VZCZCXRO9081
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHOR #0481/01 1661552
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 151552Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5830
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GABORONE 000481 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO BBG/VOA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019 
TAGS: PREL ASEC SADC BC
SUBJECT: SADC REQUEST TO TOUR IBB FACILITY IN SELIBE-PHIKWE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Embassy Gaborone received a diplomatic note 
from the Government of Botswana late in the afternoon June 15 
requesting that a delegation from the SADC troika team 
"investigating the allegation that Botswana trained MDC 
cadres" be granted permission to visit the IBB Transmitting 
Station facility in Selibe-Phikwe on June 16 or 17. 
Ambassador Nolan immediately phoned MFA Permanent Secretary 
Samuel Outlule to ask about the origins and timing of this 
rather strange request.  Outlule explained that SADC urgently 
approached the GOB on Sunday June 14 requesting help to 
organize a visit to Botswana by a delegation of the Organ 
Troika charged with investigating the long-pending charges 
made by Zimbabwe against Botswana.  The GOB was doing its 
best to be transparent and assist, according to Outlule, but 
was not happy by the lack of organization and planning on 
SADC's part.  Outlule advised the Ambassador that Botswana 
would appreciate a "reply in principle" soon, but he 
acknowledged that a visit to the IBB station in the requested 
timeframe may not be possible.  Embassy Gaborone believes 
that it may be useful to comply with the SADC/GOB request in 
order to show that we have nothing to hide in Selibe-Phikwe 
and teach the SADC representatives about our IBB operations. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE 
----------------------- 
¶2. (C) At approximately 1530 on Monday June 15, Embassy 
Gaborone received a diplomatic note from the Botswana 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs which reads: 
 
NOTE NO: 8/2009 EA 4/1/8/4 IV (58) A 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation 
of the Republic of Botswana presents its compliments to the 
Embassy of the United States of America and has the honour to 
inform that the SADC Troika Technical Assessment Team 
assigned to investigate the allegations by Zimbabwe that 
Botswana trained MDC-T cadres wishes to request for 
permission to visit the Voice of America Radio Relay Station 
in Selibe-Phikwe.  The Technical Assessment Team intends to 
visit a number of places in Botswana on 16 and 17 June. 
 
The Government of Botswana has expressed its readiness to 
cooperate with the SADC Troika in carrying out its 
verification task.  The Ministry therefore wishes to request 
that the SADC Troika Technical Assessment Team be allowed to 
visit the Voice of America Radio Relay Station in 
Selibe-Phikwe.  Information regarding the specific date for 
the visit, the number and nationalities of members of the 
Technical Assessment Team will be provided as soon as 
possible. 
 
The SADC Troika Assessment team intends to visit the Radio 
Relay Station because Zimbabwe has alleged that Botswana 
hosts Voice of America Radio Station Studio 7 which allegedly 
broadcasts hostile propaganda aimed at regime change in 
Zimbabwe. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation 
of the Republic of Botswana avails itself of this opportunity 
to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the 
assurances of its highest consideration. 
 
GABORONE 
15 June 2009 
 
 
GOB Trying to Cooperate with SADC 
---------------------------------- 
¶3. (C) Ambassador Nolan called MFA Permanent Secretary Samuel 
Outlule to ask about the origins and timing of this strange 
request.  It was our understanding from previous conversation 
with both the GOB and SADC that the investigation of 
Zimbabwe's spurious allegations against Botswana was complete 
and that the final report simply had to be presented to the 
parties on the findings.  Outlule told the Ambassador that 
the GOB was taken by surprise by this request, and that SADC 
only contacted him on Sunday June 14 to request that the SADC 
team be allowed to tour various sites in Botswana in order to 
"evaluate" the Zimbabwean allegations.  In the spirit of full 
disclosure, Botswana decided to cooperate in whatever way 
possible, though the GOB is clearly not happy with SADC's 
lack of advance notice and planning.  Outlule told the 
Ambassador that the GOB plans to take the SADC team on a tour 
around Botswana, to include Ghanzi, Kasane, Pandamatenga, 
 
GABORONE 00000481  002 OF 002 
 
 
Francistown, and Selibe-Phikwe (alleged sites of the military 
"training camps").  He was not yet aware of the exact 
composition of the delegation, but expected that it would 
include staff from the SADC Secretariat as well as 
representatives of the three governments that make up the 
Organ Troika (Swaziland, Angola, Mozambique) and perhaps some 
Zimbabweans in addition to the GOB hosts. 
 
¶4. (C) Ambassador Nolan explained to Outlule that it was 
unusual to receive such a last minute request for access to 
our facility.  Outlule agreed that the timing was difficult 
and told the Ambassador that what the MFA would like from us 
is simply a short reply agreeing (or not) in principle to 
this request.  Ambassador explained that we would prefer to 
share this request with Washington before making any decision 
on the matter, but that we would try to have a reply in 
principle ready on June 16. 
 
Nothing to Hide, But What Will We Gain? 
--------------------------------------- 
¶5. (C) COMMENT:  This last-minute request to tour our IBB 
Facility is unfortunately typical of SADC.  The organization 
has supposedly been working to "adjudicate" Zimbabwe's 
spurious complaints against Botswana for months, and we now 
discover that the Organ Troika is still spending time and 
resources in a silly attempt to verify whether or not there 
are MDC training camps within Botswana.  The Embassy's 
initial inclination is to agree in principle to allow a SADC 
team to tour our IBB facility, presuming we are given the 
names and nationalities of all participants in advance so 
that we can vet them, and that we can agree upon a date and 
time that is mutually convenient for us.  We would send an 
Embassy representative to be present in Selibe-Phikwe along 
with the IBB Manager during any SADC tour.  However, we are 
also concerned that this tour is wholly unnecessary, and that 
by accommodating this request, we will somehow lend credence 
to Zimbabwe's fictional complaints.  Zimbabwe's complaint is 
about the contents of the Studio 7 program, which is of 
course broadcast from Washington and simply relayed here like 
all other VOA programming.  There is no need to tour our IBB 
facility if you want to learn about Studio 7.  The program is 
available on the internet and is on the radio for all to 
hear.  Whether or not we allow the tour, we need to emphasize 
to SADC that we stand behind the contents of the Studio 7 
Program and we are saddened that the GOZ finds accurate news 
and information to be a threat.  END COMMENT. 
NOLAN