VZCZCXRO1492
PP RUEHDBU RUEHDT RUEHKN RUEHLMC RUEHMJ RUEHMR RUEHPB
DE RUEHDR #0084/01 0181414
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181414Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5365
INFO RUCNCLM/MCC CANDIDATE COUNTRY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 3110
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY 2462
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 2903
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT PRIORITY 0028
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0433
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 3364
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP MCC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000084 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT AF/E FOR B YODER AND D MALAC 
DEPT CA/EX FOR PAUL CANTRELL; CA/VO/F/P FOR JILL NYSTROM 
AND CA/OSC/ACS/AF RUTH BRANSON 
ALSO PLEASE PASS TO MCC FOR G BREVNOV, MKAVANAUGH AND G 
HOLLISTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2012 
TAGS: CMGT CVIS CASC PREL PROGV PHUM ECON TZ
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KARUME AND AMBASSADOR RETZER DISCUSS APP 
ZANZIBAR, USG AID, AND PROSPECTS FOR RECONCILIATION 
 
REF: A. A. DAR ES SALAAM 01835 
 
     ¶B. B. DAR ES SALAAM 1433 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000084  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Tulinabo Mushingi, for r 
eason 1.4 (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY. During their January 16 meeting, President 
of Zanzibar, Amani Abeid Karume, asked Ambassador Retzer to 
consider a "special request" that the new American Presence 
Post (APP) in Zanzibar offer consular (i.e. visa services) in 
Zanzibar.  Explaining that the APP would not offer consular 
services, the Ambassador noted that only one foreign service 
officer had been assigned to the APP.  President Karume went 
to great lengths to express his gratitude for the "very 
successful" USG program to combat malaria in Zanzibar and for 
the anxiously awaited assistance from the Millennium 
Challenge Corporation (MCC).  The President also underscored 
his intention to reduce polarization between Zanzibar's two 
islands (Pemba and Unguja), in response to the Ambassador's 
inquiry on the status of reconciliation efforts.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
President Karume Requests Visa Services in Zanzibar... 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  Citing the inconvenience and expense of travel to 
Dar es Salaam, President Karume asked if the newly-approved 
APP could offer consular services in Zanzibar.  "I remember 
that my first visa to the U.S. was issued here," Karume 
reminisced, adding that other missions such as the British 
and Italians provided honorary consular services in Zanzibar. 
 The Ambassador replied that the APP would not have consular 
privileges, explaining that the Embassy would have to gauge 
the feasibility of offering such services.  Karume made one 
last plea: "Please Your Excellency, consider this my special 
request."  The Ambassador assured Karume he would relay the 
request to Washington. 
 
(Comment: Post recognizes that no American Presence Posts 
provide visa services and that the current biometric 
collection practices would make expansion to Zanzibar 
unfeasible. Post also followed up the British and Italian 
missions and learned that they do not provide visa services 
on Zanzibar.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  President Karume emphasized that the APP on 
Zanzibar was warmly welcome, remarking that the U.S. used to 
have a consulate on Zanzibar in the 1960s.  To Karume's 
surprise, the Ambassador shared the fact that, the first U.S. 
consulate in Africa was established in Zanzibar in 1837. 
Regarding the APP, Ambassador Retzer explained that the 
Embassy was currently looking for office space in Stone Town 
and had plans to open the APP in July 2007, staffed by one 
U.S. foreign service officer. 
 
And Praises USG Assistance: Malaria and MCC 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) President Karume thanked the Ambassador for the 
"excellent partnership" in combating malaria on Zanzibar.  He 
said that through the USG's malaria program, malaria had been 
reduced by more than 80 percent in Zanzibar over the past 
year.  He added how pleased he was that President Bush had 
mentioned Zanzibar's success story during the December 
Malaria summit, putting Zanzibar "on the world map."  The 
Ambassador stressed the importance of sustaining the success 
achieved through the USG's residual indoor spraying and 
ensuring that airplanes and ferry boats did not bring in 
malaria from the Mainland.  Karume agreed:  "We have seen 
what other countries are doing to spray ships and planes and 
we also have to initiate such measures."  The Ambassador 
remarked what an added bonus for tourism it would be if 
Zanzibar could be declared "malaria free."  Nodding, Karume 
said that Government of Zanzibar (GOZ) needed to ensure the 
islands were as conducive to tourism as possible. 
 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000084  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Ambassador Retzer informed President Karume that 
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation (MCC), Ambassador John Danilovich, would be 
visiting Zanzibar on January 29.  Karume said that he was 
very excited about the prospects for MCC investments in 
water, energy, and roads to develop Zanzibar and that 
increasing cooperation with the USG would be highly 
beneficial for the future of Zanzibar's economic growth.  The 
Ambassador noted that accelerating economic growth was the 
exact purpose of the MCC. 
 
Ambassador Retzer Encourages Karume on Reconciliation 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
¶6.  (C) Finally, the Ambassador raised his concern about 
polarization between Unguja and Pemba, stating that it was 
"incumbent upon the President of Zanzibar to reduce tensions 
between the two islands."  Karume responded that ensuring 
harmony in Zanzibar was a policy of both the GOZ and the CCM. 
 "Without Ungujga and Pemba, we have no Zanzibar," Karume 
said.  He assured the Ambassador that there were "only small 
political differences" and that he didn't believe there was 
"discontent per se."  The Ambassador responded that often 
times leaders did not recognize the level of discontent 
within opposition parties and that he hoped the GOZ would 
continue concerted efforts toward reconciliation.  Saying 
that he had already initiated contact with the opposition 
party, Karume stressed, "That is my objective and contacts 
with the opposition have already begun. I don't want my 
legacy to be that I missed the chance!" 
 
¶7.  (C) President Karume also emphasized the GOZ's effort to 
ensure that every development project on Unguja was 
replicated on Pemba.  He told the Ambassador about two 
projects to build vocational schools - one on Pemba and one 
on Unguja.  Karume explained that the schools would open in 
2007 and had been built with assistance from the African 
Development Bank and a 15 percent contribution from the GOZ. 
These schools, he said, would provide hands-on skill training 
for Zanzibaris and offer business development training for 
the students.  Given the high level of unemployment in 
Zanzibar, the Ambassador said that such schools were greatly 
needed. 
 
Comment: 
---------- 
¶8. (C)  Since President Karume had requested this meeting to 
discuss the new APP, post expected Karume's request to 
provide visa services in Zanzibar.  While unable to provide 
visa services, we expect that the APP Zanzibar will - like 
other APPs - provide certain routine and emergency American 
Citizen Services (ACS). 
 
¶9.  (C)  On prospects for reconciliation, President Karume 
sent mixed signals.  He was clear that reducing tension 
between Pemba and Unguja was a primary goal and he assured 
the Ambassador that discussions with the opposition were 
already underway.  That said, Karume's denial of discontent 
and dismissal of political differences as minor is 
disconcerting.    Karume's intention to reduce polarization 
may be sincere, but unless he can communicate a better grasp 
of the problem and acknowledge the deep-seated frustration of 
the opposition party (Refs A and B), reconciliation will 
continue to be an uphill battle.  END COMMENT. 
RETZER