US embassy cable - 01LILONGWE1976

C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 001976 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/11 
TAGS: PTER PREL SADC MI 
SUBJECT: ENGAGING SADC IN GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST 
TERRORISM 
 
REF: A)STATE 179915 B) LILONGWE 1966 C) GABORONE 3385 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE THOMAS DOUGHERTY. REASON 1.5 
(B/D) 
 
 
1. (C) AT AN OCTOBER 19 MEETING WITH MINISTER OF 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS LILIAN PATEL PRIMARILY TO DISCUSS THE 
SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE (REFTEL B), CHARGE ASKED PATEL 
HER VIEWS ON HOW SADC AND THE USG COULD COOPERATE IN 
THE GLOBAL COALITION ON TERRORISM. 
 
2. (C) PATEL SAID THAT HER PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, 
BERNARD SANDE, HAD ARRIVED BACK FROM BOTSWANA THE 
PRIOR EVENING AND THAT SHE WAS AWARE THAT THE ISSUE OF 
US-SADC COOPERATION ON TERRORISM HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AT 
THE TROIKA MEETING IN GABORONE.  SHE ADDED, HOWEVER, 
THAT SHE HAD NOT YET BEEN BRIEFED BY SANDE. 
 
3. (C) PATEL INDICATED SHE BELIEVED SADC COULD PLAY A 
POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM.  SHE SAID THAT COOPERATION WITH REGIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SADC WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE 
THAN AD-HOC INITIATIVES SUCH AS PRESIDENT WADE'S 
SUMMIT.  SADC ALREADY HAS STRUCTURES IN PLACE, SHE 
SAID, THAT WOULD FACILITATE EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION. 
 
4. (C) THE MINISTER SAID SHE WOULD BE SPEAKING WITH 
PRESIDENT MULUZI ABOUT THIS ISSUE AFTER SHE HAD BEEN 
FULLY BRIEFED BY HER PRINCIPAL SECRETARY.  SHE LOOKS 
FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSION WHEN MULUZI AND SHE MEET 
WITH PDAS BELLAMY IN LILONGWE ON OCTOBER 23. 
 
5.  (C) NOTE: REFTEL (C) REPORTED THAT TROIKA OFFICIALS 
WHO DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH AMBASSADOR LANGE ON 
OCTOBER 17 INTENDED TO TAKE UP THE MATTER WITH 
PRESIDENT CHISSANO IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE 
SADC ORGAN.  WHILE WAITING FOR THE FOREIGN MINISTER TO 
ARRIVE FOR THE MEETING, CHARGE ASKED MFA OFFICIAL IF 
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY SANDE HAD RETURNED FROM BOTSWANA. 
THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT HE HAD, BUT THAT HE WAS 
PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO TRAVEL AGAIN THIS WEEKEND TO 
MOZAMBIQUE.  END NOTE. 
 
DOUGHERTY