US said it could work with Qadhafi to advance its interests

The United States said, as late as January 2009, though some African heads of state viewed the election of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi as African Union chair as a “lost year” there were areas where it could work with Libya to advance its interests towards engagement with the AU.

One of these was Zimbabwe and its leader Robert Mugabe who had established close ties with Libya during Zimbabwe’s crisis.

According to a cable dispatched by the State Department the United States wanted to explain to Libya the critical importance of having the AU and the Sothern African Development Community follow through on their commitment, as guarantors of the power-sharing agreement, to monitor the progress, or lack thereof, of the unity government.

The US felt it was important for both the AU and SADC to scrutinise Mugabe’s actions and press him to share power in good faith.

It said key benchmarks the United States and the international community would be watching included:

• the immediate release of all political prisoners;
• cessation of political violence and human rights abuses;
• replacement of Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono with a technocrat;
• and a roadmap to national elections.

“The people of Zimbabwe urgently need an inclusive and effective government to begin the reconstruction of Zimbabwe,” the cable said.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 09STATE16169, ENGAGING WITH LIBYA ON AFRICAN UNION ISSUES

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 016169

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2019

TAGS: PREL PGOV XA AU LY

SUBJECT: ENGAGING WITH LIBYA ON AFRICAN UNION ISSUES

REF: A. TRIPOLI 134

¶B. ADDIS 384

¶C. STATE 12900

Classified By: NEA Acting Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Feltman,

Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

¶1. (U) Action requested – please see paragraph 5.

¶2. (C) The Department read with great interest ref A on

obstacles to success and opportunities for engagement with

Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi in the wake of his election as

Chair of the African Union (AU) . While some African heads

of state may view Qadhafi,s AU chairmanship as a “lost

year,” we recognize that some of Qadhafi’s more inflammatory

rhetoric belies a fair amount of common interest and

cooperation with the United States, and there are areas where

we can work with Libya to advance U.S. interests towards and

engagement with the AU.

¶3. (C) Libya played a positive role in facilitating the

November 2008 exchange of ambassadors between Chad and Sudan

and could further encourage the two countries to end support

for one another’s rebels. Regarding Somalia, a sustainable

resolution of that country’s governance and development

challenges – including piracy – requires the broadest

possible engagement by Somalis of all clans and political

persuasions. Libya has supported a number of Somalia-related

UN Security Council Resolutions, as well as the Djibouti

Peace Process. On Zimbabwe, the AU must follow through on

its commitment to monitor the implementation of the

power-sharing agreement, and carefully scrutinize the actions

of Mugabe and his allies. Key benchmarks should include: the

immediate release of all political prisoners, cessation of

political violence and human rights abuses, replacement of

Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono with a technocrat, and a

roadmap to national elections.   Finally, the U.S. seeks to

build up Africans’ ability to provide continental peace and

security. It would be helpful, in this context, to remind

Qadhafi the U.S. Africa Command is a significant part of that

goal and to note our appreciation of Libya,s openness to

STATE 00016169 002 OF 005

engagement with the command.

¶4. (C) We envision at least two Assistant Secretary level

bilateral meetings to discuss African Union issues in the

coming year: possibly one in April, which would give enough

time to make changes in the run-up to the June/July 2009 AU

Summit, and another in October, prior to the January/February

2010 AU Summit.

¶5. (SBU) Post is requested to seek reaction from Qadhafi and

other appropriate interlocutors on the following points.

AFRICAN UNION

Extend congratulations on Qadhafi’s election as Chairman of

the African Union, and note that we look forward to working

together with him on areas of common interest and to sort out

differences of opinion.

Offer to engage in bilateral consultations – and with the

African Union Commission – at both the AF A/S and working

level, perhaps in April, which would give enough time to

factor the results of the consultations into the next summit

in June/July.

SUDAN

Note we share Libya’s interest in improving the security of

the region and agree on the need to address the Darfur

conflict from a regional point of view.

Urge Libya to play a helpful role in the Darfur political

process, including by supporting the efforts of UN/AU chief

mediator Djibril Bassole, and refraining from undertaking

parallel efforts that may have the effect of undermining or

conflicting with the discussions underway in Doha, Qatar.

(as necessary) Urge Libya to encourage the Government of

Sudan to both cooperate with UNAMID and exercise restraint in

responding to a possible ICC arrest warrant for President

Bashir. Note:   see ref C for further background/detail.

End note.

SUDAN/CHAD

STATE 00016169 003 OF 005

Note a long-lasting solution to the Darfur and Chad crises

requires the cessation of all support by each government to

the others, rebels.

