Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01PRETORIA4997
2001-08-24 13:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:  

NEXT STEPS IN THE "NEW AFRICAN INITIATIVE": THE

Tags:  ECON EFIN PREL SF 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 241332Z AUG 01
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1019
INFO OAU COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BERLIN 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 004997 

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA MARKINGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2011
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL SF
SUBJECT: NEXT STEPS IN THE "NEW AFRICAN INITIATIVE": THE
SOUTH AFRICAN VIEW

CLASSIFIED BY ECONOMIC MINISTER/COUNSELOR ROBERT F. GODEC FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).

-------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 004997

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA MARKINGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2011
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL SF
SUBJECT: NEXT STEPS IN THE "NEW AFRICAN INITIATIVE": THE
SOUTH AFRICAN VIEW

CLASSIFIED BY ECONOMIC MINISTER/COUNSELOR ROBERT F. GODEC FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) THE AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT LAST JULY MERGED THE MAP AND
OMEGA DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO CREATE THE "NEW AFRICAN
INITIATIVE." SAG DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MAP/NAI
ISSUES COORDINATOR DAVID MALCOMSON BRIEFED EMBOFFS ON NEXT
STEPS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THIS PROCESS. INITIALLY A 15
NATION HEADS OF STATE GROUP WILL DEFINE THE TERMS OF
ADMISSION FOR OTHER COUNTRIES, REQUISITE CODES OF POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR AND PRIORITY SECTORS AND PROJECTS.


2. (C) CHOOSING THE 15 "FOUNDER" STATES WILL BE AN EARLY
DETERMINANT OF THE NASCENT INITIATIVE'S INTERNATIONAL
CREDIBILITY. THE NORTH AFRICAN GROUP WILL CHOOSE EITHER
TUNISIA OR LIBYA. LIBYA'S AU CLOUT IS CONSIDERABLE, BUT
MALCOMSON SAID "THE CHOICE MUST BE TUNISIA."


3. (C) THE "PRECONDITIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT" SECTION OF THE
"PROGRAMME OF ACTION," WHICH MALCOMSON SAID IS KEY TO THE
CREDIBILITY OF THE DOCUMENT, COMMITS THE LEADERSHIP TO
CONSIDER DETAILED AND COSTED MEASURES FOCUSED ON SUCH KEY
AREAS AS CONFLICT PREVENTION AND RESOLUTION, PEACEMAKING AND
ARMS PROLIFERATION. SIMILARLY, THE "ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE" REQUIRES PARTICIPATING STATES TO PUSH
FOR A SET OF TIMEBOUND AND SPECIFIC PROGRAMS ENHANCING THE
QUALITY OF ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
MALCOMSON NOTED THAT CONSIDERATIONS OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO FRUSTRATE PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING
THESE GOALS.


4. (C) MEMBERS OF THE MAP/NAI STEERING COMMITTEE WILL TRAVEL TO
WASHINGTON, NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA IN COMING WEEKS TO
PROMOTE AND BUILD SUPPORT FOR THIS INITIATIVE. A FINANCING
SUMMIT IS SLATED FOR JANUARY 2002, A DATE WHICH MAY BE PUSHED
BACK TO ALLOW THE MAP/NAI SECRETARIAT TO COMPLETE WORK ON
DEFINING GOVERNANCE PRACTICES AND NEEDS. END SUMMARY.

--------------
THE "NEW AFRICAN INITIATIVE" IS BORN
--------------


5. (C) THE JULY AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT IN LUSAKA ADOPTED A "NEW
AFRICAN INITIATIVE" MERGING THE RIVAL MAP AND OMEGA
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES. SOUTH AFRICAN DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COORDINATOR FOR MAP/NAI ISSUES DAVID MALCOMSON

BRIEFED ECONOFF FREUND AND POLOFF MCNAMARA AUGUST 22 ON NEXT
STEPS ON THIS CENTRAL LEGACY INITIATIVE OF THE MBEKI
PRESIDENCY. IN THE NAI (WHICH SOUTH AFRICA HOPES TO RENAME
MAP, IF ONLY BECAUSE "NAI" IS AN AFRIKAANS OBSCENITY) AN
INITIAL 15 NATION HEADS OF STATE GROUP WILL DEFINE THE TERMS
OF TERMS OF ADMISSION OF OTHER AFRICAN STATES, THEIR CODE OF
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR AND THE PRIORITY SECTORS AND
PROJECTS FOR FUNDING FROM BOTH INTERNAL AND INTERNATIONAL
SOURCES.


6. (C) THE FIFTEEN ORIGINAL STATES WILL BE DRAWN THREE EACH
FROM THE FIVE AFRICAN SUB-REGIONS, AND WILL INCLUDE THE
ORIGINAL MAP/OMEGA DRAFTERS SOUTH AFRICA, NIGERIA, ALGERIA,
SENEGAL, AND EGYPT. SADC HAS ALREADY AGREED THAT THE OTHER
TWO SOUTHERN AFRICAN STATES WILL BE MOZAMBIQUE AND BOTSWANA.
THE OTHER REGIONS WILL PROBABLY SELECT THEIR REPRESENTATIVES
THROUGH CONSULTATIONS IN ADDIS ABABA, MALCOMSON EXPLAINED.


