TANZANIA SUPPORTS REHAT BUT CONCERNED ABOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000599 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016 TAGS: PREL SU KPKO TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA SUPPORTS REHAT BUT CONCERNED ABOUT SUDANESE RESISTANCE REF: A. STATE 051778 ¶B. DAR ES S@L@g"us.iO3:Q on April 5. Mulamula said the African Union (AU) decision to support the rehat of AMIS is still meeting resistance by Sudan and that, in order to deploy, it is necessary to have the consent of the parties involved. Therefore, Mulamula noted, "we need to find a way around" Sudan's resistance. Mulamula said Sudan's condition of progress in the Abuja peace talks makes sense because there needs to be a peace agreement that the UN troops could enforce. When pressed, Mulamula agreed that while the Abuja talks' progress was not a condition to the rehatting, it was an "important element" and a "valid argument." ¶2. (C) Mulamula said if the Arab League funds AMIS, there woul be no need for the transition to a UN mission. But when pressed, Mulamula made clear that the Government of Tanzania (GOT) "has no problem" with the rehat and that it is the best way out of the AU's dilemma as the AU does not have the capacity or resources to continue. ¶3. (C) When asked if the GOT would contribute troops to a UN mission in Darfur, Mulamula said that when AMIS began, the GOT said it would contribute troops to Sudan but not to Darfur. Now, Mulamula said, the GOT may look at the issue of Darfur again. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: After multiple demarches and discussions on the issue of the rehatting of AMIS (Ref B),we believe that the GOT will continue to go along with the rehat because there is no other viable alternative. However, if funding for AMIS appeared, we would not be surprised if Tanzania supported a continued AU mission over the transition to a UN mission. From the Tanzanian perspective, African pride and unity are clearly at stake. DELLY