SOUTH AFRICA: PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 PRETORIA 000960 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR P, AF, AF/S, AF/RSA, IO, DRL/MLA, INL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ECON ETRD MASS PHUM SF SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA: PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF PRESIDENTIAL JOINT STATEMENT (U) This is an action message -- see paras 4 and 14. -------------- Summary and Introduction -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The United States and South Africa have made significant progress in implementing the June 10, 2005 Presidential Joint Statement. The two countries signed the ACOTA agreement in August 2005 to enhance South Africa's peacekeeping capacity, and training programs will begin this year. South Africa joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in December 2005. We continue to coordinate closely our African conflict resolution strategies and to support South Africa's post-conflict reconstruction programs. We are working to enhance cooperation in other areas, such as the U.S.-SACU FTA, where progress has lagged. The lack of an Article 98 agreement remains an impediment to deeper military cooperation. Small amounts of funding could allow us to initiate several new projects to further implementation. End Summary. ¶2. (U) In their June 1, 2005 White House meeting, Presidents Bush and Mbeki agreed to deepen U.S.-South African cooperation on issues of mutual concern, focusing on building peace and security, spreading economic growth and well-being, and expanding democracy and freedom. Their June 10 Joint Presidential Statement summarized their discussions on these areas and outlined seven concrete steps to be taken in the following twelve months. The Statement asks Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Dlamini-Zuma to report back to their respective Presidents in June 2006 on concrete results in implementing these seven "Next Steps." ¶3. (SBU) In the nine months following the presidential meeting, we have made substantial overall progress in implementing those Joint Statement elements actionable at Post, although we have made greater progress in some areas than others. We note that several of the action items relate to the broader U.S.-Africa agenda and are beyond Post's ability to advance alone. This message reports Mission's contributions toward implementing the seven "Next Steps" listed in the June 10 Joint Statement. It also reports progress in the more general areas of cooperation addressed in the Statement. ¶4. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: On March 16th, Mission staff and key SAG counterparts will hold a day-long off-site to review implementation of the Presidential Joint Statement, and to discuss areas in which additional progress is possible between now and June. We intend to use the information contained in this message as the basis for these discussions, and request Washington agencies' input on additional items that can be added -- either as actions completed or as projects to be pursued. END ACTION REQUEST. -------------- U.S. Cooperation with NEPAD -------------- ¶5. (U) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "expand U.S. cooperation with NEPAD to support its vision of improved governance, better economic management, and regional integration" Mission has done the following: -- Mission announced in February 2006 a U.S. Trade and Development Agency grant to the NEPAD Secretariat in the amount of $360,000 to help in the preparation of a guide for investors in Africa and in moving three regional infrastructure projects toward implementation. -- Mission staff participated in the December 2005 meeting of the Africa Partnership Forum, held in South Africa, to develop a Joint Action Plan to support NEPAD and its programs. -- Mission maintains an open dialogue with the South Africa-based NEPAD Secretariat, including informational exchanges on U.S. assistance to Africa, the African Partnership Forum, and other issues of mutual concern. PRETORIA 00000960 002 OF 007 -- Mission continues to promote AGOA by publicizing and demonstrating its success including the fact that increased AGOA exports from the region supported economic growth and the objectives outlined in NEPAD and the 2002 Monterey Consensus. -------------- Support for African Union and SAG Leadership -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "work with the African Union to promote development and good governance in Africa, and that the United States would support South African leadership in resolving conflict and building peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burundi" Mission has done the following: -- Mission maintains an active dialogue with South African officials, non-governmental organizations, academics and think tanks, journalists, religious leaders, refugee communities and influential citizens on resolving conflicts in Africa. -- Mission supported Secretary Rice's meetings with Foreign Minister Dlamini-Zuma on September 17, 2005, and on January 11, 2006, to discuss key African and global issues. -- Mission supported A/S Frazer's consultations with the South African leadership on key Africa policy matters and global issues of mutual concern in October and December 2005. -- Mission