US embassy cable - 05DARESSALAAM253

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000253 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Department for S/WCI AND AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/07/15 
TAGS: PREL, KAWC, SU, TZ 
SUBJECT: British and French Sound Out Tanzanians on 
Sudan Tribunal Concept 
 
REF: A) Dar es Salaam 206, B) State 18243, 
 
C) Dar es Salaam 155, D) State 11751 
 
Classified by Charge d'Affaires Michael S. Owen for 
reasons 1.4(B) and (D) 
 
1. (C) The French Deputy Chief of Mission in Tanzania 
raised the alternative proposals for a Sudan Tribunal 
during a February 3 courtesy call at the US Embassy. 
Apparently acting on instructions, French DCM Terence Wills 
asked Poloff what position we thought Tanzania was likely 
to take in the Security Council with regard to the two 
competing concepts for a Sudan Tribunal.  Wills said that 
he had discussed the question with the Foreign Ministry's 
Director for Multilateral Affairs Liberata Mulamula, and 
that the Tanzanian's seemed "embarrassed" to have to decide 
between the US and the UN proposals.  Wills said that the 
Tanzanians claimed to be among the founders of the 
International Criminal Court (he noted that was an 
exaggeration) and said that they did not want to take a 
position that would undermine the ICC.  Nonetheless, they 
were tempted by the US proposal for a joint UN/AU tribunal, 
to be stationed in Arusha, which would both build AU 
capacity and cushion Arusha from the economic shock of the 
ICTR's eventual drawdown. 
 
2.  (C)  Charge met French Ambassador Emmanuelle d'Achon at 
a social event later the same day, and d'Achon sounded a 
similar note, seeking latest USG thoughts and saying she 
thought it "unlikely" the GOT would come out strongly in 
favor of the AU tribunal concept. 
 
3.  (C)  UK High Commissioner Andrew Pocock met with Charge 
the following day and immediately raised the same issue. 
Pocock also said he had discussed the issue with the GOT 
Foreign Ministry and sensed Tanzanian hesitation in 
supporting the AU tribunal.  He said he hoped there was 
"flexibility" in the USG position, and above all hoped we 
could avoid a veto on this issue in the Security Council. 
 
4. (C)  Wills, d'Achon, and Pocock all asked what positions 
we thought Tanzania would eventually take on the Security 
Council, and how far the US would be willing to compromise. 
We refrained from divulging details of the Embassy's 
discussions with Ambassador Mulamula (Reftels A and C), but 
observed that on this issue, as on many others, the 
Tanzanians strongly supported the AU and favored 
strengthening the AU.  We gave no indication of US 
willingness to concede our position on this issue. 
 
5. (C)  Comment:  The British and French have obviously 
received instructions to weigh in forcefully on this issue 
with the GOT (and no doubt elsewhere), so we can expect 
them to exert significant pressure on the Tanzanians to 
sign on to an ICC referral.  End comment. 
 
OWEN