Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1849
2006-09-22 13:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:
TANZANIA REPORTEDLY ABSTAINS IN ERROR ON BURMA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0044 PP RUEHWEB DE RUCNDT #1849 2651347 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 221347Z SEP 06 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0255 INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0209 RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0137
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001849
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC BM TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA REPORTEDLY ABSTAINS IN ERROR ON BURMA
VOTE IN SECURITY COUNCIL
(U) Classified by Ambassador John R. Bolton, Permanent
Representative, for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001849
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC BM TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA REPORTEDLY ABSTAINS IN ERROR ON BURMA
VOTE IN SECURITY COUNCIL
(U) Classified by Ambassador John R. Bolton, Permanent
Representative, for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) After the September 15 Burma vote, Ambassador Bolton
approached Tanzanian Counselor Begum Taj to express surprise
over her abstention on the vote. She assured the Ambassador
that she had received explicit instructions from her capital
to abstain on the procedural vote, implying that her
government simply had not taken a position on the issue.
However, Tanzanian Perm Rep Augustine Mahiga informed
Ambassador Bolton September 20 that Tanzania's abstention
last Friday on the motion to put Burma on the Security
Council's agenda was in fact an error. According to Mahiga,
Tanzania did not intend to be one of the five countries which
failed to support the measure. He was chagrined to admit
that there had been some disconnect between his capital and
his mission on the issue. Mahiga, who was visiting Dar Es
Salaam at the time of the vote, said President Kikwete had
personally communicated to him the decision to support
Burma's inclusion on the Council's agenda.
2. (C) Comment: Embassy Dar Es Salaam may wish to
ascertain why the Tanzanian mission here received
instructions at variance with a decision reportedly made at
the highest level of the government. Although reporting
indicates that Tanzania's support for our Burma initiative
was apparently never clear cut, with Mahiga's explanation we
are encouraged that Tanzania should be all the more likely to
support follow on action later this year on a Burma
resolution.
BOLTON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC BM TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA REPORTEDLY ABSTAINS IN ERROR ON BURMA
VOTE IN SECURITY COUNCIL
(U) Classified by Ambassador John R. Bolton, Permanent
Representative, for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) After the September 15 Burma vote, Ambassador Bolton
approached Tanzanian Counselor Begum Taj to express surprise
over her abstention on the vote. She assured the Ambassador
that she had received explicit instructions from her capital
to abstain on the procedural vote, implying that her
government simply had not taken a position on the issue.
However, Tanzanian Perm Rep Augustine Mahiga informed
Ambassador Bolton September 20 that Tanzania's abstention
last Friday on the motion to put Burma on the Security
Council's agenda was in fact an error. According to Mahiga,
Tanzania did not intend to be one of the five countries which
failed to support the measure. He was chagrined to admit
that there had been some disconnect between his capital and
his mission on the issue. Mahiga, who was visiting Dar Es
Salaam at the time of the vote, said President Kikwete had
personally communicated to him the decision to support
Burma's inclusion on the Council's agenda.
2. (C) Comment: Embassy Dar Es Salaam may wish to
ascertain why the Tanzanian mission here received
instructions at variance with a decision reportedly made at
the highest level of the government. Although reporting
indicates that Tanzania's support for our Burma initiative
was apparently never clear cut, with Mahiga's explanation we
are encouraged that Tanzania should be all the more likely to
support follow on action later this year on a Burma
resolution.
BOLTON