Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE18852
2009-02-27 23:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SADC CONTROLS
how-toVZCZCXRO5583 PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHC #8852/01 0582318 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 272302Z FEB 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHOR/AMEMBASSY GABORONE PRIORITY 6438 INFO SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 018852
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019
TAGS: EAID PREL SADC ZI BC
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SADC CONTROLS
REF: STATE 7798
Classified By: AF Acting A/S K. Wycoff for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 018852
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019
TAGS: EAID PREL SADC ZI BC
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SADC CONTROLS
REF: STATE 7798
Classified By: AF Acting A/S K. Wycoff for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (U) Summary: This is an action request; see paragraph 5.
The Department is seeking preliminary information from SADC
to determine whether the United States and SADC may enter
into an agreement to transfer defense articles and services.
End Summary.
BACKGROUND
--------------
2. (SBU) On January 16, former President Bush signed a
Presidential Determination (PD) recognizing that "the
furnishing of defense articles and defense services to the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) will strengthen
the security of the United States and promote world peace."
The PD for SADC is similar to previous PDs for the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African
Union (AU) and is intended to enable the USG to provide
targeted assistance to this African entity to increase
peacekeeping and crisis response capacity, strengthen
interoperability, and improve our mil-to-mil cooperation.
3. (SBU) One of several steps required before the U.S. may
approve transfer of any defense articles and defense services
to SADC is to conclude a "Section 505" agreement with SADC.
Such agreements establish end use, retransfer, and security
obligations applicable to, at a minimum, defense articles and
defense services provided on a grant basis pursuant to the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA). To prepare
for negotiations on a Section 505 agreement with SADC, the
Department requires preliminary information from SADC about
its authority, reliability, access, and enforcement
mechanisms. The Department requests that Post provide the
questions in paragraph 5 in writing to, and obtain a response
in writing from, appropriate SADC authorities.
4. (C) We seek to clearly establish that, should the USG
provide SADC with goods or services in the future, SADC is
willing and able to deny such goods or services to any SADC
member state that is or may in the future be prohibited from
receiving U.S.-origin goods or services. We note, for
example, that some such prohibitions currently exist with
respect to Zimbabwe. Any assistance provided to the SADC
Standby Brigade would be considered on a case-by-case basis
and must also comply with all relevant existing legal
obligations, including, where appropriate, restrictions
applicable to SADC members. While SADC members are aware of
U.S. restrictions regarding Zimbabwe, we do not wish to focus
discussion on any particular country.
INFORMATION NEEDED FROM SADC
--------------
5. (SBU) The Department requests that Post engage SADC
leadership at the appropriate level to obtain written answers
to the following questions. This information is necessary to
determine whether the United States and SADC may enter into a
reliable and enforceable Section 505 agreement. Post is also
encouraged to draw on the points in reftel when approaching
the Secretariat.
a. Which SADC entity will be responsible for the negotiation
of the end-use, retransfer and security agreement with the
United States?
b. Which SADC entity(s) will be involved in the approval of
such an agreement?
c. Will the agreement be approved by the SADC Summit (Heads
of State or Government)?
d. Will the end-use, retransfer, and security agreement be
approved by each SADC Member State? Or, would "consensus"
mean only that there is no opposition (abstentions would not
hold up the agreement)?
e. How would SADC establish and enforce end-use, retransfer,
and security obligations?
f. May SADC restrict the access to USG-provided articles and
services by nationals of designated SADC Member States?
g. May the Executive Secretary, as custodian of such items,
STATE 00018852 002 OF 002
restrict the access provided to Secretariat employees based
upon their nationality?
h. How would the Secretariat secure articles and services
provided by the USG?
i. Will SADC be able to comply with restrictions on use of
articles and assistance provided by the USG?
j. Would the agreement resulting in the imposition of
restrictions on access to certain items based on nationality
be considered to be compatible with the objectives of SADC
and the provisions of the SADC Declaration and Charter?
k. Has the SADC Tribunal rendered any decisions where issues
of nationality or national access to SADC property were
raised? If so, please provide copies of the rulings.
l. What measure would SADC take with respect to persons or
countries that fail to uphold SADC obligations?
