US embassy cable - 04ABUJA1671

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001671 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PGOV, MASS, NI, ECOWAS 
SUBJECT: ECOWAS PRIORITIES FOR ITS NOVEMBER 22-23 DONORS 
CONFERENCE 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE 
INTERNET OR INTRANET 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary.  The agenda for the November 2004 ECOWAS 
Donors Conference has been published and shows a high 
priority assigned to defense and security issues.  ECOWAS 
will seek to have a broad and diverse range of potential 
donors at the conference, including China and Japan.  From 
the U.S., ECOWAS will seek particular support for a proposal 
to assess, administer, and eventually cede operational 
control of the Freetown Depot in Sierra Leone to ECOWAS. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  POLOFF met with Dr. Chuck Grimm, U.S. Advisor to 
ECOWAS, on September 23, 2004 to discuss the Donors 
Conference and ECOWAS priorities.  The agenda for the 
November 22-23 ECOWAS Donors Conference has been set.  This 
year's conference will place a heavier focus on the Deputy 
Executive Secretariat for Political Affairs, Defense, and 
Security (DES-PADS) than in years past.  The conference will 
be two days, with the entire first day dedicated to DES-PADS 
and second day shared among the remaining 3 Deputy Executive 
Secretariats (Administration and Finance, Integration 
 
SIPDIS 
Programs, and Policy Harmonization).  A formal reception 
initially scheduled for the first night of the conference has 
been rescheduled for the second night to allow for evening 
break-out and discussion sessions related to DES-PADS.  The 
Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Chambas, views this 
conference as a high priority issue.  He will personally open 
both days of the conference and changed the date for the 
ECOWAS Foreign Ministers Conference to allow greater focus on 
the Donors Conference. 
 
ECOWAS Priorities 
----------------- 
 
3.  (SBU)  ECOWAS is attempting to create a standing military 
force that may eventually become part of the African Union's 
proposed standby force.  ECOWAS is currently preparing at 
least 16 Requirements Papers, and will distribute them to 
potential donors no later than November 2.  Among them, 
ECOWAS will be looking for U.S. support to eventually turn 
over the Freetown Depot in Sierra Leone to ECOWAS control and 
administration.  They view this as a "matter of honor." 
ECOWAS will request that the U.S. assist with a needs 
assessment and establishment of stocking levels at the depot 
once the standing force is authorized and units are pledged. 
The present U.S. administration of the depot would then train 
an ECOWAS contingent to run the facility (on-the-job 
training), eventually ceding full control to ECOWAS. 
 
Who will be invited? 
-------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU)  Invitations will not be formalized until early 
November, but ECOWAS would like to get a broad and diverse 
range of potential donors to attend.  They plan to add China 
and Japan to the usual list.  China has already donated 
significant quantities of communications equipment, and 
ECOWAS would like to build on that relationship.  Japan has 
indicated that it might be willing to train and support a 
medical unit and Germany has indicated support for an 
engineering unit.  ECOWAS views the USG as the only "honest 
broker" among potential donor nations, however, owing both to 
a lack of colonial history in Africa and a history of support 
and cooperation with the ES. 
 
5.  (SBU)  ECOWAS will ask donors to send representatives to 
this conference who are technically familiar with the issues 
and can commit support to projects.  ECOWAS has learned that 
the UK will have no more than 250,000 British pounds to 
contribute at the conference, likely to be focused to the 
Kofi Annan Center, but that the UK will still seek to exert 
significant influence over the ECOWAS policy vision despite 
this lack of financial support. 
 
Agenda 
------ 
 
6.  (U)  Following is the published agenda for the conference: 
 
NOVEMBER 22, 2004 (Monday) 
0900-0945 Coffee Service (ECOWAS Patio) 
 
1000 Dr. Chambas' Introductory Remarks-"The Linkage Between 
Diplomacy, Defense, and Development" 
 
1100 DES-Political Affairs, Defense, and Security:  Overview, 
Standby Forces, Standby Depots and Logistics, and Training 
and Other Standby Issues. 
 
1200-1330 Lunch Break (ECOWAS Patio) 
 
1330-1800 DES-PADS (continued):  Humanitarian Affairs, 
Political Affairs, OMC, and Other 
 
1900-2100 Evening break-out and discussion sessions 
 
NOVEMBER 23, 2004 (Tuesday) 
0900 Opening Remarks by ECOWAS Executive Secretary 
 
0930-1000 Coffee Break 
 
1000-1200 DES-Administration and Finance:  Human Resources 
Capacity, Financial Capacity, and Community Levy 
 
1200-1330 Lunch break (ECOWAS Patio) 
 
1330-1600 DES-Integration Programs:  Infrastructure, Industry 
and Private Sector Development, Human Development 
(Education), Agricultural and Rural Development, and 
Information and Communications. 
 
1600-1700 DES-Policy Harmonization:  Trade Promotion, and 
Trade Negotiations 
 
1700-1720 West African Civil Society Forum presentation 
 
1720 Guest donor comments and Dr. Chambas' closing remarks 
 
1900-2200 Evening formal dinner (Location to be determined). 
End Agenda. 
CAMPBELL