AMBASSADOR RICE'S MEETING WITH SOUTH AFRICAN

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000454 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC SF SO ZI XA ZU SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE'S MEETING WITH SOUTH AFRICAN PERMREP SANGQU ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Ambassador Rice met with newly appointed South African PermRep Baso Sangqu on April 23. Sangqu hoped to forge greater cooperation on peace and security issues in Africa. He suggested a holistic approach to the crisis in Somalia, which needed to address the root causes of conflict. He asked for sanctions to be removed from Zimbabwe's leaders, and said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) would disburse $2 billion to assist Zimbabwe. He said the new Zuma administration in South Africa would not make big foreign policy changes, and it wanted to increase bilateral engagement with the U.S. Rice asked for South African support for the U.S. candidate for the Human Rights Council, and Sangqu asked for U.S. support for the South African candidate for the IAEA Director General position. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Rice congratulated South African Ambassador Sangqu on his ascension to the PermRep position during their meeting on April 23. Sangqu said he hoped to forge greater cooperation on peace and security issues in Africa, noting financing African peacekeeping, especially with the African Union was still a major challenge. Rice stressed the U.S. wants to find a successful solution to the funding question facing African peacekeeping efforts. ¶2. (SBU) On Somali piracy, Sangqu said the international community needed to deal with the root causes, including the inland dynamics in Somalia, to find a lasting solution. He suggested a holistic approach, involving the clans, to build confidence measures in order to create a functioning state. Ambassador Rice acknowledged the classic challenge of building capacity and a security sector in a fragile country, and said a multi-pronged approach was needed to succeed in the long-term. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Sangqu asked that the sanctions targeting Zimbabwe's leaders be removed, since the national unity government had been formed. Ambassador Rice responded the new government needed to show results, and the U.S. would be careful in its approach to ensure Mugabe's ZANU-PF party did not assume total control again. She noted the challenges still facing Zimbabwe, including its corrupt Central Bank governor, the continued detention of opposition leaders, and the limits on freedom of the press. Commenting on the financial situation, Sangqu said SADC would disburse a $2 billion package, including credit lines, to help Zimbabwe face its economic challenges. ¶4. (SBU) On the just-concluded South African elections, Sangqu said there would be no big foreign policy changes with the new Zuma government. He thought there might be style differences, but South Africa really wanted to engage the United States, especially with the newly elected American administration. He asked to identify issues on which to engage bilaterally. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Rice responded human rights would be an excellent topic on which to build more common ground, citing the strong position South Africa's constitution takes on civil rights. She asked for South Africa's support for the U.S. candidacy on the Human Rights Council. Sangqu said he was sure his government would consider the request, and that he would contact Pretoria on the issue. He asked for U.S. support for South Africa's candidate for the IAEA Director General position. Ambassador Rice said the U.S. had committed previously to support the Japanese candidate, but if that position has changed she would notify him. Rice