US embassy cable - 05GABORONE1099

UNCLAS GABORONE 001099 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AF/S FOR MUNCY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, ZU, MA, ZI, BC, SADC, Zimbabwe, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: SADC AND GOB PREPARE FOR AUGUST 17 SUMMIT 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  Botswana will begin its tenure as chair of the 
Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the August 
17-18 regional Summit in Gaborone.  Not surprisingly, the 
humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe did not feature in the joint 
briefing for Heads of Missions conducted by the SADC 
Secretariat and the GOB on August 8.  Anticipated highlights 
 
SIPDIS 
of the Summit include the signature of a protocol on the 
free movement of people in the region, consideration of 
Madagascar's application for membership, and discussion of 
regional food security projections.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SADC SUMMIT PLANS ADVANCE 
 
2.  SADC and the GOB convened heads of mission August 8 for 
a briefing on the upcoming SADC summit, for which 
preparatory meetings will begin August 12.  Charge and 
Poleconoff attended.  SADC Executive Secretary Ramsamy 
highlighted key developments of the past year.  He noted in 
particular that, despite modest growth, SADC countries in 
general were not meeting their Millenium Development Goals. 
 
BLIND EYE TO MUGABE REGIME 
 
3.  In his discussion of political developments and problems 
in the region, Ramsamy avoided any reference to the 
humanitarian disaster resulting from Operation Restore 
Order.  He only mentioned Zimbabwe to indicate that there, 
as in other countries, the SADC Principles and Guidelines 
Governing Democratic Elections had been faithfully applied. 
 
PROTOCOL ON FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE 
 
4.  SADC Heads of State will be asked to sign a draft 
Protocol on the Facilitation of the Movement of Persons. 
The SADC Treaty calls for the free movement of people, 
capital, goods and services among member states.  Pursuant 
to it, this Protocol would allow citizens of SADC states to 
enter another country within the region for up to ninety 
days without a visa. 
 
EVALUATION OF MADAGASCAR'S CANDIDACY TO JOIN SADC 
 
5.  At the 2004 Summit in Mauritius, SADC extended candidate 
membership to Madagascar.  The Council of Ministers will 
evaluate the "roadmap" to membership presented by Madagascar 
and make a recommendation to the Heads of State for 
approval. 
 
NUMBER OF FOOD INSECURE DOUBLED 
 
6.  Ramsamy drew particular attention to the food security 
situation in the region.  While stressing that SADC could 
produce sufficient cereals to meet its demand, he noted that 
it would require outside assistance to distribute those 
stocks from surplus to deficit countries.  Ramsamy pointed 
out that the number persons vulnerable to food insecurity 
had nearly doubled from 5.1 million in 2004/05 to 10 million 
in 2005/06.  SADC has already started discussions with the 
World Food Program about mobilizing resources to meet their 
needs. 
 
RAISING TARGETS FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT 
 
7.  The SADC Declaration on Gender and Development (1997) 
set 2005 as a deadline for the achievement of 30 percent 
representation of women in all areas of decision-making. 
Ramsamy noted that most member countries have fallen 
significantly short of that target.  Therefore, the Summit 
will consider proposals on how to speed the expansion of 
women's leadership roles in the region. 
 
COMMENT 
 
7.  We have heard nothing about who might assume the 
Executive Secretary position, assuming Ramsamy finally 
departs.  However, regardless of who assumes the position, 
SADC's structure does not lend itself to action, and we 
expect no dramatic developments from this summit. 
 
8.  Mission plans to urge the MFA to assure that the SADC 
Summit does not give the Mugabe regime's Operation Restore 
Order, which the UN SYG described as a "catastrophic 
injustice," a whitewash. 
 
 
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