staff participated in the August 1 multilateral meeting on DRC Security Sector Reform hosted by the SAG in Cape Town, facilitated key SAG officials' attendance at the next meeting in Washington in September, and organized follow-on consultations with relevant Washington offices. -- Mission successfully pressed the SAG to present briefings on peace support operations contributions and post-conflict reconstruction assistance to Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, the DRC, Sudan, and Ethiopia/Eritrea during the bilateral Defense Committee (DEFCOM) November mid-term assessment meetings in Pretoria. We also championed SAG requests for briefings on NATO involvement in Africa and on the USG perspective regarding these conflict areas. -- Mission encouraged and facilitated closer coordination between South African officials in Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, the DRC, Liberia, Sudan and New York and their U.S. counterparts, including on post-conflict reconstruction projects. -- Mission supported South African efforts to create alternative structures for furnishing bilateral and trilateral assistance in Africa through: * USG/SAG partnership on OECD review of Implementation of Paris Declaration of AID Effectiveness; * provision of advice on alternative donor structures to the National Treasury; * participation in a SAG diplomatic training program for SPLM officials held in Pretoria in July; and * planned Emergency Search and Rescue training and technical assistance. -------------- U.S.-South African Military Cooperation -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "enhance U.S.-South African military cooperation, including training and equipping a South African battalion and establishing a joint training program to support the African Standby Force and peacekeeping initiatives throughout the continent" Mission has done the following: -- Then-Ambassador Frazer and Defense Minister Lekota signed a Declaration of Understanding on August 11, 2005, that enables SAG participation in the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program. ACOTA PRETORIA 00000960 003 OF 007 will enhance the operational readiness of SANDF for peace operations in Africa. -- The first ACOTA planning session took place in Pretoria February 13-17, idntifying specific training and equipment requirements, based on SANDF priorities, to be addressed in the near term. -- In addition to traditional ACOTA activities, Mission initiated a discussion at the November DEFCOM midterm assessment meetings in Pretoria on partnering with the SANDF to provide additional ACOTA training to other countries in the region who are also ASF contributors. We also are working with the SANDF and AF/RSA to ensure that future DEFCOM meetings include consultations on how to address SANDF PSO assistance priorities that cannot be covered via ACOTA. -------------- Zimbabwe Crisis -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "work together toward strengthening the efforts of the Zimbabwean people to achieve a peaceful resolution to that country's political and economic crisis" Mission has done the following: -- Mission worked with SAG counterparts on collaboration with WFP and FAO on providing food and other humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe and other countries in the region. -- Mission continues its open dialogue with SAG officials, non-governmental organizations, academics and think tanks, journalists, religious leaders, refugee communities, and influential citizens on Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis. PDAS Pittman's February 27 - March 01 visit, in conjunction with that of Ambassador Dell, helped generate ideas that could allow for greater cooperation with South Africa. -- Mission facilitated SAG Department of Foreign Affairs Chief Director for Southern Africa Mokuena's September 2005 trip to Washington and her consultations at the Department on Zimbabwe policy. -- Mission works closely with Zimbabwe refugee community in South Africa, including providing small grants for torture victims counseling and income-generation projects. -------------- - Consultations on Human Rights, Women, Children -------------- - ¶9. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "initiate senior-level consultations on human rights, particularly for women and children, including multilateral mechanisms" Mission has done the following: -- Mission facilitated SAG participation in the first round of senior-level human rights consultations, held in Washington in November. Topics covered included UN reform, treaty body reform, cooperation at the UN, Third Committee priorities, and bilateral cooperation on Africa democracy and human rights. -- Building from these highly successful initial talks, Mission has expanded our human rights dialogue with counterparts in Pretoria and is working to schedule the next round of talks in Pretoria. -- Mission is working with the SAG to implement the Presidential Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJEI),including agreement to expand program to the regional level via a regional conference and dissemination of lessons learned by the SAG to other participating WJEI countries. -------------- Terrorism and Proliferation of WMDs -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "deepen PRETORIA 