SOUTH AFRICA HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT VALUE OF ARMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 001813

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S, IO/T, PM/DTCP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017
TAGS: ETTC PARM KOMC KTIA UNDC SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT VALUE OF ARMS
TRADE TREATY

REF: A. SECSTATE 063299

B. KAY/WESTLING EMAIL OF 05-18-2007

Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond L. Brown. Reasons 1.4(b) an
d (d).


1. (SBU) DepPolCouns passed reftel non-paper to DFA Deputy
Director: Biological, Chemical, Missile and Arms Control
Mauritz Lindeque on 16 May. Lindeque warmly welcomed the
information, stating that South Africa was "all for the
principle" behind the proposed ATT, and also saw it as a
useful method to get African countries having no controls at
all to establish them. That said, "there are our questions
in our mind as to the feasibility" and "we see it as a long
term process." He was sypathetic to the practical concerns
raised in the U.S. non-paper, said that the SAG had submitted
its own views on the proposed ATT the previous day, and
provided a copy of the document (emailed to PM/DTCP and
AF/S).


2. (C) Lindeque explained that South Africa has been under
strong pressure from the UK to support this initiative. They
have done so to a certain extent -- South Africa co-sponsered
the UNGA resolution in the 1st Committee and, of course,
voted for it. However, the SAG declined to support the UK
desire to include it in the UN SALW progrQme and resisted
heavy UK lobbying to co-sign as a regional author (Kenya did
instead). He also commented that the proposed ATT was seen
as "a Northern initiative", thus the SAG was not interested
in being a flag bearer. Lindeque reported that the
government had been "hearing a lot from civil society" about
the proposed ATT, wryly noting that this was coming mostly
from UK-funded NGOs, to the extent that the SAG was
considering convening a seminar in June to formally seek
views from interested parties.

Bost