This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 002322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/E: BYODER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2015 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TZ OVIP FRAZER JENDAYI
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER'S DECEMBER 21, 2005, CONVERSATION WITH 
ZANZIBAR PRESIDENT AMANI KARUME 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Maureen B. Latour for reason 
1.4(d) 
 
¶1.  (U)  December 21, 2005; 3:15pm; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 
 
¶2.  (U)  Participants: 
 
U.S. 
Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer 
Dr. Cindy Courville 
Amb. Michael Retzer 
DCM Purnell Delly 
PolCouns Mary Johnson 
Poloff Maureen B. Latour 
 
Tanzania 
Amani Karume, President of Zanzibar 
Omari Mgenga, Special Assistant to Jendayi Kikwete as Foreign 
Minister 
Notetaker for President Karume 
 
¶3.  SUMMARY:  In a December 21 meeting with AF Assistant 
Secretary Frazer, President Karume welcomed the recent 
 
SIPDIS 
unveiling of the President's Malaria Initiative on Zanzibar, 
pointed to what he said were fair and largely violence-free 
elections on Zanzibar, but intimated that there may be some 
elements on the isles (i.e., the opposition Civil United 
Front) that may fall prey to extremism and see advantage to 
violence in the future.  The Assistant Secretary raised 
polarization on Zanzibar between the CUF stronghold of Pemba 
and CCM stronghold Unguja, asking Karume how this division 
could be bridged and reconciliation achieved with CUF 
opposition leader Hamad and his party.  She emphasized that 
the best way to deal with the risk of extremism, as President 
Bush had underlined in his second inaugural address, was 
democratization, opening genuine political space for 
opponents and , in the case of Zanzibar, conducting an 
electoral process that all parties could have confidence in. 
End Summary. 
 
¶4.  (C)  On December 21, the Presidential Delegation to the 
inauguration of the new president of Tanzania met with Amani 
Karume, President of Zanzibar at the State House.  The 
Delegation was comprised of Assistant Secretary of State 
Jendayi Frazer, Special Assistant to the President Dr. Cindy 
Courville, Ambassador Retzer and DCM Delly. 
 
Health:  Eradicating malaria 
¶5.  (C)  Karume expressed his gratitude for support received 
from the USG, especially for education and for rapidly 
expanding health programs, including U.S. assistance on 
HIV/AIDS and malaria.  Karume stated the government,s goal 
is to eradicate malaria completely on Zanzibar and believes 
it is possible if they work hard and fully implement the 
President,s Malaria Initiative.  Karume recalled a similar 
project in the 1970,s in which the USG spent $10 million and 
sent US experts to Zanzibar for three to four years.  Karume 
believes if this project had continued, with adequate support 
from the GOT, malaria would have been eradicated on the 
isles.  A/S Frazer agreed noting that the program was another 
sign of President Bush's commitment to Africa, and Dr. 
Courville noted its goals of building capacity and partnering 
with the GOT. 
 
Political Divide:  Clear but calm 
¶6.  (C)  When A/S Frazer asked if the islands of Zanzibar are 
divided politically, Karume responded with an unqualified 
"yes" and described it as "not a very healthy political 
situation."  He said it is bad to allow politics to polarize 
the people among racial or ethnic lines, but noted that most 
people who live on the Zanzibari islands are inter-related 
with people from both islands.  While Karume said he did not 
believe the situation in Zanzibar was explosive, he admitted 
there may be some politicians who would like to see the 
situation unravel into violence.  Karume strongly emphasized 
that he was President of both islands, and that "Zanzibar is 
Unguja and Pemba." 
 
Reconciliation:  Under way 
¶7.  (C)  A/S Frazer asked how Karume planned to reconcile 
with opposition leaders and Ambassador Retzer asked if there 
will be a Mufaka III.  Karume responded that there is no need 
for a Mufaka III because Mufaka II was implemented and gave 
birth to an inter-party committee which now consists of 17 
parties.  He assured the U.S. delegation that these 
inter-party talks will continue.   He also cited the eventual 
success of the political process which began after the 
violence of January 2001, when CCM and CUF "sat down, 
discussed issues and reached an amicable solution."  Those 
positive political developments, Karume said, brought about 
free, fair and peaceful elections this year. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Ambassador Retzer emphasized the importance of a 
continuing reconciliation process between Unguja and Pemba, 
CUF and CCM.  Karume said elections on October 30 and 
December 14 were very peaceful and that the campaign or 
post-election period had little effect on tourism.  He 
assured the delegation that Zanzibar is going to remain 
peaceful and declared that to be the responsibility of his 
government. 
 
Pemba:  Small island, big role 
¶9. (C)  Karume declared CCM support on Pemba &the nucleus of 
our political integration8 and said CCM is going to increase 
its support base there.  Though CUF won all the seats on 
Pemba, he said they will sit on the opposition bench, to 
criticize, scrutinize and give the government the most 
appropriate political challenge possible.  Karume said he 
believed different political views enhance progress. 
 