00000960 004 OF 007 cooperation to end terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction" Mission has done the following: -- Mission worked closely with SAG counterparts to address remaining impediments to full U.S. support for South Africa's Wassenaar Arrangement candidacy. South Africa's participation in Wassenaar was approved in December 2005. It is the first African country to join the Arrangement. -- Mission continued to push for creation of a Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation. -- The February visit of DCI Porter Goss strengthened bilateral relations and cooperation on counterterrorism. -- Mission continued to support bilateral cooperation on terrorism financing, including post-funded travel for SAG officials to attend financial intelligence unit meetings in Washington and exchange information with FinCEN. -- Mission coordinated the working visit of Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) Mary Lundberg in October focused on asset forfeiture issues. RLA Lundberg arrived in South Africa in March for a 12-month assignment in the SAG's National Prosecuting Authority/Asset Forfeiture Unit. -- Mission supported Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator Virginia Palmer's January travel to Pretoria and Cape Town for an initial round of senior-level consultations. She briefed counterparts at lead South African agencies on U.S. counterterrorism policy and discussed prospects for future cooperation, training, and assistance. -- Mission worked, in conjunction with counterparts from other Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) participating countries, to encourage South Africa to join PSI, broadening our outreach to additional potentially affected SAG Departments. -- Mission has deepened its cooperation with South Africa as South Africa acceded in July 2005 to the one-year presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF),the global intergovernmental organization that combats money laundering and terrorism finance. In February, U.S. Treasury led a U.S. delegation to the annual FATF meetings in South Africa to encourage continued multilateral and bilateral cooperation. -- Mission is supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection cooperation with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on developing the World Customs Organization's Global Framework for Standards. U.S. Customs is also working closely with South Africa on the Durban-based Container Security Initiative (CSI) to ensure more secure shipping. -- Mission continued to work with South African law enforcement and judicial authorities to investigate and successfully prosecute proliferation-related crimes. -------------- U.S.-SACU FTA -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "intensify efforts to conclude a U.S.-SACU Free Trade Agreement" Mission has done the following: -- Mission helped coordinate and assist with the discussions on the U.S.-SACU FTA, which resumed in September 2005 with the agreement to meet more frequently and to consult on issues that SACU has been reluctant to negotiate. The two sides were unable to schedule a meeting before the WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong in December 2005 and during the subsequent holiday season. -- On February 17th, USTR Portman sent a letter to all five SACU trade ministers noting that it appeared unlikely we would meet the December 2006 target date for concluding an agreement. He suggested that a trade deputies' stock-taking meeting be convened to assess options, including whether an FTA remains a realizable and mutually desired mid-term goal, PRETORIA 00000960 005 OF 007 or must be considered a longer-term goal. -------------- HIV/AIDS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) In addition to the seven concrete "Next Steps," the two presidents agreed in the Joint Statement to strengthen our joint efforts to combat the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. We have made significant progress in this area over the past eight months, including the following: -- Mission is cooperating with the SAG on implementation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Africa, which is beginning its third year of implementation working with public and private sector prevention, treatment, and care programs. -- To date, the U.S. has provided almost $239 million through PEPFAR to support HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa, making it the largest recipient of Emergency Plan resources. The FY06 PEPFAR budget in South Africa is $221 million. -- The Emergency Plan supports nearly 50,000 people in antiretroviral (ARV) treatment through programs in all provinces. -- Deputy U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Dybul visited South Africa February 15-20, meeting with national and provincial health authorities, visiting programs featuring innovative public-private partnerships that will have a significant impact on HIV/AIDS, and offering support and encouragement to PEPFAR implementing partners as they continue to make a real impact on the lives of thousands of South Africans. -- The South African military has expanded prevention programs and publicly collaborates with the U.S. military and NIH on ARV-based AIDS treatment research. The fifth Phidisa HIV/AIDS site was