US embassy cable - 04ACCRA2251

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 002251 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2014 
TAGS: EPET, GH, MARR, PGOV, PTER 
SUBJECT: SENATOR INHOFE MEETS WITH GHANA'S PRESIDENT KUFUOR 
 
 
Classified By: PolChief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.5 d and e. 
 
1.  (U)  During a brief overnight visit to Accra on November 
11, U.S. Senator James Inhofe met with Ghanaian President 
John Kufuor and held a private evening meeting.   Embassy 
officers met the Senator at the airport and made 
transportation, hotel and scheduling arrangements. 
 
2.  (C)  The Ambassador, DCM and PolChief accompanied Senator 
Inhofe and two of his staffers in a meeting with President 
Kufuor at the Castle (the President's office).  Senator 
Inhoffe greeted President Kufuor warmly, noting he was a good 
friend of the President and had visited Africa four times 
over the past year.  The focus of this trip was two-fold:  1) 
discuss the possible formation of five &regional brigades8 
in Africa, identified by the African Union, which would train 
for counter-terrorism activity, and 2) discuss Gulf of Guinea 
oil issues, with a particular interest in stemming the 
diversion of oil and oil revenues to criminals and 
terrorists. 
 
3.  (C)  Kufuor noted that West Africa was grappling with its 
own security challenges.  The Government of Ghana  believes 
Ghana has significant oil potential, President Kufuor 
remarked,  hoping that the U.S. would help in oil exploration 
in Ghana.  He repeated this request at the end of the 
meeting, saying &we should be talking about oil a lot in the 
next year.8  He said he would want to make more use of 
businessman and presidential confidant Kwabena Darko as a 
point man on oil and economic issues. (Note: Darko was in the 
room and helped in organizing this meeting for Senator 
Inhofe.  Owner of Ghana,s largest chicken business, he 
appears to be a trusted presidential aide on a range of 
issues.  End note.) 
4.  (C)  The Senator said he expected we would be interested 
in assisting Ghana in oil exploration.  He invited President 
Kufuor to the National Prayer Breakfast in the U.S. in 
February, 2005.  The President was noncommittal, saying he 
would have to see if he was reelected. 
 
YATES 
 
YATES