PRESIDENT KARUME AND AMBASSADOR RETZER DISCUSS APP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000084 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT AF/E FOR B YODER AND D MALAC DEPT CA/EX FOR PAUL CANTRELL; CA/VO/F/P FOR JILL NYSTROM AND CA/OSC/ACS/AF RUTH BRANSON ALSO PLEASE PASS TO MCC FOR G BREVNOV, MKAVANAUGH AND G HOLLISTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2012 TAGS: CMGT CVIS CASC PREL PROGV PHUM ECON TZ SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KARUME AND AMBASSADOR RETZER DISCUSS APP ZANZIBAR, USG AID, AND PROSPECTS FOR RECONCILIATION REF: A. A. DAR ES SALAAM 01835 ¶B. B. DAR ES SALAAM 1433 DAR ES SAL 00000084 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Tulinabo Mushingi, for r eason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. During their January 16 meeting, President of Zanzibar, Amani Abeid Karume, asked Ambassador Retzer to consider a "special request" that the new American Presence Post (APP) in Zanzibar offer consular (i.e. visa services) in Zanzibar. Explaining that the APP would not offer consular services, the Ambassador noted that only one foreign service officer had been assigned to the APP. President Karume went to great lengths to express his gratitude for the "very successful" USG program to combat malaria in Zanzibar and for the anxiously awaited assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The President also underscored his intention to reduce polarization between Zanzibar's two islands (Pemba and Unguja),in response to the Ambassador's inquiry on the status of reconciliation efforts. END SUMMARY. President Karume Requests Visa Services in Zanzibar... -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Citing the inconvenience and expense of travel to Dar es Salaam, President Karume asked if the newly-approved APP could offer consular services in Zanzibar. "I remember that my first visa to the U.S. was issued here," Karume reminisced, adding that other missions such as the British and Italians provided honorary consular services in Zanzibar. The Ambassador replied that the APP would not have consular privileges, explaining that the Embassy would have to gauge the feasibility of offering such services. Karume made one last plea: "Please Your Excellency, consider this my special request." The Ambassador assured Karume he would relay the request to Washington. (Comment: Post recognizes that no American Presence Posts provide visa services and that the current biometric collection practices would make expansion to Zanzibar unfeasible. Post also followed up the British and Italian missions and learned that they do not provide visa services on Zanzibar.) ¶3. (SBU) President Karume emphasized that the APP on Zanzibar was warmly welcome, remarking that the U.S. used to have a consulate on Zanzibar in the 1960s. To Karume's surprise, the Ambassador shared the fact that, the first U.S. consulate in Africa was established in Zanzibar in 1837. Regarding the APP, Ambassador Retzer explained that the Embassy was currently looking for office space in Stone Town and had plans to open the APP in July 2007, staffed by one U.S. foreign service officer. And Praises USG Assistance: Malaria and MCC -------------- ¶4. (SBU) President Karume thanked the Ambassador for the "excellent partnership" in combating malaria on Zanzibar. He said that through the USG's malaria program, malaria had been reduced by more than 80 percent in Zanzibar over the past year. He added how pleased he was that President Bush had mentioned Zanzibar's success story during the December Malaria summit, putting Zanzibar "on the world map." The Ambassador stressed the importance of sustaining the success achieved through the USG's residual indoor spraying and ensuring that airplanes and ferry boats did not bring in malaria from the Mainland. Karume agreed: "We have seen what other countries are doing to spray ships and planes and we also have to initiate such measures." The Ambassador remarked what an added bonus for tourism it would be if Zanzibar could be declared "malaria free." Nodding, Karume said that Government of Zanzibar (GOZ) needed to ensure the islands were as conducive to tourism as possible. DAR ES SAL 00000084 002 OF 002 ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Retzer informed President Karume that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC),Ambassador John Danilovich, would be visiting Zanzibar on January 29. Karume said that he was very excited about the prospects for MCC investments in water, energy, and roads to develop Zanzibar and that increasing cooperation with the USG would be highly beneficial for the future of Zanzibar's economic growth. The Ambassador noted that accelerating economic growth was the exact purpose of the MCC. Ambassador Retzer Encourages Karume on Reconciliation -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Finally, the Ambassador raised his concern about polarization between Unguja and Pemba, stating that it was "incumbent upon the President of Zanzibar to reduce tensions between the two islands." Karume responded that ensuring harmony in Zanzibar was a policy of both the GOZ and the CCM. "Without Ungujga and Pemba, we have no Zanzibar," Karume said. He assured the Ambassador that there were "only small political differences" and that he didn't believe there was "discontent per se." The Ambassador responded that often times leaders did not recognize the level of discontent within opposition parties and that he hoped the GOZ would continue concerted efforts toward reconciliation. Saying that he had already initiated contact with the opposition party, Karume stressed, "That is my objective and contacts with the opposition have already begun. I don't want my legacy to be that I missed the chance!" ¶7. (C) President Karume also emphasized the GOZ's effort to ensure that every development project on Unguja was replicated on Pemba. He told the Ambassador about two projects to build vocational schools - one on Pemba and one on Unguja. Karume explained that the schools would open in 2007 and had been built with assistance from the African Development Bank and a 15 percent contribution from the GOZ. These schools, he said, would provide hands-on skill training for Zanzibaris and offer business development training for the students. Given the high level of unemployment in Zanzibar, the Ambassador said that such schools were greatly needed. Comment: -------------- ¶8. (C) Since President Karume had requested this meeting to discuss the new APP, post expected Karume's request to provide visa services in Zanzibar. While unable to provide visa services, we expect that the APP Zanzibar will - like other APPs - provide certain routine and emergency American Citizen Services (ACS). ¶9. (C) On prospects for reconciliation, President Karume sent mixed signals. He was clear that reducing tension between Pemba and Unguja was a primary goal and he assured the Ambassador that discussions with the opposition were already underway. That said, Karume's denial of discontent and dismissal of political differences as minor is disconcerting. Karume's intention to reduce polarization may be sincere, but unless he can communicate a better grasp of the problem and acknowledge the deep-seated frustration of the opposition party (Refs A and B),reconciliation will continue to be an uphill battle. END COMMENT. RETZER