Recognizing Libya,s positive role in facilitating the

November 2008 exchange of ambassadors between Chad and Sudan,

and its integral role in previous Contact Group meetings, ask

Libya to encourage Chad and Sudan to end rebel support and

consider both a Heads of State summit among Chad, Sudan, and

Libya, as well as a Contact Group meeting in the near term.

Ask Qadhafi how the USG and the rest of the international

community can be of assistance.

SOMALIA

Note Libya and the United States agree a sustainable

resolution of Somalia,s governance and development

challenges, including piracy, requires the broadest possible

engagement by Somalis of all clans and political persuasions.

Solutions imposed by outsiders are likely to be temporary at

best and delay genuine progress.

Explain that our efforts have been devoted to ensuring the

broad spectrum of clan and political interests represented in

the Djibouti process by the Transitional Federal Government

(TFG) and Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS)

have the time, political space and security environment

required to reach a political accommodation. Current signs

are promising: Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected

President on January 31 and will likely select a prime

minister and cabinet in the coming days.

Urge Qadhafi to encourage Djibouti process participants to

form the unity government and facilitate sufficient security

on the ground in Mogadishu to ensure that it expands its

authority. With this in mind, note we are working to assist

the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and provide

support for Somali security forces.

Thank Libya for its past support of United Nations Security

Council resolutions 1816, 1838, 1846, and 1851 on Somalia

piracy, and for its support of the Djibouti process and

express our desire to continue our cooperative efforts on the

Council and other fora.

STATE 00016169 004 OF 005

Note that piracy is impacting African states negatively in a

number of ways including by increasing the costs of goods

imported into and exported by sea from coastal and inland

states, putting humanitarian food and other shipments to

Somalia and Ethiopia at risk, disrupting intra-African

coastal trade and shipping, and diverting cruise ships and

some cargo carriers away from Kenya and Tanzania.

ZIMBABWE

Explain the critical importance of having the AU and SADC

follow through on their commitment, as guarantors of the

power-sharing agreement, to monitor the progress, or lack

thereof, of the unity government.

It is important for both the AU and SADC to scrutinize

Mugabe’s actions and press him to share power in good faith,

. Key benchmarks the United States and the international

community will be watching include: the immediate release of

all political prisoners, cessation of political violence and

human rights abuses, replacement of Central Bank Governor

Gideon Gono with a technocrat, and a roadmap to national

elections. The people of Zimbabwe urgently need an inclusive

and effective government to begin the reconstruction of

Zimbabwe.

PEACE AND SECURITY

Note the United States robustly supports the enhancement of

Africa’s Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), including

the Peace and Security Council, the Panel of the Wise, the

Continental Early Warning System, and most significantly, the

Africa Standby Force.

Explain that the continent’s APSA must be supported at all

three levels to be successful: continental (AU), sub-regional

(RECs), and in the member states. USG programs therefore

provide technical, material, and training support at all

three levels to enhance the ability of Africans to manage

conflict, respond to crises, and deal with other threats to

stability such as illicit trafficking in arms or drugs and

terrorism.

Solicit Qadhafi’s help in urging Africans to increase their

STATE 00016169 005 OF 005

ability to deploy even more peacekeepers, especially police

units, and for the African leadership to step up to the

challenges in its maritime domain, including regarding

illegal fishing, piracy, and illicit trafficking.

The African Union and sub-regional organizations should lead

an effort to strengthen legal frameworks, enhance interagency

cooperation at the regional and national levels, and improve

African surveillance and response capacity.

AFRICOM

Explain that the United States Africa Command is focused on

conflict prevention and works with African partner militaries

to support defense reform and to help strengthen regional

security and crisis response capacities, especially in the

areas of peacekeeping, maritime security, and

counter-terrorism.

Note we expect Africa Command will make substantial

contributions to U.S. efforts to support the development of

the African Standby Force.

The formation of the command reflects an internal

reorganization designed to improve the coordination of U.S.

military programs in Africa by bringing programs previously

implemented by three separate commands under the

administration of a single command.

Programs in Egypt will continue to be implemented by U.S.

Central Command; Africa Command will coordinate with Central

Command and the Government of Egypt on Africa-wide security

issues.

¶6. (U) The Department thanks Embassy Tripoli for its past

support in promoting USG views on African issues and looks

forward to our continued work during Qadhafi’s tenure as AU

Chairman. If there are any questions, please contact AF/RSA

Deputy Director Peter Henry Barlerin.

¶7. (U) Tripoli minimize considered.

CLINTON

(28 VIEWS)