COMESA LEADERS COMMENT ON POSTPONED SUMMIT, COMESA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 000499

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS TO USTR (BILL JACKSON)
DEPT FOR AF/EPS (ADA ADLER AND JANET POTASH)
NAIROBI FOR USAID/REDSO (STEPHANIE WILCOCK)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2018
TAGS: ECON PREL ECIN COMESA ZA ZI
SUBJECT: COMESA LEADERS COMMENT ON POSTPONED SUMMIT, COMESA
SUCCESSORSHIP

REF: A. LUSAKA 343


B. 07 LUSAKA 983

Classified By: Ambassador Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA) has postponed its ministerial and heads of
state meetings, which were scheduled to take place between
May 1 to 15 in Victoria Falls, due to the electoral crisis in
Zimbabwe. Although the Secretariat has considered the
possibility of moving the summit to a new location, Deputy
COMESA Secretary General (SYG) Ngwenya suggested that to do
so would "deny Tsvangirai the opportunity to preside over the
summit." According to one account, Kenya, as current COMESA
Chair, unilaterally cancelled the summit and has called for a
ministerial on May 15 to discuss the selection of the next
SYG and the rescheduling of the Summit. Ngwenya told Emboffs
that a nomination committee has identified him to replace
Mwencha as the Secretariat's next SYG. End Summary.

Summit Postponed Indefinitely


2. (SBU) On April 23, citing "the current electoral process
underway in Zimbabwe," the COMESA Secretariat announced the
postponement of COMESA's policy organs and heads of state
meetings, which were scheduled to be held May 1-15 in
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Outgoing COMESA SYG Mwencha told
the Ambassador on April 24 that the security situation in
Zimbabwe is "not acceptable" for holding a summit. "How can
you hold a summit in a situation like that?" he asked, adding
that it would have been awkward for heads of state to visit
Zimbabwe during possible run-off elections. He said the
Government of Zimbawe understood and supported the decision.
COMESA intends to hold a ministerial on May 15 to reschedle
the summit and to discuss the replacement forMwencha, whose
term as SYG expired on April 30. In he interim, Kenya will
continue as COMESA Chir until the chairmanship transfers to
the host o the next COMESA summit.


3. (C) Mwencha said tht the Secretariat will wait to see how
events unold in Zimbabwe before deciding upn an alternate
location, although he admitted that he had considered the
possibility of hosting the summit in Lusaka. According to
the Egyptian DCM in Lusaka, Kenya (as COMESA Chair) had
cancelled the summit without consulting other member
governments. He said that preparations were well underway
when the Secretariat announced the postponement, which took
the Egyptians, at least, quite by surprise. The Egyptian DCM
relayed rumors that COMESA leaders would convene on the
margins of the July African Union summit in Sharm el-Sheikh,
but expressed his reservation that this would relegate COMESA
to the status of an ancillary regional organization. COMESA
Deputy SYG Ngwenya (and Zimbabwean national),however, told
the Ambassador that it would be preferable to hold the summit
in Zimbabwe because "we would not want to deny Tsvangirai the
opportunity to preside over the summit."

Secretary General Selected


4. (C) Ngwenya also told the Ambassador that a COMESA
selection committee had identified him to replace Mwencha.
He explained that the committee must wait until the summit to
present its recommendation to the COMESA heads of state for
their approval. In a separate conversation, Ngwenya told
Poloff that Rwanda's candidate for the SYG position, Manasseh
Nshuti, intends to appeal the committee's decision. In the
meantime, until the appointment of the next SYG, Deputy
COMESA SYG for Administration Ambassador Nagla El-Hussainy
will steer the Secretariat as acting SYG. Ngwenya explained
to Poloff that it would have been inappropriate for him--as
heir apparent to Mwencha--to serve as acting SYG after
Mwencha's departure.


5. (C) Comment: Emboffs have heard other rumors that also
suggest that Ngwenya will be the next COMESA SYG. As
previously reported (Ref B),Ngwenya's background makes him a
strong candidate and inspires confidence in his ability to
make progress on COMESA's economic integration agenda.
Ngwenya has made numerous statements to emboffs that distance
himself from the Mugabe regime and that suggest that he will
not detract from former SYG Mwencha's work or respond to
Government of Zimbabwe political pressure. COMESA remains
intent to host a joint COMESA-SADC-EAC heads of state summit
later this year (September/October),as well as to launch a
customs union by December. To do so, it will be increasingly
important to host a heads of state summit and resolve the

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successorship question soonest.
MARTINEZ