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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000350 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/E FOR JLIDDLE, INR FOR FEHRENREICH, AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2014 
TAGS: PREL TZ KE CG SO SU ZI
SUBJECT: KIKWETE ON REGIONAL ISSUES WITH CODEL ISAKSON 
 
REF: DAR ES SALAAM 96 
 
Classified By: CDA Larry E. Andre, Jr., for reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Tanzanian President Kikwete, meeting with CDA 
and visiting Senators Isakson and Corker May 28, called for 
more active UN involvement in Somalia and expressed concern 
about the situation in Sudan.  Kikwete criticized Kenyan 
leadership for its inattention to governing; conversely, he 
expressed confidence in, and sought support for, the 
power-sharing government in Zimbabwe. End Summary. 
 
SOMALIA 
------- 
 
¶2. (C) Kikwete responded openly to the senators' request for 
his views on issues in the region.  Kikwete began by saying 
the situation in Somali was "complicated" and required more 
decisive UN Security Council action.  Kikwete praised 
Ethiopia's intervention in Somalia, but said it was 
inevitable Ethiopia would withdraw to address other pressing 
priorities.  He said the Somali situation had become more 
worrisome since the Ethiopian withdrawal. Kikwete commented 
on the distinction between Ethiopia's "peace enforcement" 
mission and the current peacekeeping mission involving Uganda 
and Burundi.  He mentioned the impact of Somali instability 
on Tanzania, both through piracy and human smuggling.  He 
said that likely more than one thousand Somalis, apprehended 
while transiting Tanzania illegally, were currently in his 
country's jails. 
 
SUDAN 
----- 
 
¶3. (C) Discussing Sudan, Kikwete called for an expedited 
deployment of the UN force to help stabilize Darfur and clear 
the way for humanitarian assistance.  While not directly 
critical of the Bashir ICC indictment, Kikwete said it 
complicated matters in Sudan, because Bashir had become more 
focused on his personal problems than on those of Sudan. 
Southern Sudan, he said, was a "silent time bomb."  Having 
held discussions with Salva Kiir, he said, "I am not seeing 
(the South Sudanese) deciding to be a part of Sudan, and I am 
not seeing the north accepting that verdict."  Kikwete said 
the UN had a role in upholding the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement.  He also severely chastised the UN bureaucracy, 
saying deployments were frustratingly slow, and added that he 
had voiced his concerns to the UN Secretary General. 
 
DR CONGO 
-------- 
 
¶4. (C) Kikwete touched briefly on eastern DRC, expressing 
concern that the former rebels who had joined the national 
army as part of the peace deal had not been paid for more 
than two months.  He added that these soldiers were likely to 
"pay themselves" by looting, extortion, and other criminal 
activities.  Kikwete blamed the problem on GDRC lack of 
administrative capacity. 
 
KENYA 
----- 
 
¶5. (C) President Kikwete was sharply critical of Kenya's 
leaders, whom he said were too busy positioning themselves 
for the next election to work on the business of governance. 
He stressed the need for Kibaki and Odinga to make the 
power-sharing agreement work, because the situation could 
easily deteriorate. At best, he said Kenya was "not yet 
hopeless." 
 
ZIMBABWE 
-------- 
 
¶6. (C) Kikwete expressed confidence about developments in 
Zimbabwe, in particular the commitment of both Mugabe and 
Tsvangirai to power-sharing.  He said that Tsvangirai will 
almost certainly be Zimbabwe's next president because of 
Mugabe's advanced age.  He called for the U.S. and others to 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000350  002 OF 002 
 
 
support the current leadership, especially in light of the 
overwhelming challenges they face.  Comment: This has been 
Kikwete's consistent position - see reftel. 
ANDRE