AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER SKELEMANI

UNCLAS GABORONE 000948

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KHIV BC
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER SKELEMANI

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET POSTING.
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1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador Nolan paid his initial courtesy
call on Botswana's Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani on
October 27. The Ambassador stressed his intention to
strengthen the already warm bilateral relationship between
the U.S. and Botswana. Minister Skelemani thanked the USG
for our assistance, especially under the PEPFAR program. In
addition, he praised the work of the International Law
Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in helping to foster rule of law
in Africa, and asked for continued military-military
cooperation. Zimbabwe was also a main topic of discussion
(septel). END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Ambassador Nolan paid his initial courtesy call on
Botswana's Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani on October 27 in
the Minister's office. Ambassador was accompanied by DCM and
Pol/Econ Chief, while Skelemani was accompanied by his
private secretary and the MFA's Deputy Director for the
Americas. The Ambassador told the Minister how delighted he
is to be in Botswana and explained that he hopes to travel
around the country and get to know it well. He explained
that American interest in Botswana is strong and growing, in
part due to the success of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective
Agency" books and the soon-to-be released film. The
Ambassador noted the many private partnerships between U.S.
institutions (including Harvard, Baylor, and University of
Pennsylvania) and Botswana and said he hopes to encourage and
facilitate such non-governmental interactions between our two
nations.


3. (U) Minister Skelemani thanked the USG for our continued
assistance to Botswana, most notably our large contributions
to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment under the
President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Skelemani explained that he had personally witnessed the way
that PEPFAR has changed the landscape in Botswana. The
Minister said that a few years ago, his village of around
3000 people would hold 2 or 3 funerals each weekend for
adults in the prime of life killed by AIDS. Now thanks to
increased access to treatment, Skelemani explained, the death
rate has slowed tremendously. However, Skelemani noted that
the treatment success may bring a new danger, as it could
allow people to "forget" about the AIDS pandemic. He pledged
that education and prevention activities must continue, but
thanked the Bush administration for PEPFAR, explaining that
the program has had a personal and lasting impact on the
people of Botswana.


4. (SBU) The Foreign Minister brought up the good work being
done by the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in
Otse. He discussed at length his worry about lack of respect
for rule of law in Africa, and explained that he is proud to
have law enforcement officials from other African nations not
only well-trained at ILEA but exposed to Botswana and its
democratic tradition. He noted that ILEA training helps to
instill in the law enforcement officers that they have not
only great power, but also great responsibility. Minister
Skelemani also commented on the need for continued
military-military contact between the United States and
defense forces around Africa. Skelemani worried that many of
the African region's leaders still have military or
revolutionary backgrounds. He noted that one lesson soldiers
take away from contact with the U.S. military or other
western military forces is respect for rule of law and
civilian authority.
NOLAN