NAMIBIA UNDECIDED ON UNAIDS DIRECTOR

UNCLAS WINDHOEK 000290 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR IO/T GUINNEVERE ROBERTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KHIV UNGA EAID WA SUBJECT: NAMIBIA UNDECIDED ON UNAIDS DIRECTOR REF: SECSTATE 97114 ¶1. (SBU) Emboff met with the Namibian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director of Multilateral Affairs Julius Zaya Shiweva and delivered reftel demarche on September 15. According to Shiweva, Namibia had not yet been approached regarding the selection of a new Executive Director for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Shiweva explained that the Namibian government did not yet have a position on which candidate it would support. Shiweva was not familiar with the USG's favored candidate Dr. Michel Sidibe. Shiweva stated that the Namibian government would take Dr. Sidibe's candidacy into consideration. (Comment: Emboff sensed that Shiweva was unfamiliar with the topic. Post will re-engage the Namibian government on this issue in the coming weeks. End Comment). ¶2. (SBU) DCM earlier solicited Namibia's support for Sidibe's candidacy in a September 12 call on MFA Permanent Secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete. Nghiwete was clearly unfamiliar with the issue and encouraged us to speak to the Ministry's multilateral affairs department. MATHIEU