TANZANIA: AMBASSSADOR RETZER,S AUGUST 30 FAREWELL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 001215 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT AF/E FOR RMEYER ADDIS FOR AU MISSION LONDON, BRUSSELS, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS OGAC FOR GMARTIN HHS/OFFICE OF GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS FOR WSTIEGER ALSO MCC FOR MKAVANAGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA: AMBASSSADOR RETZER,S AUGUST 30 FAREWELL CALL ON PRESIDENT KIKWETE DAR ES SAL 00001215 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Ambassador Michael Retzer for reasons 1.4 (b,d). USG Ambassador Michael Retzer ¶D. Purnell Delly, DCM Joel Wiegert (notetaker) GOT President Jakaya Kikwete Alex Massinda, Acting Head of Europe and Americas Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Summary -------------- 1.(C) Ambassador Retzer's farewell call on President Kikwete moved quickly across several bilateral and regional issues, including impediments to the MCC Compact, HIV/AIDS testing, corruption, development in the DRC, and the Burundi peace process. On Burundi, Kikwete did not think a coup was in the works, but noted that the Hutu Forces for National Liberation (FNL) decision to leave the Joint Verification Mission was a negative step and needed to be rectified as soon as possible. Kikwete was also concerned about situation in the DRC, especially recurring intelligence reports that the Rwandan government was supporting the renegade general Laurent Kunda in eastern Congo in preparations for a new offensive. He then commented on the negative effects of Central Africa Republic troops fleeing into northern Congo and that he believed preventing Bemba from returning to the DRC was not a wise idea. Finally, he requested that the USG ask the Taiwanese to stop the movement of any military equipment that may cause an arms race on Lake Malawi. Ongoing Bilateral Issues -------------- 2.(C) The August 30, 2007 meeting between Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Ambassador Retzer started with discussing the September 5-9 U.S. Navy ship visit. Retzer noted the important cooperation between the Tanzanian Peoples Defense Forces (TPDF) and the U.S. military represented by this visit. Retzer then offered assistance to Kikwete on his upcoming visit to the US. Kikwete confirmed dinner plans with the Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO, Ambassador Danilovich, and said he would be attending dinner with Congressional leaders focused on environment issues. Retzer then passed Kikwete an August 3 letter from the Millennium Challenge Corporation that laid out five outstanding issues related to establishment of a Financial Intelligence Unit that the GOT needs to address prior to approval of the compact. Kikwete promised to complete the items on the list expeditiously. Needed Changes in Public Health -------------- 3.(C) Retzer then asked Kikwete if it was possible for the Ministry of Health to move rapidly to finger prick HIV/AIDS testing and allow lay testers to conduct HIV/AIDS tests. Noting that the President had unnecessarily underwent a venipuncture test (i.e., drawing blood from a vein in the arm),Retzer said that a move to finger prick testing could reduce fear within the population, decrease the amount time spent on each test and help decrease costs. Kikwete stated he was amazed that on the day of his test they had used venipuncture. Retzer also addressed the Ministry of Health's current unwillingness to utilize lay testers nationally, instead of the very short supply of fully-trained medical professionals, to conduct HIV/AIDS testing. Kikwete agreed with Retzer that using lay testers would allow Tanzania's limited medical staff to focus on more complex issues. DAR ES SAL 00001215 002.2 OF 003 Retzer noted that when the Ministry of Health changed this policy the USG was prepared to train over 1,000 lay testers to take on this important task. Kikwete stated that he would talk to his Minister of Health about these needed changes. Internal Party Corruption -------------- 4.(C) After noting the strong support for Tanzania provided by USG and private U.S. donors, Retzer turned to corruption by asking Kikwete's thoughts on the recent arrest of ten politicians in Arusha for alleged vote-buying in regional party elections. Kikwete stated the recent corruption within the party has "not been making (him) happy." He noted that the party has changed since his days as a youth member and that he needed to take some action before it had negative repercussions on his party. He said that he warned party members not to engage in these activities in two recent meetings. After this warning, he asked the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) to take action against violators, including two parliamentarians. Retzer stated that these types of actions impress the international community and he hoped that Kikwete would continue to make sure that both &the big fish and the little fish8 would face consequences for their actions. Kikwete stated that he is determined to make the necessary changes within the party. Burundi Remains a GOT Concern -------------- 5.