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