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

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA: AMBASSSADOR RETZER,S AUGUST 30 FAREWELL
CALL ON PRESIDENT KIKWETE

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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.

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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

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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