TANZANIA ON BOARD WITH AMIS RE-HAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000315 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SU TZ UNSC SUBJECT: TANZANIA ON BOARD WITH AMIS RE-HAT REF: A. STATE 22854 ¶B. STATE 23622 Classified By: Political Officer Maureen B. Latour for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (SBU) On February 14, Vitus Njiku, Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' United Nations Security Council Unit, told Poloff the Government of Tanzania (GOT) has "no problem" with the re-hatting of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to the United Nations. Mr. Njiku said only Sudan had been questioning the re-hat and he was sure an official endorsement would come from the February 15 meeting of the African Union (AU). ¶2. (C) Mr. Njiku said he would convey the USG position (reftel B) and importance of an official AU decision concerning the re-hat (reftel A) to his GOT colleagues who are in Addis Ababa for the February 15 meeting of the AU. (Comment: Mr. Njiku said he would deliver this information in person as he was going to Addis Ababa himself for a February 16-17 meeting organized by Japan regarding peace in Africa. End comment.) ¶3. (SBU) Mr. Njiku recognized that the AU has not been able to keep up with the situation in Sudan, noting that the Janjaweed and Sudan People's Liberation Army keep moving and that the AU did not have the mobile equipment necessary to keep pace. WHITE