US embassy cable - 96STATE86789

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 086789 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/01 
TAGS: PREL ECON ENRG CG 
SUBJECT: SADC'S VIEWS ON ZAIRE 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY AF/C - MARY BETH LEONARD, REASON 1.5 
(D). 

2.  DEPARTMENT NOTES THAT NON-SADC MEMBER ZAIRE IS 
PARTICIPATING IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN POWER POOL (SAPP), 
AND UNDERSTANDS THAT ZAIRE MAY HAVE EVEN APPROACHED SADC 
TO INQUIRE ABOUT MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY.  THE 
DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CARE TO COMMENT ON THE MERITS OF 
ZAIRIAN PARTICIPATION IN EITHER OF THESE VENTURES. 
HOWEVER, WE ARE CURIOUS ABOUT SADC'S VIEWS OF ZAIRE'S 
INTERNAL POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION GLEANED FROM 
THESE INTERACTIONS, AND WONDER WHETHER THESE EVOLVING 
TIES MIGHT EVENTUALLY CONSTITUTE AN AVENUE OF LEVERAGE 
WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZAIRE. 

3.  EMBASSY GABORONE IS REQUESTED AT AN APPROPRIATE 
OCCASION TO SOLICIT SADC'S VIEWS ON ZAIRE, WITH 
PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ITS INTERNAL POLITICAL AND 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS.  EMBASSY SHOULD CONVEY U.S. 
CONCERN THAT THE ZAIRIAN GOVERNMENT AND BOTH POLITICAL 
"FAMILIES" (ALLIANCES OF POLITICAL PARTIES) WORK 
SERIOUSLY TO ADVANCE THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION, A PROCESS 
WE VIEW AS AN INDISPENSABLE COUNTERPART TO ZAIRE'S 
ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND DEVELOPMENT.  IN ITS 
CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS WITH ZAIRE, SADC MIGHT WISH TO 
STRESS THAT SAME LINKAGE. 
 
 
TALBOTT