US embassy cable - 01ABUJA1926

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001926 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2011 
TAGS: PREL, LI, SL, NI, ECOWAS 
SUBJECT: KOUYATE ON LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter, reason 1.5 (b/d). 
 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  Ambassador met with ECOWAS Executive 
Secretary Kouyate on July 27.  Kouyate indicated that the 
 
SIPDIS 
effort to organize Liberian opposition and civil society 
leaders continues, and is intended as a precursor to a 
meeting with Charles Taylor.  Careful steps need to be taken 
to avoid division among these opposition figures, and liaison 
with Presidents Kabbah and Conte is imperative.  End Summary. 
 
 
2.  (C) Ambassador Jeter met with ECOWAS Executive Secretary 
Lansana Kouyate in Abuja on July 27.   After initial 
discussions on accreditation to the Secretariat of the 
American Ambassador to Nigeria (septel), Kouyate spoke on 
Liberia.  He said that he was soon to travel to Monrovia, 
after a stop in Bamako to see President Konare.  When asked 
the purpose of the meeting, Kouyate said that in part the 
trip was to discuss the ongoing efforts to organize a meeting 
of Liberian civil society and opposition figures with Charles 
Taylor.  This would be preceded, he hastened to add, by a 
meeting of these leaders, to seek a consensus position, and 
avoid the divisions in opposition ranks that Taylor had 
proved so skillful in exploiting  in the past.  Taylor, 
Kouyate said, had already stated his willingness to talk, but 
not share power, a position which Kouyate welcomed. 
Power-sharing was a bad idea, Kouyate said, given Taylor's 
proclivities toward division and double-dealing.  Kouyate 
said he would also meet with opposition and civil society 
leaders in Liberia, and seek additional names for the initial 
list of attendees.  He would also liaise closely with 
Presidents Kabbah and Conte to keep them informed of 
developments and, he hoped, gain their support for the 
process. 
 
 
3.  (C) On Sierra Leone, Kouyate said that he thought that 
the situation was "better," generally speaking, but there 
were continuing tensions between the RUF and the Kamajors, 
and he thought more effort needed to be paid to the DDR 
process.  He said that UNSyG Annan had recently called and 
asked for his views, and he had emphasized that the DDR 
process was crucial to the peace process.  In response to 
Ambassador's inquiry, Kouyate suggested that Sam Bockerie was 
now in Angola, under Jonas Savimbi's protection.  He also 
briefly mentioned new tensions between President Compaore of 
Burkina Faso and Charles Taylor.  This was due, he said, to 
Taylor's continuing ties to deposed Ivorien military ruler 
General Robert Guei.  Compaore, Kouyate said, feels 
"betrayed." 
 
 
4.  (C) Comment.  Apparently hard at work on a meeting 
between Charles Taylor and Liberian opposition and civil 
society figures, Kouyate seemed well aware of the necessity 
for a preparatory meeting among those leaders before any 
discussions with Taylor, and the necessity as well of keeping 
President Kabbah and President Conte firmly in the loop.  End 
comment. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jeter