TANZANIA SUPPORTS CUBA EMBARGO RESOLUTION WITHOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001803 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT AF/E FOR B YODER ALSO FOR I/O E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2011 TAGS: UNGA PGOV PHUM PREL TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA SUPPORTS CUBA EMBARGO RESOLUTION WITHOUT AMENDMENT REF: STATE 184156 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, D. Purnell Delly, for reason 1. 4(d). ¶1. (C) Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Director of the Multilateral Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told PolCouns November 8 that Tanzania would continue its long-standing support for the Cuba embargo resolution. Mulamula questioned why Australia had decided to propose the amendment and if it was appropriate to attempt to amend Cuba's own resolution to address the human rights situation in Cuba. ¶2. (C) Mulamula said that the issues covered in the amendment's draft language should be proposed in the new Human Rights Council. PolCouns emphasized that the US thinks it is not likely that the Human Rights Council would table a resolution on Cuba this year. Australia's amendment would ensure that the embargo resolution was balanced, by placing responsibility also on the Cuban government for policies which have caused the suffering of its own people. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Mulamula said that the Tanzanian government might be willing to support moves by Australia or other countries to address the human rights situation in Cuba, if there were any indication by the U.S. to modify or lift the embargo. Absent such an indication, Tanzania's position is that this amendment would distract from the negative impact of the embargo. She also noted that from her experience, the amendment may not have a good chance of moving forward since Cuba might well request a "no action" vote. RETZER