VZCZCXRO7379
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHDR #0461/01 2100705
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280705Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7726
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 1423
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0400
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT PRIORITY 0071
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0310
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000461 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT AF/E FOR JLIDDLE 
ADDIS ABABA FOR AU MISSION 
LONDON, PARIS, BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KDEM EAID TZ
SUBJECT: ZANZIBAR:  AMBASSADOR GREEN DISCUSSES ZANZIBAR 
ECONOMY, PEMBAN ELDERS' PETITION WITH PRESIDENT KARUME 
 
REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 0444 
     ¶B. DAR ES SALAAM 0261 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000461  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1. (SBU) President Amani Karume of Zanzibar told Ambassador 
Green in a recent meeting that he is ready at any time to 
discuss next steps to break the impasse between the ruling 
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the Civic United Front (CUF) in 
Zanzibar.  Karume commented that law enforcement authorities 
may have "overreacted" in their brusque arrest and six day 
detention of seven Pemban elders who had signed a petition in 
April 2008 for Pemba's autonomy within the United Republic of 
Tanzania.  In a wide ranging discussion on Zanzibar's 
economy, the effects of the electricity blackout that 
paralyzed Unguja Island for nearly three weeks in June 2008, 
and difficulties the Government of Zanzibar has faced in 
infrastructure development, the Ambassador laid the 
groundwork for a frank discussion with Karume on the 
necessity to take action and respond to opposition concerns 
in order to assure to avoid serious civil disturbances or 
violence in the run-up to or during Zanzibar's 2010 
elections.  End Summary 
 
Tourism top income earner for Zanzibar 
-------------------------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) As the stalemate over the path to reconciliation and 
an equitable power-sharing agreement for a government of 
national unity in Zanzibar enters the fourth month, 
Ambassador Green met with President Amani Karume July 17. 
The Ambassador stressed the importance of tourism to 
Zanzibar's economy, noting that revenue from tourism has 
replaced the clove trade and other traditional trade 
activities as the number one income-earner for Zanzibar.  He 
emphasized that Americans are particularly are drawn to 
Zanzibar as much for its rich history and cultural diversity 
as for the two isles' pristine white sand beaches.  Karume 
expressed the view the that the United States and Zanzibar 
have both benefited from diversity and from an influx of 
immigrants from many continents.  Such cultural blending 
brought artistic fruits such as jazz to the United States, 
and comparable levels of creativity to Zanzibar.  Karume 
added that he had seen architecture similar to that of Stone 
Town during a tour of Charleston, South Carolina in May. 
 
¶3. (SBU) President Karume thanked the Ambassador for the 
United States' programs and steady support in the health 
sector that has drastically reduced the instance of malaria 
on both isles of Zanzibar.  He also commented on the fruitful 
discussion on July 2 with the delegation (NODEL) of three 
U.S. Members of Congress concerning the use of wind and solar 
power in Zanzibar.  Karume said that back up, alternative 
sources of energy are critical in face of sharply rising oil 
prices.  Thus reducing dependency on fossil fuels in energy 
generation should be a priority for Tanzania.  He said that 
this was starkly evident during the prolonged 18-day blackout 
in early June in Stone Town and all of Unguja island due to 
subsequent damage from a severe short circuit in the Mainland 
to Zanzibar cable that supplies Unguja with electricity. 
(Note:  Pemba Island is electrified by diesel generators and 
was not affected by the blackout.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador pointed out that Unguja Island would 
benefit from a Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCC) 
project that would lay a reliable underwater electric cable. 
In addition, the Embassy is looking for opportunities to 
attract more U.S. tourists to Zanzibar, for both historic 
tourism as well as the renowned beaches.  In particular, the 
Ambassador is exploring how during President Kikwete's August 
2008 official trip to Washington D.C. that Zanzibar's 
touristic opportunities could be highlighted. 
 
Pemban elders' petition 
----------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Green told President Karume that during 
his April 5 visit to Pemba Island, he had a productive 
meeting with the regional commissioner and Members of the 
Zanzibar House of Representatives.  In the afternoon, he had 
been approached briefly by four elders who later wrote and 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000461  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
signed a petition requesting Pemba have its own government 
under the Union structure, thus creating a three rather than 
the current two government structure.  However, the 
Ambassador told Karume he did not take that discussion 
seriously and had never even seen the petition.  Karume 
commented that the way in which seven of the Pemban elders 
were treated after sending that petition on April 9 to the UN 
Development Program--i.e., arrested from their homes at 
midnight; held without communication and questioned for 
nearly six days, etc.-- was "unfortunate".  All seven had 
been released on bail while a thorough investigation 
continues. 
 
Karume willing to meet on reconciliation 
---------------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador said he planned to return to Pemba in 
the near future to inaugurate two mosques in Micheweni that 
had been restored by a USG FY06 grant from the Ambassador's 
Fund for Cultural Preservation and would notify the Zanzibar 
State House in advance of the date.  Karume added that he had 
noticed the announcement during the visit of the NODEL that 
the Embassy had awarded a similar grant to the Kizimkazi 
mosque in southern Unguja.  He welcomed these efforts to 
preserve Zanzibar's history, which also contributes to 
attracting more tourists.  The Ambassador replied that 
continued peace and stability in Zanzibar is equally 
essential to keeping tourist levels high.  He told President 
Karume he wanted to meet soon for a frank discussion on 
options and next steps in order to resolve the current 
stand-off between the two political parties in Zanzibar. 
President Karume said he would be ready to meet on these 
concerns at any time. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7. (SBU) President Karume's statement that he is ready to 
discuss reconciliation with the Ambassador should not be 
taken as proof of any change in Karume's opposition to 
powersharing.  He has said to diplomats before that he 
supports reconciliation, but his definition of an acceptable 
outcome is dramatically different than what CUF or the 
diplomatic community believes "reconciliation" requires: 
some form of powersharing before 2010. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Through his discussions with the State House in Dar 
es Salaam, the Ambassador has realized that while President 
Kikwete has made the public promise to reconcile and reduce 
tensions in Zanzibar, Karume and his inner circle need to 
clearly understand the USG's strong concerns that substantial 
progress on reconciliation has to be made before the end of 
this year.  Through an exchange of areas of mutual interest 
and cooperation at the July 17 meeting with Karume, the 
Ambassador is trying to lay the groundwork.  He plans to meet 
again with President Karume within the next few weeks to 
stress the consequences to Zanzibar's economy should 
reconciliation not be achieved, including an increased 
probability that the run-up to the 2010 elections could 
generate an atmosphere of tension, or worse yet violence, in 
Unguja or in Pemba. 
GREEN