VZCZCXRO4642
RR RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #5017/01 3480431
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 140431Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7289
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1972
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0079
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 1896
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1091
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0222
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0974
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0212
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0317

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 005017 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C M. ASHRAF, AF/S M. TABLER-STONE 
PARIS FOR G. D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2016 
TAGS: PREL MARR CT SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA TO PROVIDE MILITARY TRAINING IN CAR 
 
REF: A. IIR 6-880-0037-07 
 
     ¶B. TRENKLE-PANOS EMAIL OF 12/11/2006 
 
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Catherine Kay.  Reasons 1.4(b 
) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  South Africa plans to provide military 
training and technical assistance to the Government of the 
Central African Republic (CAR).  Minister of Defense Lekota 
traveled to Bangui December 8 to discuss the possible 
military training program.  A SANDF military team departed 
for CAR December 13 to assess training needs and timing.  We 
believe South Africa views the proposed assistance as a way 
to promote stability in central Africa, as well as advance 
their commercial mining interests in CAR.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Director 
Carol Rath (protect) told PolOff December 12 that Minister of 
Defense Mosiuoa Lekota traveled to Bangui December 8 to meet 
with CAR President Francois Bozize and military officials. 
Rath said that Bozize had requested South African military 
support, and that South Africa agreed to provide military 
training and technical assistance.  A small military team, 
led by RADM Philip Schoultz, traveled to Bangui December 13 
to assess training options and timing (Ref A). 
 
¶3. (C) Rath said that South Africa's assistance is a tangible 
way to express support for an elected government that has 
made "progress."  According to the Sunday Independent 
newspaper, Lekota said that South Africa was seeking to 
"bring stability" to CAR and its neighboring countries (Ref 
B).  Rath emphasized that Pretoria is providing the 
assistance in the context of its bilateral Cooperation 
Agreement with CAR, which was signed in April 2006 during 
President Bozize's working visit to Pretoria.  She also said 
that South Africa is responding to the African Union's 
request to members to support the elected CAR government. 
 
¶4. (C) In addition to the proposed military training, South 
Africa recently donated USD 250,000 to the CAR Government to 
"clear international arrears," according to Rath (NFI).  The 
African Development Bank is coordinating the effort to 
relieve CAR's debt burden. 
 
¶5. (SBU) South Africa's commercial interests in the CAR 
include a uranium mine, owned by the firm UraMin Inc., which 
opened in October.  The diamond giant DeBeers holds 
concessions in the CAR, but these sites are not active 
because of the tense security situation.  South Africa does 
not have an embassy in Bangui, but rather covers the country 
from Yaounde. 
 
¶6. (C) Independent Newspaper editor Hans Pienaar, who 
traveled with Lekota to Bangui, told PolOff December 13 that 
the South African mission asked detailed questions about 
military barracks, the number of female recruits, uniforms, 
and equipment, suggesting that they planned a robust military 
training program.  Pienaar said that Lekota stressed that 
South Africa would not provide lethal military equipment or 
supplies, but did not exclude the possibility of commercial 
sales of such equipment.  Pienaar believes that South Africa 
is motivated by a desire to stabilize CAR, protect Africa's 
image, and advance their commercial interests.  He noted that 
the rebels control parts of the diamond mining area. 
 
¶7. (C) Institute for Security Studies analyst Henri Boshoff 
told PolOff December 13 that the French were not happy with 
the South African initiative -- since they regard CAR as 
their area of influence -- but both Pretoria and Paris are 
now making efforts to coordinate. 
 
¶8. (C) COMMENT:  We agree that the South African Government 
views the proposed military training program in CAR, as well 
as its cash donation, as ways to help stabilize the fragile 
central African country.  Stability in this region is 
important to South Africa's interests.  Pretoria devoted 
enormous resources to conflict resolution in DRC and Sudan, 
and the last thing Pretoria wants is another conflict or coup 
in the region.  South Africa's mining interests, while not 
 
PRETORIA 00005017  002 OF 002 
 
 
the dominant factor, no doubt played a role in the SAG 
decision to become involved in CAR.  END COMMENT. 
BOST