¶10. (C)  When Ambassador Retzer commented that CCM on the 
mainland won because of the economy and the voters, desire 
to see economic progress continue, Karume took the 
opportunity to describe progress on Pemba.  He described the 
island in 2001 as one with no electricity,  running water or 
internet, bad roads, sporadic telecommunication services and 
businesses that were not doing well.  Karume said that since 
then the government has paved many roads, installed 
generators that produce energy 24 hours a day at a subsidized 
cost, that &everywhere you go there is a primary school,8 
and that more people enjoy clean and safe water on Pemba than 
on Unguja.  Karume stated the government,s work and progress 
will continue.  He added that the majority of CUF top 
leadership do not even live on Pemba, but on Unguja or in Dar 
and that he has spent more time on Pemba in the last five 
years than did Hamad. 
 
CUF:  as seen from across the aisle 
¶11. (C)  Karume said CUF lost all its seats on the mainland 
because it is portrayed as a party which preaches violence, 
not peace.  Karume said it is a shame to see a party whose 
leaders have lost control, describing CUF,s leaders as 
unruly and violent, and their policy as not conducive to 
integration or development.  Karume illustrated this by 
contrasting the CCM and CUF reaction to events of September 
11, 2001, saying "we" were all shocked, condemned terrorism, 
will continue to fight terrorism, and sided with the US while 
the opposition in Zanzibar and Dar launched huge 
demonstrations, praising "outlaws" and cheering "bad acts." 
A/S Frazer said a key part of the solution to dealing with 
extremism is providing greater political space and 
implementing a political process, including elections, in 
which all sides have confidence, noting that President Bush 
had emphasized this in his inauguration speech. 
 
Elections:  looking ahead 
¶12. (C)   A/S Frazer told Karume the USG will work with him 
to develop Zanzibar and with ZEC to improve the quality of 
elections.  Karume then renewed a request he made more than a 
year ago to then-Charge Michael Owen for a biometric engine. 
Karume said the engine would cost about one million USD, is 
manufactured in the US and could increase voter registration 
by three hundred to four hundred percent.  The engine could 
be used to create voter cards for the Zanzibar ID card 
program, newly-instituted for all who live on Zanzibar. 
Karume believes that the use of identity cards in the 
election process will reduce complaints, but commented that 
Hamad said there was no need for this system. 
 
¶13. (C)  A/S Frazer emphasized the key to elections is 
transparency and told Karume the USG is looking for ways to 
start working now to help ZEC with capacity.  Karume welcomed 
this idea (but without evident enthusiasm), saying it should 
be done by both NEC and ZEC and needs to be discussed with 
the electoral commissions.  Karume advised the delegation 
never to expect election results in Africa to be accepted as 
it is the nature of the opposition to complain. 
 
Pemba:  A cautionary tale 
¶14. (C)  When A/S Frazer mentioned the Delegation,s plans to 
travel to Pemba for a cultural event and to meet with clerics 
the next day, December 22, Karume advised the delegation not 
to go as they may be seen as aligning with the clerics, some 
of whom are highly politicized.  Karume said he would be more 
comfortable with the delegation going to Unguja rather than 
Pemba. 
 
¶15. (C)  Ambassador Retzer reminded Karume that A/S Frazer 
had a similar dialogue with clerics on Unguja during her 
October visit and described both trips as part of a larger 
effort covering the entire Swahili coast.  Dr. Courville 
stated the effort reaches throughout sub-Saharan Africa and 
is part of a global outreach to the Islamic world.  Karume 
suggested the embassy has cultural officers for such 
purposes, and said it was not a proper role for a senior 
official like an Assistant Secretary.  A/S Frazer responded 
that she likes to see things first-hand and would proceed 
with the event.  Karume responded "I don,t want your 
embarrassment to drag down us." 
 
¶16. (C)  A/S Frazer reassured Karume that her message to CUF 
is to accept the results of the election and move on.  She 
said that she would convey Karume,s message regarding 
accountability and the need to work with the government. 
Karume agreed that the message is positive but said they are 
arranging for Hamad to be sworn in as a "leader" on Pemba. 
He cautioned A/S Frazer to "be careful they don,t drag you 
in" as it could send bad signals and not to get mixed up with 
Zanzibar politics as it can be "too rough."  A/S Frazer 
assured Karume she was capable of handling the situation. 
¶17. (C)  Comment:  Karume's distrust of U.S. intentions in 
Pemba was evident both in his speech and demeanor as he 
fidgeted with his hands and appeared uncomfortable when the 
trip was discussed.  His message seemed equally divided 
between his desire to keep USG representatives away from CUF 
leaders and the CUF stronghold of Pemba and his desire to be 
portrayed as a friend of the U.S., concluding that his 
message to President Bush is to support your friends and that 
"we were, are now, and will continue to be your friends". 
 
¶18.  (U)  A/S Frazer has cleared this cable. 
DELLY