ENGAGING SADC IN GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST

C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 001976

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/11
TAGS: PTER PREL SADC MI
SUBJECT: ENGAGING SADC IN GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST
TERRORISM

REF: A)STATE 179915 B) LILONGWE 1966 C) GABORONE 3385

CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE THOMAS DOUGHERTY. REASON 1.5
(B/D)



1. (C) AT AN OCTOBER 19 MEETING WITH MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS LILIAN PATEL PRIMARILY TO DISCUSS THE
SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE (REFTEL B),CHARGE ASKED PATEL
HER VIEWS ON HOW SADC AND THE USG COULD COOPERATE IN
THE GLOBAL COALITION ON TERRORISM.


2. (C) PATEL SAID THAT HER PRINCIPAL SECRETARY,
BERNARD SANDE, HAD ARRIVED BACK FROM BOTSWANA THE
PRIOR EVENING AND THAT SHE WAS AWARE THAT THE ISSUE OF
US-SADC COOPERATION ON TERRORISM HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AT
THE TROIKA MEETING IN GABORONE. SHE ADDED, HOWEVER,
THAT SHE HAD NOT YET BEEN BRIEFED BY SANDE.


3. (C) PATEL INDICATED SHE BELIEVED SADC COULD PLAY A
POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERRORISM. SHE SAID THAT COOPERATION WITH REGIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SADC WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE
THAN AD-HOC INITIATIVES SUCH AS PRESIDENT WADE'S
SUMMIT. SADC ALREADY HAS STRUCTURES IN PLACE, SHE
SAID, THAT WOULD FACILITATE EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION.


4. (C) THE MINISTER SAID SHE WOULD BE SPEAKING WITH
PRESIDENT MULUZI ABOUT THIS ISSUE AFTER SHE HAD BEEN
FULLY BRIEFED BY HER PRINCIPAL SECRETARY. SHE LOOKS
FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSION WHEN MULUZI AND SHE MEET
WITH PDAS BELLAMY IN LILONGWE ON OCTOBER 23.


5. (C) NOTE: REFTEL (C) REPORTED THAT TROIKA OFFICIALS
WHO DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH AMBASSADOR LANGE ON
OCTOBER 17 INTENDED TO TAKE UP THE MATTER WITH
PRESIDENT CHISSANO IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE
SADC ORGAN. WHILE WAITING FOR THE FOREIGN MINISTER TO
ARRIVE FOR THE MEETING, CHARGE ASKED MFA OFFICIAL IF
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY SANDE HAD RETURNED FROM BOTSWANA.
THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT HE HAD, BUT THAT HE WAS
PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO TRAVEL AGAIN THIS WEEKEND TO
MOZAMBIQUE. END NOTE.

DOUGHERTY