7. (C) A KEY EARLY TEST FOR THE PROCESS WILL BE NORTH AFRICA'S
CHOICE. WITH EGYPT AND ALGERIA ALREADY IN, AND MOROCCO NOT
AN AU MEMBER, THE CHOICE COMES DOWN TO TUNISIA AND LIBYA.
"THE CHOICE MUST BE TUNISIA", MALCOMSON CONFIDED
CONFIDENTIALLY. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT LIBYA HAS CONSIDERABLE
CLOUT WITHIN THE AU, (AND IS GENERALLY CREDITED WITH
TRANSFORMING THE OAU INTO THE AU),BUT LIBYAN MEMBERSHIP
WOULD SEVERELY DAMAGE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE NASCENT
INITIATIVE, MALCOMSON BELIEVED.

--------------
PEACE AND GOVERNANCE ARE KEY
--------------


8. (C) MALCOMSON UNDERLINED THE SOUTH AFRICAN VIEW THAT THE
"PRECONDITIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT" SECTION OF THE MAP "PROGRAMME
OF ACTION" WAS KEY TO THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
(FULL TEXT AT WWW.MAPSTRATEGY.COM OR WWW.DFA.GOV.ZA) IN
SPITE OF OPPOSITION BY SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING
SENEGAL'S WADE, THE SAG INSISTED ON LANGUAGE MEMORIALIZING
THE "PEACE, SECURITY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES"
AND THE "ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE." THE
FIRST COMMITS THE AFRICAN INITIATIVE LEADERSHIP TO CONSIDER,
WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF ITS ESTABLISHMENT, DETAILED AND COSTED
MEASURES IN EACH OF FOUR KEY AREAS:

A) PREVENTION, MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT;

B) PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACE ENFORCEMENT;

C) POST-CONFLICT RECONCILIATION, REHABILITATION AND
RECONSTRUCTION; AND

D) COMBATING THE ILLICIT PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS,
LIGHT WEAPONS AND LANDMINES.


9. (C) THE MAP DOCUMENT SPECIFIES THAT THIS EXERCISE WILL
INCLUDE THE ACTIONS REQUIRED OF PARTNERS AND THE NATURE AND
SOURCES OF FINANCING FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES.

10.(C) SIMILARLY, THE "ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
INITIATIVE" CALLS UPON THE AFRICAN INITIATIVE LEADERSHIP TO
"PROMOTE THROUGHOUT THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES A SET OF
CONCRETE AND TIMEBOUND PROGRAMMES AIMED AT ENHANCING THE
QUALITY OF ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AS WELL
AS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE." BY WAY OF IMPLEMENTATION, A TASK
TEAM FROM MINISTRIES OF FINANCE AND CENTRAL BANKS "WILL BE
COMMISSIONED TO REVIEW ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
PRACTICES IN THE VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND REGIONS, AND MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPROPRIATE STANDARDS AND CODES OF GOOD
PRACTICE FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE HEADS OF STATE
IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE WITHIN SIX MONTHS."


11. (C) MALCOMSON NOTED THAT THESE COMMITMENTS PLACE SECURELY
UPON AFRICAN COUNTRIES THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ESTABLISHING
AND PRESERVING AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO DEVELOPMENT.
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN PARTICIPATING
COUNTRIES WILL BE SUBJECT TO SCRUTINY BY OTHER MAP STATES AND
ALL WILL HAVE A JOINT RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP BRING
NONCONFORMING GOVERNMENTS INTO COMPLIANCE WITH MUTUALLY
AGREED MINIMUM STANDARDS AND CODES OF GOOD PRACTICE.
MALCOMSON EMPHASIZED THAT, UNLIKE IN THE PAST, CONSIDERATIONS
OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO FRUSTRATE THE
PROCESS. THERE WILL BE STRONG PRESSURE TO CONFORM TO AGREED
UPON STANDARDS AND THE AFRICAN INITIATIVE LEADERSHIP WILL NOT
HESITATE TO ENGAGE MEMBER STATES IN WAYS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
CONSIDERED TOO INTRUSIVE IN THE PAST.


12. (C) THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM WILL WORK THROUGH A "YELLOW
CARD/RED CARD" MECHANISM DRAWN FROM THE WORLD OF SOCCER. THIS
MECHANISM WAS FIRST ADOPTED BY THE OAU IN 1999, AT SOUTH
AFRICA'S URGING, WITH REGARDS TO NON-CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
OF GOVERNMENT. A NON-CONFORMING COUNTRY IS FIRST WARNED
(YELLOW CARD) AND GIVEN ONE YEAR TO RECTIFY ITS BEHAVIOR.
FAILING THAT, IT IS TEMPORARILY EXPELLED FROM THE
ORGANIZATION (RED CARD).

