R 251503Z AUG 09
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD AEC CVIS BC
SUBJECT: SALOMAO OUTLINES AMBITIOUS SADC SUMMIT AGENDA 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Scott Hamilton, Reason 1.4 (b) 
 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao told 
the Gaborone diplomatic corps on August 25 that the upcoming 
September 7-8 summit hopes to tackle a host of political and 
economic issues.  Particular priorities will be reviewing 
progress made in resolving political impasses in eastern 
Congo, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar; seeking remedies to 
ameliorate the impact of the global financial crisis on the 
region; and discussing trade arrangements both within SADC 
and with other regional organizations.  Salomao's laundry 
list revealed few surprises, although it appears unlikely 
SADC heads of state will have enough time to properly address 
all of the issues he raised.  End summary. 
 
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SUMMIT LOGISTICS 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Salomao started by noting that despite concerns 
about Congo's capacity to host the Summit of Heads of State 
and Government at Kinshasa's African Union City, he does not 
anticipate any logistical problems.  The Summit, as is 
custom, will be preceded by three meetings, which will be 
held at Kinshasa's Grand Hotel -- the Standing Committee of 
Senior Officials on September 2-3, the Finance Committee on 
the 4th, and the Council of Ministers on the 5th and 6th. 
Rwanda and the Republic of Congo are likely to be invited -- 
the former as an explicit signal of improved bilateral 
relations, and the latter as a neighborly gesture. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
POLITICAL AND SECURITY ISSUES PRIORITIZED 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Salomao emphasized that SADC heads of state were going 
to place a particular emphasis on discussing and reviewing 
progress being made in resolving the region's lingering 
political crises.  The following issues will be prioritized: 
 
--Madagascar.  Former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano 
will brief the heads of state on progress he has made in 
bringing the four relevant parties together to solve the 
ongoing political crisis in Madagascar.  Salomao said he just 
came from Maputo, where the parties have signed six 
agreements designed to resolve the political impasse, and he 
is optimistic that new elections can be held by October 2010. 
 
--Zimbabwe.  Salomao said regional leaders will review 
progress being made on implementation of the Global Political 
Agreement and discuss outstanding issues, like the allocation 
of ministerial portfolios between ZANU-PF and the MDC.  He 
said the relationship between Zimbabwe and Botswana also will 
be discussed. 
 
--Congo.  While the political and security situations in 
eastern Congo are improved, Salomao said the region remains 
an area of concern for SADC. 
 
--Lesotho.  Salomao also cited the simmering political 
tensions in Lesotho as a cause for concern and said former 
Botswanan President Ketumile Masire will brief heads of state 
on the current situation and the way forward. 
 
¶4. (C) SADC leaders also intend to discuss African Union 
proposals for a more unified continental government.  Salomao 
said SADC leaders are generally agreed that such a move needs 
to be implemented slowly and progressively, with buy-in from 
all stakeholders.  Salomao noted that "it's not Addis Ababa 
or Sirte who are to decide on continental government." 
Rather, individual states and regional organizations must 
make such a determination. 
 
¶5. (SBU) As for security issues, the heads of state intend to 
talk about combatting piracy in the region.  While the 
popular view is that piracy is an issue confined to Somalia, 
Salomao said there are growing concerns that Tanzania, 
Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius could suffer from 
piracy to the same extent as the Seychelles, the most 
affected SADC state thus far. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
ECONOMIC CONCERNS, TRADE ALSO ON AGENDA 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) On the economic front, Salomao said SADC leaders 
intend to discuss the effects of the global economic crisis 
on the region and what steps can be taken to ameliorate them. 
 Of particular concern is how states heavily dependent on 
tourism -- as are many within SADC -- can weather the crisis 
in the medium term without suffering extensive job losses. 
Salomao noted that the Summit will consider making the 
economic crisis the topic of the 2010 SADC Consultative 
Conference with donors. 
 
¶7. (C) Regarding trade, Salomao said two key issues will be 
addressed.  One is the likelihood of a Southern African 
Customs Union being implemented by 2010, as currently 
planned, which will be discussed both by heads of state and 
by the Finance Committee.  In a candid moment, Salomao 
admitted that working groups agree that 2010 probably is not 
a workable date, as South Africa in particular would like 
more time to let the Free Trade Area -- implemented just last 
year -- establish itself.  Finance ministers plan to meet in 
November to discuss the issue further, and SADC may yet hold 
an Extraordinary Summit on the issue.  (See septel on issues 
facing greater trade integration within SADC) 
 
¶8. (C) In addition, SADC leaders plan to examine the proposed 
memorandum of understanding between SADC, the East African 
Community (EAC), and Common Market for Eastern and Southern 
Africa (COMESA), determining in particular whether such an 
agreement opens the door for a broader customs union. 
Salomao noted that SADC Finance ministers in particular need 
to discuss how COMESA's creation of a customs union earlier 
this year affects SADC's own plans, given that six SADC 
states have membership in both organizations. 
 
-------------------- 
OTHER ISSUES OF NOTE 
-------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Salomao also noted the following issues: 
 
--Preparations for the upcoming African Cup of Nations soccer 
tournament, to be held in Angola next January, as well as the 
World Cup in South Africa next June will be discussed.  SADC 
leaders want to discuss in particular the possibility of a 
SADC "univisa" during the tournament for simplified travel in 
Southern Africa. 
 
--Namibia has been named as incoming SADC chair for 2010. 
Salomao said that while this would normally mean next year's 
summit will be held in Windhoek, the fact that this will be 
SADC's 30th anniversary means it might be moved to a location 
that could accommodate larger crowds. 
 
--SADC heads of state will discuss at the Summit who will 
take over from Mozambique as next year's chair of the Organ 
on Peace and Security.  Salomao gave no insights as to whom 
would be selected, simply noting that its rotational nature 
meant it would not be a state who has held the position in 
recent years. 
 
--A SADC state is due to inherit the African Union 
chairmanship in January 2010, and Malawi and Lesotho are 
seekig it.  This issue also will be discussed at the Sumit. 
 
--SADC justice ministers will submit to the Summit a report 
on the SADC tribunal ruling last year in favor of a 
Zimbabwean commercial farmer who alleged his land was taken 
from him illegally by the Government of Zimbabwe.  The ruling 
has been ignored by the GoZ, posing a major obstacle to the 
nascent SADC Tribunal's credibility. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Salomao's laundry list of issues is a daunting one 
for a two-day summit, and it strikes us as unlikely that 
significant progress will be made on many of them.  The 
issues related to trade, both within the region and with 
other regional entities, are likely to prove particularly 
vexing and probably will be punted to a later date.  Worth 
watching will be attitudes of new regional leaders Jacob Zuma 
and Ian Khama toward the proceedings.  Khama in particular 
has thus far shown himself to be outspoken and opposed to 
papering over disputes in the name of regional consensus. 
End comment. 
 
HAMILTON