TANZANIA: ZIMBABWE DEMARCHE FOR SADC MEETING

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000239 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS AF/S FOR SHILL, AF/E FOR JLIDDLE AF/RSA FOR LMAZEL ADDIS FOR AU MISSION LONDON, PARIS, BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL TZ ZI SUBJECT: TANZANIA: ZIMBABWE DEMARCHE FOR SADC MEETING DELIVERED REF: STATE 38627 ¶1. (SBU) The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Seif Ali-Idd, who led the Tanzanian delegation to the April 12 Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, told PolCouns that Tanzania is committed to assuring that "Zimbabwe will not become another Kenya." Ambassador Seif emphasized that Tanzania intended to strongly urge the SADC member states represented in Lusaka to push for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release the results of the March 29 Zimbabwean Presidential election as quickly as possible. ¶2. (SBU) After Ambassador Green tried, yet was unable to reach, either President Kikwete or Foreign Minister Bernard Membe (who are both traveling outside the country) to deliver reftel demarche, PolCouns, with the assistance of the Tanzanian High Commission in Lusaka, could finally reach Ambassador Seif the morning of April 12, just shortly before the SADC meeting began. Ambassador Seif said Tanzania shares the concerns of the United States about the escalating violence in Harare. He emphasized that Government of Tanzania (GOT) does not want the situation in Zimbabwe to escalate to the level of violence that occurred in Kenya following the December 2007 elections, and is certain many SADC members share the same goal. He also stressed that Tanzania believes that the election results should be released immediately and will press for this objective in the SADC meeting. GREEN