--------------
IMPLEMENTATION AND SECTORAL PRIORITIES
--------------


13. (C) MALCOMSON RECALLED THAT DURING THE G8 MEETING IN GENOA
THE FOLLOWING SECTORAL PRIORITIES HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED:

A) INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT);
B) MARKET ACCESS;
C) DEBT RELIEF; AND
D) COMMUNICABLE DISEASES - (HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND
TUBERCULOSIS).


14. (C) IT IS NOT CLEAR NOW WHETHER INITIATIVE LEADERS WILL OPT
TO FOCUS ON THESE PRIORITIES ON A SPECIFIC PROJECT BASIS OR
TO APPROACH THEM IN TERMS OF A BROADER, "MACRO" STRATEGY.
HE INDICATED THAT A DECISION ON THIS WOULD LIKELY EMERGE FROM
THE UPCOMING MEETING IN ADDIS ABABA SEPTEMBER 13- 14, 2001.
ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK TEAMS TO BEGIN SECTORAL NEEDS
ASSESSMENTS AT NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL LEVELS ARE
SLATED TO TAKE PLACE SIX MONTHS AFTER THE ADDIS ABABA
MEETING. HE ALSO SAID THAT SPECIAL TASK TEAMS TO FOCUS ON
THE HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAMS (INFECTIOUS DISEASES,
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ICT) WOULD BEGIN WORK AFTER THE UN GENERAL
ASSEMBLY MEETING IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 20-24.

-------------- ---
MAP GOES TO WASHINGTON (AND PHILLY AND NEW YORK)
-------------- ---


15. (C) MALCOMSON SAID "MEMBERS" OF THE MAP STEERING COMMITTEE
WILL TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON FOLLOWING THE ADDIS ABABA MEETINGS
TO MEET WITH THE IMF, WORLD BANK, AND "STATE DEPARTMENT
OFFICIALS" (NFI) FROM SEPTEMBER 16 -18. ON SEPTEMBER 19 THE
PRESIDENTS OF NIGERIA, ALGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA WILL
PARTICIPATE IN A MEETING OF THE CORPORATE COUNCIL FOR AFRICA
IN PHILADELPHIA, POSSIBLY JOINED BY PRESIDENT WADE OF
SENEGAL. THE TRAVELLING ROAD SHOW WOULD THEN MOVE ON TO NEW
YORK SEPTEMBER 20 -24 TO PRESENT ITS WORK ON THE MARGINS OF
EITHER THE UNGA OR THE UN CHILDREN'S SUMMIT.

--------------
DONORS ON THE LINE IN EARLY 2002
--------------


16. (C) THE SHOW AND TELL EXERCISE WOULD CULMINATE IN A PLANNED
FINANCING SUMMIT OF WORLD LEADERS IN SENEGAL EARLY IN 2002.
THIS SUMMIT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER 2001, WHICH
WOULD HAVE CONFLICTED WITH SENEGALESE ELECTIONS, MALCOMSON
EXPLAINED. A NEW TENTATIVE DATE OF JANUARY 2002 WAS SET.
POLOFF NOTED THAT THE MAP SECRETARIAT'S OWN WORK ON DEFINING
GOVERNANCE PRACTICES AND NEEDS WAS NOT SCHEDULED TO CONCLUDE
UNTIL MARCH, SO A JANUARY SUMMIT TO APPEAL TO WORLD LEADERS
FOR FINANCING SOUNDED PREMATURE. MALCOMSON TOOK THE POINT
AND SAID HE WOULD RAISE IT WITH MAP SECRETARIAT HEAD (AND
PRESIDENTIAL ECONOMIC ADVISER) WISEMAN NKUHLU TO SEE IF THE
SUMMIT COULD BE PUSHED BACK.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


17. (C) THE SAG IS WELL AWARE THAT MAP/NAI WILL FACE AN EARLY
AND CRITICAL TEST IN CHOOSING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE 15 NATION
HEADS OF STATE GROUP. MALCOMSON WAS QUITE BLUNT IN TELLING
US THAT THE CHOICE MUST BE TUNISIA, NOT LIBYA. OTHERWISE THE
INITIATIVE'S CREDIBILITY (AND PRESIDENT MBEKI'S PRESTIGE)
COULD SUFFER A BLOW. SOUTH AFRICA DOES NOT WANT MAP/NAI TO
END UP ON THE PILE OF FAILED AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
AND WE EXPECT THAT THEY WILL DO ALL THEY CAN TO ENSURE THAT
LIBYA DOES NOT MAKE IT INTO THE INNER CIRCLE. THE SOUTH
AFRICANS ALSO HOPE THAT THE USG WILL NAME A MAP/NAI
COORDINATOR BEFORE THE MAP STEERING COMMITTEE TRAVELS TO
WASHINGTON IN MID-SEPTEMBER.


BLANEY