TANZANIA: DEMARCHE ON UNGA VOTES ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001606

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL UNGA TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA: DEMARCHE ON UNGA VOTES ON
COUNTRY-SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS DEMARCHE

REF: A. STATE 163935


B. STATE 157022

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission D. Purnell Delly for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) In absence of the Director of the Multilateratl
Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Noel Kaganda, Foreign Service Officer, informed
PolOff on December 10 that he was unable to comment on the
position Tanzania would take in the UNGA votes on country
specific resolutions, and in particular on Tanzania's
position on the Iran resolution. Kaganda promised to convey
our concerns to his superiors and inform post of any reply.

2 (C) PolOff emphasized that since during the late November
Third Committee debate Tanzania had supported the motion to
close the discussion on Iran, we were requesting that in the
UNGA the Government of Tanzania (GOT) vote against closing
the discussion as well as to vote in favor of passage of the
human rights resolution on Iran. Poloff reminded Kaganda
that the international community must speak out against the
deteriorating human rights situation in Iran at the United
Nations General Assembly.


2. (C) During the meeting, Kaganda referred to the November
20 discussion between PolOff and Justin Seruhere, Minister
Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation, prior to the anticipated date of
the UN Third Committee vote on the four important
resolutions (Ref B). At that time, Seruhere had made it
clear that the GOT was in a "very difficult position" due to
the high price of oil and its dependence on the "goodwill of
oil producing nations such as Iran."


3. (C) Seruhere had noted that it was highly unlikely the GOT
would take any position at that time which might jeopardize
the relationship it now has with any Gulf States. He
admitted that while he understood the "high principles" that
were involved with the pending resolutions before the UN
Third Committee, he also hoped that the USG would understand
"the tough position the GOT faced economically."
GREEN