US embassy cable - 05DARESSALAAM42

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, AND IO 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  1/6/15 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TZ, UNSC 
SUBJECT:  TANZANIA GEARS UP FOR SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MICHAEL S. OWEN FOR REASON 
1.4 (D). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  Senior officials at the Foreign Ministry 
acknowledged to Charge that Tanzania's upcoming term on the 
UNSC will pose daunting challenges for its woefully thin 
staff.  The GOT will focus on African issues, and will take 
its lead on most issues from the AU, but is eager to 
cooperate and receive information from the US.  The GOT 
also plans to raise refugees and post-conflict issues, and 
will propose a special UNSC session on Africa.  Tanzania 
will push for more Security Council sessions to be held 
outside of New York, and will staunchly oppose any dilution 
of Africa's role if the UNSC is enlarged.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  Charge met on January 5 with Ambassador Liberata 
Mulamula, Director for Multilateral Affairs, in the Foreign 
Ministry, to discuss Tanzania's upcoming term on the 
Security Council.  Mulamula, who served in Tanzania's New 
York mission 2000-2004, said the GOT has dispensed five 
additional officers to its New York mission in anticipation 
of the increased workload.  The MFA has also set up a 
Security Council unit that will be headed by Ambassador M. 
B. Njiko, and will report directly to Mulamula.  She said 
there are five officers in the SC unit, one of whom, 
Mbwelwa Kairuki, was recently in the Department for SC 
briefings, and who joined us for the meeting. 
 
3.  (C)  Mulamula acknowledged that the MFA is feeling 
"overwhelmed" by the magnitude of the workload it will be 
facing with during its two years on the Council.  She 
lamented the severe personnel shortage in the MFA, saying 
that allocating five additional officers to New York and 
five others to the MFA's SC unit put a severe strain on the 
remainder of the Ministry, but was still not sufficient to 
meet the tasks ahead.  She said it was highly unlikely 
additional officers would be allocated to SC duties, and 
added "I hope we haven't bitten off more than we can chew." 
 
4.  (C)  Realizing the MFA's capacity constraints, Mulamula 
said the GOT was in the process of establishing clear 
priorities on which issues would receive the most time and 
energy.  The GOT would focus primarily on African issues, 
she said, because the GOT is representing "not just 
Tanzania, but all of Africa" on the Security Council.  She 
said the GOT would rely on close consultations in AU and 
other African fora to establish positions built on "African 
consensus."  She noted as an example the upcoming AU Peace 
and Security Council meeting on Cote d'Ivoire and DRC, to 
be held in Gabon January 10-11, as the type of forum in 
which the GOT would develop its priorities and positions. 
Mulamula also said the GOT would welcome "information and 
support" from the US, noting that as the United Republic of 
Tanzania, the GOT delegation would be seated next to the US 
delegation. 
 
5.  (C)  Asked if there were any specific issues the GOT 
planned to push of its own accord, Mulamula said there was 
great interest in pressing for increased support from the 
international community in post-conflict situations in 
Africa.  Too often, she said, the international community 
played a helpful role in conflict resolution, only to pull 
back thereafter and allow conflicts to re-ignite.  She said 
Tanzania, which hosts over 400,000 refugees, would also 
raise refugee issues and push for reform of international 
refugee policy.  Mulamula said the GOT would also push for 
a special UNSC session on Africa, and for more sessions 
held outside of New York, citing the recent UNSC session 
held in Kenya. 
 
6.  (C)  Charge asked about Tanzanian views on Security 
Council reform.  Referring to an old OAU position calling 
for two African nations to have permanent seats on the SC, 
Mulamula said the GOT still supports the call for two 
African seats, but realizes this is unlikely.  If there is 
enlargement of the SC, then Tanzania would staunchly oppose 
any dilution of the African share, and would push hard for 
at least one permanent seat.  This would most likely go to 
South Africa or Nigeria, she said, and the decision should 
be made by consensus within the AU.  Mulamula said the GOT 
would be willing to consider other options, such as 
rotating four-year membership for selected African nations. 
 
7.  (C)  Comment:  With Foreign Minister Kikwete an active 
presidential candidate and Deputy Minister Shareef seeking 
re-election to parliament this year, much of the 
responsibility for the MFA's stewardship of Tanzania's term 
on the Security Council will fall to Mulamula.  Although 
she has considerable experience, the troops are thin in the 
perpetually understaffed MFA.  The GOT is likely to rely 
heavily on AU consensus positions in developing its 
positions and priorities within the Council, but will also 
welcome input from the US.  End Comment. 
 
OWEN