TANZANIA GEARS UP FOR SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000042

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, AND IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/6/15
TAGS: PREL PGOV TZ UNSC
SUBJECT: TANZANIA GEARS UP FOR SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT


CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MICHAEL S. OWEN FOR REASON
1.4 (D).


1. (C) Summary: Senior officials at the Foreign Ministry
acknowledged to Charge that Tanzania's upcoming term on the
UNSC will pose daunting challenges for its woefully thin
staff. The GOT will focus on African issues, and will take
its lead on most issues from the AU, but is eager to
cooperate and receive information from the US. The GOT
also plans to raise refugees and post-conflict issues, and
will propose a special UNSC session on Africa. Tanzania
will push for more Security Council sessions to be held
outside of New York, and will staunchly oppose any dilution
of Africa's role if the UNSC is enlarged. End Summary.


2. (U) Charge met on January 5 with Ambassador Liberata
Mulamula, Director for Multilateral Affairs, in the Foreign
Ministry, to discuss Tanzania's upcoming term on the
Security Council. Mulamula, who served in Tanzania's New
York mission 2000-2004, said the GOT has dispensed five
additional officers to its New York mission in anticipation
of the increased workload. The MFA has also set up a
Security Council unit that will be headed by Ambassador M.

B. Njiko, and will report directly to Mulamula. She said
there are five officers in the SC unit, one of whom,
Mbwelwa Kairuki, was recently in the Department for SC
briefings, and who joined us for the meeting.


3. (C) Mulamula acknowledged that the MFA is feeling
"overwhelmed" by the magnitude of the workload it will be
facing with during its two years on the Council. She
lamented the severe personnel shortage in the MFA, saying
that allocating five additional officers to New York and
five others to the MFA's SC unit put a severe strain on the
remainder of the Ministry, but was still not sufficient to
meet the tasks ahead. She said it was highly unlikely
additional officers would be allocated to SC duties, and
added "I hope we haven't bitten off more than we can chew."


4. (C) Realizing the MFA's capacity constraints, Mulamula
said the GOT was in the process of establishing clear
priorities on which issues would receive the most time and
energy. The GOT would focus primarily on African issues,
she said, because the GOT is representing "not just
Tanzania, but all of Africa" on the Security Council. She
said the GOT would rely on close consultations in AU and
other African fora to establish positions built on "African
consensus." She noted as an example the upcoming AU Peace
and Security Council meeting on Cote d'Ivoire and DRC, to
be held in Gabon January 10-11, as the type of forum in
which the GOT would develop its priorities and positions.
Mulamula also said the GOT would welcome "information and
support" from the US, noting that as the United Republic of
Tanzania, the GOT delegation would be seated next to the US
delegation.


5. (C) Asked if there were any specific issues the GOT
planned to push of its own accord, Mulamula said there was
great interest in pressing for increased support from the
international community in post-conflict situations in
Africa. Too often, she said, the international community
played a helpful role in conflict resolution, only to pull
back thereafter and allow conflicts to re-ignite. She said
Tanzania, which hosts over 400,000 refugees, would also
raise refugee issues and push for reform of international
refugee policy. Mulamula said the GOT would also push for
a special UNSC session on Africa, and for more sessions
held outside of New York, citing the recent UNSC session
held in Kenya.


6. (C) Charge asked about Tanzanian views on Security
Council reform. Referring to an old OAU position calling
for two African nations to have permanent seats on the SC,
Mulamula said the GOT still supports the call for two
African seats, but realizes this is unlikely. If there is
enlargement of the SC, then Tanzania would staunchly oppose
any dilution of the African share, and would push hard for
at least one permanent seat. This would most likely go to
South Africa or Nigeria, she said, and the decision should
be made by consensus within the AU. Mulamula said the GOT
would be willing to consider other options, such as
rotating four-year membership for selected African nations.


7. (C) Comment: With Foreign Minister Kikwete an active
presidential candidate and Deputy Minister Shareef seeking
re-election to parliament this year, much of the
responsibility for the MFA's stewardship of Tanzania's term
on the Security Council will fall to Mulamula. Although
she has considerable experience, the troops are thin in the
perpetually understaffed MFA. The GOT is likely to rely
heavily on AU consensus positions in developing its
positions and priorities within the Council, but will also
welcome input from the US. End Comment.

OWEN