(C) When asked about the current situation in Burundi, Kikwete stated that the situation was becoming more complex because infighting within the three major parties has practically caused the parliament to cease functioning. While Kikwete does not believe a military coup is in the making, he has little faith in the current government. He further stated that the decision by the Hutu Forces for National Liberation (FNL) to leave the joint verification mission was a bad sign. He noted that two of the FNL defectors, the FNL spokesman and one other, were in Tanzania and had recently been visited by a South African facilitator asking them to return to Burundi and to help restart the joint verification mission. Kikwete stated that he did have specific information on the outcome of the conversation with the FNL defectors, but did note that given the weakened government it is possible that the leadership of the FNL will use their exile from Burundi to gain momentum toward the ultimate goal of being viewed as a viable alternative to the current government. Kikwete was clear that the FNL's anti-Tutsi political stance stands in the way of wider popular support, much less gaining legitimate power. He stated that the GOT remains concerned, but that he is tired of worrying about Burundi because it has been "too long to deal with one issue." Troublesome Intel Out of DRC -------------- 6.(C) Discussing the DRC, Kikwete stated that he had shared his concerns during a recent phone call with UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon. His first concern was the recent movements by Central African Republic (CAR) troops into northern DRC. He stated that these troops were wreaking havoc on the local population and increasing insecurity in an already unstable region. He requested that the SYG move UNHCR into northern DRC to assist these incoming populations, but that the SYG had stated that ICRC would be more appropriate since this group is comprised of combatants, not refugees. 7.(C) Kikwete was clearly more concerned about recent recurring intelligence reports that the Rwandan government may be supporting the renegade general Laurent Kunda in DAR ES SAL 00001215 003.2 OF 003 eastern DRC. Kikwete had received reports that arms and uniforms, very similar to the current DRC military uniform, had been procured from the Rwandans. While the support is not overt, it does appear to Kikwete that Kunda's forces could be preparing for another offensive. The government of the DRC (GDRC) recently went to the Tanzanian Embassy in Kinshasa and requested Kikwete's assistance in stopping this support. Kikwete stated that the GOT is awaiting the full contents of the GDRC's request and will then decide what it can do. Kikwete also noted that South African President Mbeki is trying to coordinate a summit between Kabila and Rwandan President Kagame. 8.(C) Kikwete noted that he believes the GDRC is wrong in trying to keep Bemba out of the DRC. He stated that currently the GDRC is saying that Bemba's return would take focus away from more pressing issues. Kikwete noted that Bemba has said he will return soon, possibly September 1, ¶2007. Kikwete thinks that longer Bemba sits in Portugal the more likely he will spend time plotting to restart the insurgency. He said that if this happens "the DRC will be up in flames." 9.(C) Finally, Kikwete stated that Kabila asked him during the SADC Summit in Lusaka to host a meeting between Kabila and Ugandan President Museveni. Later, Museveni expressed the same interest. While many issues would be on the table, Kikwete believes the main issue that would bring these leaders together would be to discuss oil reserves that the Ugandans may have discovered in Lake Albert. Kikwete plans to offer this meeting in Arusha sometime in the near future. One Last Request ) No Lake Malawi Arms Race -------------- 10.(C) At the end of the meeting, Kikwete made one final request of the Ambassador. He asked that the USG request that the Taiwanese stop any military equipment sales that could lead to an arms race on Lake Malawi (appearing as Lake Nyasa on Tanzanian maps). According to Kikwete, Malawi insists that it owns the entirety of the lake, contending that any Tanzanian along Tanzania's side of the lake has "dropped his hand in Malawian water." Clearly, Kikwete said, this contravened the most basic tenets of international law, which would draw the international boundary at a centerline between the two countries. President Guebuza of Mozambique brought this issue to Kikwete's after a feisty high-level exchange between the government of Mozambique and Malawi. According to Kikwete, the government of Malawi (GOM) requested that government of Mozambique (GRM) allow some military equipment, such as heavy gun boats and missiles purchased from Taiwan, be transported through Mozambique to Malawi. The GRM responded to this request by stating that roads used by the convoys could not bear the weight of these materials. This sparked what Buebuza described as very non-diplomatic response from Malawian President Mutharika on the GRM's decision. Kikwete made a strong plea that the USG work with the Taiwanese to stop what could become "a worthless arms race on Lake Malawi." Which Tanzania would have to engage in, albeit reluctantly. RETZER