US embassy cable - 04MAPUTO1081

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001081 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
FOR OBO/REPM/EV - PIERRE WELCH 
E.O. 129958: N/A 
TAGS: ABLD, AMGT, MZ, Tourism, NEC 
SUBJECT: MOZ GOVT BOTH SUPPORTS AND OPPOSES NEC SITE 
 
REF: MAPUTO 00293 
 
1. (SBU) Summary. Tourism Minister Sumbana stated publicly 
that he opposed any effort by the USG to acquire the Four 
Seasons site for use as an NEC. He confirmed his opposition 
in private, but conceded that he could be overruled for 
reasons of bilateral cooperation. At a subsequent meeting 
with Post representatives, Foreign Minister stated that 
Sumbana could be managed, but that our prime concern should 
be ensuring support from the municipal government. He also 
expressed his eagerness to see this deal concluded before 
the next government transition. 
 
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OPPOSITION TO THE SALE 
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2. (U) On July 15 a local newspaper reported that Four 
Seasons site had been sold to the SOTUR/IMOBCI consortium. 
It said that the USG had expressed interest in the site for 
its new Embassy but that its proposal was rejected by 
Minister of Tourism Sumbana. He was directly quoted as 
saying: "I turned down the proposal from the U.S. Embassy 
because the area, and the building itself, are not 
appropriate for diplomatic services. The premises was 
designed solely as a tourist project.and it should stay that 
way." 
 
3. (SBU) At our instruction, U.S. Embassy-contracted 
attorney spoke with Sumbana privately to confirm his 
position and rationale. Sumbana stated that, as Minister of 
Tourism, it was his responsibility to oppose the sale of 
land to the USG for the reasons stated above. He said he 
had been assured by the concessionaires throughout the 
tender process that they were not interested in selling to 
the USG and would develop the site for tourist purposes. He 
also expressed concern for the impact a U.S. Embassy would 
have on traffic flow during and after construction. 
 
4. (SBU) Sumbana conceded that if the GRM decided it was in 
their best interest to permit the USG to build an Embassy on 
that site, he would be overruled. He further suggested the 
solution lies through dialogue among the GRM, the 
SOTUR/IMOBCI consortium and the USG. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: SOTUR/IMOBCI has been playing both sides 
while legally finalizing its concession, and surprisingly 
Sumbana appears to have believed their stated intentions not 
to sell the site to the USG. This could explain why earlier 
this year SOTUR/IMOBCI would not agree to send a letter to 
the Minister of Tourism announcing their willingness to sell 
the property to the USG. It should also be noted that, 
should the USG acquire this property, it will be necessary 
to obtain a waiver from the GRM (acting through the Ministry 
of Tourism) to permit other than tourist development of the 
site. 
 
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MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER 
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6. (SBU) Ambassador, Management Officer, GSO and attorney 
met on August 4 with Foreign Minister Simao to discuss 
Sumbana's remarks and to learn the status of the bundle of 
rights proposal. Ambassador told Simao that she was 
continuing to work the U.S. end of this project and 
expressed the hope that we would be able to close this deal 
soon. Given the mixed message the GRM was sending, she 
asked for clarification on the GRM's position vis--vis 
disposition of the Four Seasons site. 
 
7. (SBU) Simao responded that a working group had been set 
up with all stakeholders, including the Mayor's office, and 
that our proposal was on the table. He added that he, too, 
wants to finalize this process soon, and certainly before 
the Mozambican Presidential elections which are scheduled to 
take place in December. He agreed that it was Sumbana's job 
to defend tourism proposals, but, downplaying Sumbana's 
role, said that Sumbana could be convinced to "put a hotel 
elsewhere." Simao said that the Municipal Government was 
the new key player given the Mayor's strict adherence to 
planning and zoning regulations. He was pleased to hear 
that the Embassy has kept the Mayor informed of our interest 
in the site. He also stressed the importance of winning 
public support for our proposal as fears of restricted beach 
access could generate public opposition. 
 
8. (SBU) Simao said that another working group involving 
other departments had been formed to study our bundle of 
rights proposal. When Ambassador asked what next steps 
should be taken to keep this effort moving forward, he 
suggested that we wait for the GRM response to the bundle of 
rights proposal. He indicated that it would be forthcoming. 
 
9. (SBU) Comment: Foreign Minister Simao supports this 
project and wants to see the USG acquire the land. He is 
concerned that the Embassy build the necessary links with 
the municipal government since they also will weigh in 
heavily on this project. The Mayor is well aware of USG 
interest in the site and has told the Ambassador on at least 
two occasions that he supports the project. We will 
continue to seek ways to cement our positive relationship 
with the Municipal Government. Regarding the bundle of 
rights agreement, we plan to schedule a working level 
meeting to confirm that the GRM is actively addressing the 
issues we require and that a response is indeed forthcoming. 
La Lime