Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08DARESSALAAM389
2008-06-24 14:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Cable title:
TANZANIA: FOREIGN MINISTER MEMBE CONFIRMS
how-toVZCZCXRO2040 PP RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN RUEHROV DE RUEHDR #0389 1761436 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 241436Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7636 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 3323 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 1422 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0399 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0308 RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY RUCNDT/USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0078
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000389
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR MJWILLS, AF/RSA FOR LMAZEL
AF/FO FOR FSANNEH
ALSO AF/E FOR JLIDDLE
ADDIS FOR AU MISSION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL TZ ZI
SUBJECT: TANZANIA: FOREIGN MINISTER MEMBE CONFIRMS
EMERGENCY SADC TROIKA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE TO BE JUNE 25 IN
SWAZILAND
REF: A. WILLS/AF COM EMAIL 6/22/08
B. DAR ES SALAAM 0382
Classified By: Ambassador Mark Green for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000389
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR MJWILLS, AF/RSA FOR LMAZEL
AF/FO FOR FSANNEH
ALSO AF/E FOR JLIDDLE
ADDIS FOR AU MISSION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL TZ ZI
SUBJECT: TANZANIA: FOREIGN MINISTER MEMBE CONFIRMS
EMERGENCY SADC TROIKA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE TO BE JUNE 25 IN
SWAZILAND
REF: A. WILLS/AF COM EMAIL 6/22/08
B. DAR ES SALAAM 0382
Classified By: Ambassador Mark Green for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
1. (C) Bernard Membe, Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs
and International Cooperation, told Ambassador Green in a
June 24 phone call that an emergency meeting of the leaders
of the Troika (Angola, Swaziland and Tanzania) of the SADC
Organ on Politics, Defense and Security (OPDS) will be held
in Swaziland beginning on June 25 (Ref A). According to
Membe, President dos Santos, the Chair of the Troika, is not
in good health, so asked the King of Swaziland to host the
meeting. "A state of war exists in Zimbabwe; how is it
possible to conduct fair elections?" Membe bemoaned.
2. (C) Membe also reported that President Kikwete has named
the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, as his
Special Envoy from the African Union to travel to Harare in
order to meet separately with Robert Mugabe and Morgan
Tsvangirai in search of a way forward. Minister Membe
confided to the Ambassador that the Government of Tanzania
(GOT) had learned that "behind the scenes" Robert Mugabe and
President Thabo Mbeki are "working hard" to quash the SADC
Troika gathering and the meetings Obasanjo is trying to
schedule. (Comment: The Ambassador noted that while he had
heard Membe criticize Mbeki previously, the Minister's tone
in this discussion indicated he was thoroughly fed up with
Mbeki's refusal to confront Mugabe, even though evidence of
the ongoing violence and atrocities in Zimbabwe are obvious.
End Comment.)
GREEN
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR MJWILLS, AF/RSA FOR LMAZEL
AF/FO FOR FSANNEH
ALSO AF/E FOR JLIDDLE
ADDIS FOR AU MISSION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL TZ ZI
SUBJECT: TANZANIA: FOREIGN MINISTER MEMBE CONFIRMS
EMERGENCY SADC TROIKA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE TO BE JUNE 25 IN
SWAZILAND
REF: A. WILLS/AF COM EMAIL 6/22/08
B. DAR ES SALAAM 0382
Classified By: Ambassador Mark Green for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
1. (C) Bernard Membe, Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs
and International Cooperation, told Ambassador Green in a
June 24 phone call that an emergency meeting of the leaders
of the Troika (Angola, Swaziland and Tanzania) of the SADC
Organ on Politics, Defense and Security (OPDS) will be held
in Swaziland beginning on June 25 (Ref A). According to
Membe, President dos Santos, the Chair of the Troika, is not
in good health, so asked the King of Swaziland to host the
meeting. "A state of war exists in Zimbabwe; how is it
possible to conduct fair elections?" Membe bemoaned.
2. (C) Membe also reported that President Kikwete has named
the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, as his
Special Envoy from the African Union to travel to Harare in
order to meet separately with Robert Mugabe and Morgan
Tsvangirai in search of a way forward. Minister Membe
confided to the Ambassador that the Government of Tanzania
(GOT) had learned that "behind the scenes" Robert Mugabe and
President Thabo Mbeki are "working hard" to quash the SADC
Troika gathering and the meetings Obasanjo is trying to
schedule. (Comment: The Ambassador noted that while he had
heard Membe criticize Mbeki previously, the Minister's tone
in this discussion indicated he was thoroughly fed up with
Mbeki's refusal to confront Mugabe, even though evidence of
the ongoing violence and atrocities in Zimbabwe are obvious.
End Comment.)
GREEN