TANZANIA SUPPORT FOR GUATEMALA'S GRULAC BID ALL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001246

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF/RSA FOR RHOUSTON; IO/UNP FOR BHARRIS; AF/E FOR BYODER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC UNGA GT VE EC TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA SUPPORT FOR GUATEMALA'S GRULAC BID ALL
BUT OFFICIAL

REF: STATE 107357

Classified By: Political Officer Maureen B. Latour for reasons 1.4(b) a
nd (d).


1. (C) If the contest for the Group of Latin American and
Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) seat on the UN Security Council
is between just Guatemala and Venezuela, the Government of
Tanzania would support Guatemala, but this decision has not
been sanctioned at the highest level within the GOT.
Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Director of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs' Multilateral Division, told Poloff on July
18 that the GOT hopes that Latin America will agree on one
country for the GRULAC seat but heard that Ecuador is
contesting the seat, in addition to Guatemala and Venezuela.
Mulamula said the GOT "is still open-minded" regarding the
GRULAC seat but that the GOT would like it to be filled by a
member that would uphold the achievements made thus far and
not one that votes against issues in the Great Lakes region,
as Venezuela has.


2. (C) COMMENT: Washington should be aware that Mulamula
seemed to be bending over backward to convey GOT support of
Guatemala without being on the record as having done so.
RETZER