6. (U) Please report results by cable slugged to PM/RSAT,
PM/PPA, AF/S, and L/PM. PM/RSAT POC is Daniel Wartko.
CLINTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019
TAGS: EAID PREL SADC ZI BC
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SADC CONTROLS
REF: STATE 7798
Classified By: AF Acting A/S K. Wycoff for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (U) Summary: This is an action request; see paragraph 5.
The Department is seeking preliminary information from SADC
to determine whether the United States and SADC may enter
into an agreement to transfer defense articles and services.
End Summary.
BACKGROUND
--------------
2. (SBU) On January 16, former President Bush signed a
Presidential Determination (PD) recognizing that "the
furnishing of defense articles and defense services to the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) will strengthen
the security of the United States and promote world peace."
The PD for SADC is similar to previous PDs for the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African
Union (AU) and is intended to enable the USG to provide
targeted assistance to this African entity to increase
peacekeeping and crisis response capacity, strengthen
interoperability, and improve our mil-to-mil cooperation.
3. (SBU) One of several steps required before the U.S. may
approve transfer of any defense articles and defense services
to SADC is to conclude a "Section 505" agreement with SADC.
Such agreements establish end use, retransfer, and security
obligations applicable to, at a minimum, defense articles and
defense services provided on a grant basis pursuant to the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA). To prepare
for negotiations on a Section 505 agreement with SADC, the
Department requires preliminary information from SADC about
its authority, reliability, access, and enforcement
mechanisms. The Department requests that Post provide the
questions in paragraph 5 in writing to, and obtain a response
in writing from, appropriate SADC authorities.
4. (C) We seek to clearly establish that, should the USG
provide SADC with goods or services in the future, SADC is
willing and able to deny such goods or services to any SADC
member state that is or may in the future be prohibited from
receiving U.S.-origin goods or services. We note, for
example, that some such prohibitions currently exist with
respect to Zimbabwe. Any assistance provided to the SADC
Standby Brigade would be considered on a case-by-case basis
and must also comply with all relevant existing legal
obligations, including, where appropriate, restrictions
applicable to SADC members. While SADC members are aware of
U.S. restrictions regarding Zimbabwe, we do not wish to focus
discussion on any particular country.
INFORMATION NEEDED FROM SADC
--------------
5. (SBU) The Department requests that Post engage SADC
leadership at the appropriate level to obtain written answers
to the following questions. This information is necessary to
determine whether the United States and SADC may enter into a
reliable and enforceable Section 505 agreement. Post is also
encouraged to draw on the points in reftel when approaching
the Secretariat.
a. Which SADC entity will be responsible for the negotiation
of the end-use, retransfer and security agreement with the
United States?
b. Which SADC entity(s) will be involved in the approval of
such an agreement?
c. Will the agreement be approved by the SADC Summit (Heads
of State or Government)?
d. Will the end-use, retransfer, and security agreement be
approved by each SADC Member State? Or, would "consensus"
mean only that there is no opposition (abstentions would not
hold up the agreement)?
e. How would SADC establish and enforce end-use, retransfer,
and security obligations?
f. May SADC restrict the access to USG-provided articles and
services by nationals of designated SADC Member States?
g. May the Executive Secretary, as custodian of such items,
STATE 00018852 002 OF 002
restrict the access provided to Secretariat employees based
upon their nationality?
h. How would the Secretariat secure articles and services
provided by the USG?
i. Will SADC be able to comply with restrictions on use of
articles and assistance provided by the USG?
j. Would the agreement resulting in the imposition of
restrictions on access to certain items based on nationality
be considered to be compatible with the objectives of SADC
and the provisions of the SADC Declaration and Charter?
k. Has the SADC Tribunal rendered any decisions where issues
of nationality or national access to SADC property were
raised? If so, please provide copies of the rulings.
l. What measure would SADC take with respect to persons or
countries that fail to uphold SADC obligations?
6. (U) Please report results by cable slugged to PM/RSAT,
PM/PPA, AF/S, and L/PM. PM/RSAT POC is Daniel Wartko.
CLINTON