Cablegate: Africa Union to Direct Member States to Implement

VZCZCXRO5016
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHUJA #1995/01 3031712
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301712Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7372
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0427
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001995

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA, INL/AAE;
ADDIS ABABA FOR U.S. MISSION TO AU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS NI
SUBJECT: AFRICA UNION TO DIRECT MEMBER STATES TO IMPLEMENT
SANCTIONS ON GUINEA

REF: A. ABUJA 1993
B. ABUJA 1903

1. (SBU) The African Union (AU) hosted a Peace and Security
Council (PSC) meeting in Abuja October 29 in which Guinea
featured as a major topic of discussion (reftel a). Several
African Heads of State, including President Deby of Chad,
Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, President Kibaki of Kenya,
and Vice President Taha of Sudan, attended the AU PSC and
endorsed the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) position on targeted sanctions (reftel b), including
a trade embargo and a visa ban on certain members of the
National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) junta
and its collaborators.

2. (SBU) The AU PSC also endorsed the recent creation of a
Commission of Inquiry (COI), the work of both the
International Contact Group on Guinea, and Burkina Faso
President Blaise Compaore's role as ECOWAS Facilitator to
dialogue with Guinea's current leadership. Within one week,
the AU planned to send written communications requesting all
member states to implement sanctions against a list of
individuals and put them into force immediately after
distribution to member states and international partner
organizations, thereby promoting universal implementation.

3. (SBU) Guinea had a placard and space within the forum,
but Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to us
that no delegation attended the PSC session from Guinea.

4. (U) The text of the October 29 AU PSC communique on Guinea
follows:

Begin Text:

Communique of the 207th Meeting of the Peace and Security
Council

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at
its 207th meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, at the level of
Heads of State and Government, on 29 October 2009, adopted
the following decision on the situation in the Republic of
Guinea:

Council,

(1) Recalls its previous decisions on the situation in
Guinea, in particular paragraph 7 of the communique
PSC/PR/Comm. (CCIV) adopted at its 204th meeting held on 17
September 2009;

(2. Strongly condemns, once again, the killings and
deliberate acts of violence against unarmed civilians and the
rape of women by armed unites under the authority of the
National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) during
the peaceful demonstration organized on 28 September 2009;

(3) Endorses the decisions of the Extraordinary Summit of
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held
in Abuja, Nigeria, on 17 October 2009. In this regard,
Council expresses its full support of the establishment of an
International Commission of Inquiry on the events of 28
September 2009. Council reaffirms its full support to the
mediation undertaken by President Blaise Compaore of Burkina
Faso on behalf of ECOWAS;

(4) Requests the Commission, in accordance with paragraph 7
of the above mentioned communique, and in close collaboration
with ECOWAS and members of the International Contact Group on
Guinea, to take all the necessary measures towards the
implementation of targeted sanctions, including denial of
visas, travel restrictions and freezing of assets, against
the President and members of the CNDD, as well as members of
the Government and any other civilian or military individual
whose activities are aimed at maintaining the
Qwhose activities are aimed at maintaining the
unconstitutional status quo in Guinea. In this regard,
Council requests the Commission to circulate, within a week,
to AU Member States, for implementation, the list of the
individuals to be targeted by the sanctions;

(5) Decides that these measures and the list mentioned above
will be communicated to the United Nations Security Council

ABUJA 00001995 002 OF 002

and all other AU partners, including the European Union, the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, the International
Organization of the Francophonie and the other members of the
International Contact Group on Guinea, as well as to the
League of Arab States, in order to give them a universal
character;

(6) Decides to remain seized of the matter.

End text.
SANDERS

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