US embassy cable - 03ROME5369

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2013 
TAGS: PREL, KPKO, XA, ZI, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT:  ITALY ON EU-AFRICA TROIKA: PEACE AND SECURITY, 
ZIMBABWE, AND EU-AF DIALOGUE 
 
REF: BRUSSELS 05330 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C T. COUNTYRMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: THE RECENT EU-AFRICA MINISTERIAL TROIKA 
IDENTIFIED PEACE AND SECURITY AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR 
THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, COMMITTED TO THE CREATION OF A PEACE 
SUPPORT OPERATION FACILITY (PSOF), WELCOMED THE RE-INITIATION 
OF THE EU-ZIMBABWE DIALOGUE AND COMMITTED BOTH SIDES TO 
IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EU-AFRICA DIALOGUE. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) BRUNO CABRAS, MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR SUB-SAHARAN 
AFRICA REVIEWED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RECENT EU-AFRICA 
MINISTERIAL TROIKA WHICH HE CHAIRED NOVEMBER 10 IN ROME. HE 
STATED THAT THE TROIKA IDENTIFIED PEACE AND SECURITY AS THE 
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THE CONTINENT AND THAT BOTH PARTIES 
AGREED THAT WITHOUT PEACE AND SECURITY THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY 
MEANINGFUL DEVELOPMENT REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF AID AND 
ASSISTANCE PROVIDED. CABRAS STATED THAT AFRICANS ARE 
DETERMINED AND WILLING TO MANAGE THEIR OWN CRISES BUT NEED A 
SUPPORT STRUCTURE TO HELP THEM SUCCEED. TO THIS END, THE EU 
WILL ALLOCATE 250 MILLION EURO FROM ITS DEVELOPMENT 
ASSISTANCE BUDGET TO SET UP A PEACE SUPPORT OPERATION 
FACILITY (PSOF) WHICH WILL SERVE AS A FUNDING SOURCE FOR 
TRAINING, MEDIATION, PEACEKEEPING AND POST-CONFLICT 
OPERATIONS CONDUCTED BY AFRICAN FORCES. CABRAS BELIEVES THIS 
INITIATIVE WILL STRENGTHEN AFRICAN CAPACITIES AND PROVIDE 
GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND RESPONSIVENESS WHEN SECURITY ISSUES 
ARISE. FURTHERMORE, THE FACILITY WILL PROVIDE A GREATER SENSE 
OF OWNERSHIP, SOLIDARITY AND RESPONSIBILITY SINCE IT WOULD BE 
MANAGED BY AFRICANS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE EU AND THE UN. 
BOTH SIDES AGREED TO MOVE AHEAD WITH THIS INITIATIVE AND THE 
EU COUNCIL APPROVED CREATION OF THE PSOF AT THE NOVEMBER 17 
GAERC. 
 
3. (C) CABRAS REPORTED THAT AFTER BEING TEMPORARILY HALTED, 
THE EU-ZIMBABWE DIALOGUE WILL CONTINUE UNDER THE EU-SADC 
FRAMEWORK. HE STATED THAT THE EU ARTICULATED ITS POSITION IN 
WRITING TO SADC AND THE AU ESTABLISHING CLEAR BENCHMARKS AND 
CALLING FOR A CHANGE IN POLICIES IN HARARE TO MEET THESE 
GOALS. THE AFRICANS WELCOMED THE EU'S EFFORTS EXPRESSING A 
NEED FOR THE EU-AFRICA SUMMIT TO CONVENE EARLIER IN ORDER TO 
DEAL WITH THE WORSENING SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE. CABRAS STATED 
THAT THE EU'S GOAL IS TO MAINTAIN THE DIALOGUE OPEN AND TO 
PURSUE A CHANGE OF POLICIES NOT A CHANGE OF REGIME. CABRAS 
ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR MEDIA FREEDOMS AND THE FOOD CRISIS 
IN ZIMBABWE (REFTEL). 
 
4. (C) BOTH SIDES ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE 
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EU-AFRICA DIALOGUE BY ENSURING A BALANCE 
BETWEEN POLITICAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES AND REACHING 
COMMON UNDERSTANDING ON ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST. TO ACHIEVE 
THIS, THE PARTIES AGREED TO WORK THROUGH THE NEPAD FRAMEWORK 
AND FOCUS ISSUES INTO FOUR GROUPS OF COMMON PRIORITIES: PEACE 
AND SECURITY, GOVERNANCE, REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND 
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES. CABRAS REPORTED THAT THE PRIORITY ITEMS 
FOR THE NEXT OFFICIALS LEVEL TROIKA TO BE HELD IN IRELAND IN 
THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2004 ARE: AID, AFRICAN EXTERNAL DEBT, 
MIGRATION AND CULTURAL GOODS RETURN. IN CLOSING, CABRAS 
EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT COMMITMENTS MADE BY INTERNATIONAL 
CONSENSUS IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS (MONTERREY, JOHANNESBURG, 
DURBAN, MILLENNIUM GOAL) WERE NOT BEING HONORED AND THUS 
COULD REDUCE CREDIBILITY AND LEAD TO FURTHER POLITICAL CRISIS 
ON THE CONTINENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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2003ROME05369 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL