Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LUANDA650
2007-06-27 16:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Luanda
Cable title:  

ANGOLA CHAIRS SOUTH ATLANTIC PEACE ZONE

Tags:  PGOV PREL AO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHLU #0650/01 1781606
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R 271606Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4115
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 0117
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0115
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0057
RUEHJL/AMEMBASSY BANJUL 0027
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0132
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0001
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 0044
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0162
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN 0020
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0928
RUEHPC/AMEMBASSY LOME 0160
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0097
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0030
RUEHPA/AMEMBASSY PRAIA 0008
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0003
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0047
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUANDA 000650 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PASS TO AMEMBASSY BISSAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL AO
SUBJECT: ANGOLA CHAIRS SOUTH ATLANTIC PEACE ZONE
ORGANIZATION

LUANDA 00000650 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Cynthia Efird for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUANDA 000650

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PASS TO AMEMBASSY BISSAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL AO
SUBJECT: ANGOLA CHAIRS SOUTH ATLANTIC PEACE ZONE
ORGANIZATION

LUANDA 00000650 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Cynthia Efird for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Angola hosted the sixth Ministerial
Conference of the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone
from June 18-19, 2007 in Luanda, and now chairs the
organization. The main outcome of the conference was
approval of the Luanda Action Plan (LAP),an extremely broad
paper calling for greater cooperation in political, economic,
social and cultural areas among member States with the aim of
safeguarding stability in the "Peace Zone." In resurrecting
this moribund organization, the GRA is taking yet another
step at assuming a leadership role in regional and
international fora. What remains to be seen is whether or
not the institutional capacity exists to meet the demands
placed on it by these commitments. End Summary.


2. (U) From June 18-19, 2007, the Government of the Republic
of Angola (GRA) hosted the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the
Zone of Peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic in
Luanda. More than 150 representatives, including some
Foreign Ministers, from twenty one of the twenty four member
states attended (See para 7 for member list). The group was
founded in 1986; however its last ministerial meeting
occurred in October 1998 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since
then the group has carried out its activities through the
member states, respective UN missions. In preparation for
this Ministerial, the GRA held consultations and workshop
discussions in New York (March 2007),Montevideo (April) and
Buenos Aires (May 2007).


3. (U) The conference produced the Luanda Action Plan (LAP),
an all-encompassing document which encourages member states,
cooperation in combating drug trafficking, illegal arms
trading and trans-national organized crime. It recommends
the full implementation of the UN Action Program on the
Prevention, Fight, and Eradication of the Illegal Trade in
Small Arms. It also calls for member states to engage in
peace-building within the Zone, including in conflict
prevention. The LAP calls for economic cooperation in
contributing to poverty eradication by creating partnerships

for sustainable development, trade, investment and tourism.
Finally it encourages cooperation on scientific research,
biodiversity, marine issues and ecology. The LAP also calls
for cooperation with the various existing regional and
sub-regional organizations such as the AU, OAS, SADC, CEEAC,
CEMAC and ECOWAS to help safeguard peace and economic
prosperity in the zone.


4. (U) Both Angola's Minister of External Relations Joao
Miranda and Angola,s Prime Minister were on hand to welcome
the delegations at the opening ceremony. Minister Miranda
emphasized the GRA,s desire to revitalize the organization
and encourage greater South-South cooperation. Prime
Minister Dias dos Santos emphasized the need to preserve the
peace in the South Atlantic zone, by combating the
trafficking of arms, drugs, persons, and money laundering.
He encouraged the creating of mechanisms that will allow
member states to assist in peacekeeping and humanitarian
operations within the zone.


5. (C) We understand from our Brazilian and Argentine
counterparts that neither country had a strong interest in
reviving the Zone. Argentina was represented by its Vice
Foreign Minister, Brazil by its Secretary General. The
Brazilian Ambassador told us that when the GRA began talks on
reviving the moribund organization, his government advocated
that this organization's work be carried out at UN facilities
through existent delegations. He added that the Brazilian
government thought utilizing existing staffs was a much more
practical solution than creating a permanent secretariat,
with inevitable associated costs.


LUANDA 00000650 002.2 OF 002


Comment: Angola Projecting onto the World Stage?
-------------- ---

6. (C) The Angolan initiative on the South Atlantic Zone of
Peace and Cooperation is the latest in a series through which
Angola is projecting a higher profile in multilateral fora.
In the last year, the GRA was the catalyst for forming the
Association of African Diamond Producing Nations and hosted
the group's first meeting in November 2006. It also has
offered to cover costs for the Gulf of Guinea Commission
Secretariat in Luanda for its first year. Earlier this year,

SIPDIS
Angola also lobbied for and won a seat on the UN Human Rights
Council. Angola's commitment to a more active international
presence is real, but the GRA has only limited capacity to
handle the institutional commitments it is assuming. End
Comment.


7. (U) Member states are: Angola, Argentina, Benin, Brazil,
Cameroon, Cape-Verde, Congo-Brazzaville, Cote-D'Ivoire,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao
Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra-Leone, South Africa, Togo
and Uruguay.
EFIRD