inaugurated on March 7, 2006. -- President Mbeki provided specific kudos for Mission coordination with the SAG on HIV/AIDS during his February 21st meeting with CODEL Pelosi. -------------- Areas for Additional Effort -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Mission suggests the following as areas in which more work needs to be done: -- While bilateral policy and legal consultations continue, we may not be able to find a way to address our Article 98 concerns that is compatible with South African domestic legislation. The lack of an Article 98 agreement is taking a toll on our military relationship. The loss of IMET and FMF programs reduces SANDF interest in remaining non-sanctioned programs and is degrading our ability to influence future SANDF leaders. Residual FMF funding (C-130 support/training),which supports the SANDF's eroding strategic lift capability for PSO deployments, will be exhausted within 18 months. -- Although we have repeated oral commitments from Minerals and Energy Minister Hendricks in support of creating a Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation, most recently at a January 30th meeting with Charge, we still do not have a formal, written response to that effect which would enable us to create the Committee. -- We should follow up on January counterterrorism consultations with concrete training offers tailored to SAG requirements and priorities. -- We need to schedule the trade deputies' stock-taking meeting on the U.S.-SACU Free Trade Agreement proposed by USTR Portman in his February letter to his SACU counterparts. DUSTR Bhatia's likely visit to Cape Town for the May OPIC "Housing Africa" conference offers a potential opportunity to PRETORIA 00000960 006 OF 007 do so. -- We have solicited SAG ideas on further cooperation with NEPAD, and suggest Washington consider what more can be done via regional resources. -- The SAG appears increasingly frustrated by the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe. This may provide an opportunity for expanded engagement on this issue. The February visit by PDAS Pittman may offer some new actions. -------------- Looking Ahead -------------- ¶14. (SBU) We have a number of additional actions on the horizon that will further contribute to Joint Statement implementation: -- We have scheduled a day-long off-site with key SAG counterparts on March 16th to jointly review progress in implementing the Statement and would appreciate Washington input on additional actions taken to date and/or projects to pursue. -- Senior-level Africa Group consultations are anticipated to be held in Washington this spring. -- We intend to hold a U.S.-South Africa Partnership Forum public event before June. -- Mission is working with OPIC to organize an OPIC-hosted "Housing Africa" conference May 2-4 in Cape Town, an important, private sector-oriented initiative to support housing development across sub-Saharan Africa. We understand that DUSTR Karan Bhatia will attend. OPIC has invited President Mbeki to speak, but has not yet received a response. -- An ACOTA training strategy conference is tentatively scheduled for April 24-26th. -- Another round of senior-level human rights consultations was proposed for late May, but may slip until July. -- The next full DEFCOM session will take place in June in New York. -- We will deepen and expand our cooperation with the SAG on HIV/AIDS programs. -- The State Department Operations Center is prepared to share best practices with DFA counterparts, as requested by the SAG. -- Several high-level U.S. officials plan to visit South Africa in the coming months to deepen U.S.-South African cooperation on the issues raised in the Joint Statement, including Treasury Secretary Snow, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jackson, and Under Secretary Hughes. ¶15. (SBU) If funding is available, there are other programs we could support which would help implement Joint Statement goals. These might include: -- Pursuing partnerships with the SAG and one or more South African universities to establish a regional phytosanitary capacity-building program. Such a partnership would forward NEPAD goals by increasing countries' abilities to meet international phytosanitary standards and enhance their local expertise. -- Funding the SAG's $1.6mil proposal to build a sterile insect rearing facility in the Western Cape to address the False Codling Moth -- a pest of serious concern to citrus and, to a lesser extent, grapes. South Africa's continued market access to the U.S. via AGOA is threatened due to concerns pertaining to this pest. The project, pursued by the SAG in collaboration with the IAEA and USDA, advances the safe and beneficial use of nuclear technology. PRETORIA 00000960 007 OF 007 -- Enhancing South Africa's leadership role in NEPAD and the AU through support for its development as an emerging donor. This partnership would include support for trilateral efforts in conflict resolution, post-conflict reconstruction, and democratic and economic reform, as well as helping to establish a transitional mechanism to: (1) assist South Africa in structuring a new coherent development assistance program to other African states, and (2) manage the myriad development assistance activities which South Africa currently extends across the continent. TEITELBAUM