 
Ghana, and Benin.  President Johnson Sirleaf expects that UN 
peacekeeping forces will be reduced to 8,000 this year, and hopes 
this level can be maintained. 
 
¶6.  (U) On economic issues, she said Liberia was affected by the 
global financial crisis, but is showing signs of recovery.  Iron ore 
mining is restarting, and a large international agriculture company 
commenced operations on January 1.  She hopes to get the private 
sector on track by the end of 2010.  Debt relief is on track, and 
Liberia is negotiating with two vulture funds, which bought some of 
Liberia's sovereign debt, to settle lawsuits.  She planned to meet 
World Bank President Robert Zoellick during the AU Summit and 
planned to pressure him to turn commitments into cash that she can 
use for roads and schools. 
 
¶7.  (U) Youth unemployment is of particular concern, and President 
Johnson Sirleaf would like to focus more attention on vocational 
education programs.  She asked for U.S. assistance on these 
programs, and A/S Carson agreed to explore what USAID could do. 
 
¶8.  (U) On the subject of governance and rule of law, President 
Johnson Sirleaf said she was fighting corruption and trying to 
create systems that remove discretion from Liberian officials. 
Executive branch officials are required to declare their assets; she 
hopes that the legislature will soon follow.  The judiciary is still 
weak, but is improving.  There will soon be two grand juries 
convened at any given time solely for corruption cases.  She wants 
to work harder on decentralization to local governments. 
 
¶9.  (U) Although President Johnson Sirleaf's administration is not 
actively encouraging refugees to return because of concerns over 
Liberia's ability to absorb them, many are repatriating themselves 
voluntarily.  Liberia is also receiving deportees, and is interested 
in U.S. programs (primarily in Latin America) which help governments 
re-integrate deportees after they arrive.  U/S Otero offered to 
investigate options for Liberia. 
 
¶10.  (U) U/S Otero inquired about microfinance in Liberia, and 
President Johnson Sirleaf responded that some small programs in 
Liberia have shown promise.  She said that one program had a 100% 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000188  002 OF 003 
 
 
repayment rate among women.  President Johnson Sirleaf noted how 
vocational and skills training are critically important complements 
to microfinance tools. 
 
------ 
Guinea 
------ 
 
¶11.  (SBU) A/S Carson thanked President Johnson Sirleaf for her 
efforts on Guinea.  She recently met with Guinean coup leader Dadis 
Camara in Burkina Faso, and said that she asked him to seek medical 
attention.  According to President Johnson Sirleaf, Dadis is "not 
well."  She asked him to call upon his people to support the 
transition, but said that he was afraid of what might happen to him 
as a result of the massacre on September 28.  President Johnson 
Sirleaf asked the United States to support Camara receiving medical 
care and disappearing from public life somewhere outside of Guinea. 
She does not believe he will contest the election in Guinea. 
President Johnson Sirleaf said we need to get aid flowing now, 
create livelihoods for Guineans, and reduce tension in the country. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Carson said the U.S. is committed to the process, and 
greatly appreciated Johnson Sirleaf's role.  As the transition moves 
forward, Carson said we plan to provide funds for development, and 
will help to restructure Guinea's armed forces.  We want to send 
personnel to participate in the assessment mission, and provide 
significant financial support to the election.  President Johnson 
Sirleaf supported the idea of an Economic Community of West African 
States (ECOWAS) monitoring group with 30-50 civilian and unarmed 
military personnel. 
 
------------------ 
Liberian Elections 
------------------ 
 
¶13.  (U) President Johnson Sirleaf will run in the upcoming 
election, which she says is the most critical event in Liberia's 
transformation.  She says the election must be free, fair, and 
competitive.  Fraud or violence would take Liberia backwards. 
 
-------------- 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
¶14.  (U) U/S Otero asked President Johnson Sirleaf if Liberia would 
associate itself with the Copenhagen climate change accord.  She 
said they would seriously consider the accord, but noted the 
importance of Liberia's forestry sector and said she was 
disappointed with the lack of a robust forestry package. 
 
------------------------ 
African Union Leadership 
------------------------ 
 
¶15.  (SBU) On the question of the next chairperson of the AU, USAU 
Ambassador Battle asked if President Johnson Sirleaf had any news 
about Libya's lobbying campaign for a second term.  She said she 
thought "wisdom would prevail," and that the AU would continue with 
the rotating presidency system that it has used to date, however she 
did not disclose how Liberia would vote.  (Note: A day after this 
meeting, the AU heads of state elected Malawi's President Mutharika 
as chairperson, thereby preserving the rotation system.  End Note.) 
 
¶16.  (U) NSC Senior Director Michelle Gavin said that President 
Obama appreciated President Johnson Sirleaf's contribution at the 
lunch he hosted for sub-Saharan African heads of state in September. 
 Gavin said President Obama hoped to meet President Johnson Sirleaf 
in Washington soon. 
 
----- 
Haiti 
----- 
 
¶17.  (U) Liberia was one of the first African countries to 
contribute money to Haiti relief, and although it was a small 
donation of $50,000, President Johnson Sirleaf was happy to have 
been able to prompt other African states to make their own, 
sometimes much larger, contributions.  U/S Otero conveyed Secretary 
Clinton's thanks for the contribution. 
 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000188  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶18.  (U) U/S Otero, A/S Carson, and NSC Senior Director Gavin have 
cleared this message. 
 
YATES