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Viewing cable 09USUNNEWYORK454, AMBASSADOR RICE'S MEETING WITH SOUTH AFRICAN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09USUNNEWYORK454 2009-05-04 23:31 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY USUN New York
VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0454 1242331
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 042331Z MAY 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6460
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 0868
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000454 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC SF SO ZI XA ZU
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE'S MEETING WITH SOUTH AFRICAN 
PERMREP SANGQU 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Ambassador Rice met with newly appointed 
South African PermRep Baso Sangqu on April 23.  Sangqu hoped 
to forge greater cooperation on peace and security issues in 
Africa.  He suggested a holistic approach to the crisis in 
Somalia, which needed to address the root causes of conflict. 
 He asked for sanctions to be removed from Zimbabwe's 
leaders, and said the Southern African Development Community 
(SADC) would disburse $2 billion to assist Zimbabwe.  He said 
the new Zuma administration in South Africa would not make 
big foreign policy changes, and it wanted to increase 
bilateral engagement with the U.S.  Rice asked for South 
African support for the U.S. candidate for the Human Rights 
Council, and Sangqu asked for U.S. support for the South 
African candidate for the IAEA Director General position. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Ambassador Rice congratulated South African 
Ambassador Sangqu on his ascension to the PermRep position 
during their meeting on April 23.  Sangqu said he hoped to 
forge greater cooperation on peace and security issues in 
Africa, noting financing African peacekeeping, especially 
with the African Union was still a major challenge.  Rice 
stressed the U.S. wants to find a successful solution to the 
funding question facing African peacekeeping efforts. 
 
2. (SBU) On Somali piracy, Sangqu said the international 
community needed to deal with the root causes, including the 
inland dynamics in Somalia, to find a lasting solution.  He 
suggested a holistic approach, involving the clans, to build 
confidence measures in order to create a functioning state. 
Ambassador Rice acknowledged the classic challenge of 
building capacity and a security sector in a fragile country, 
and said a multi-pronged approach was needed to succeed in 
the long-term. 
 
3.  (SBU) Ambassador Sangqu asked that the sanctions 
targeting Zimbabwe's leaders be removed, since the national 
unity government had been formed.  Ambassador Rice responded 
the new government needed to show results, and the U.S. would 
be careful in its approach to ensure Mugabe's ZANU-PF party 
did not assume total control again.  She noted the challenges 
still facing Zimbabwe, including its corrupt Central Bank 
governor, the continued detention of opposition leaders, and 
the limits on freedom of the press.  Commenting on the 
financial situation, Sangqu said SADC would disburse a $2 
billion package, including credit lines, to help Zimbabwe 
face its economic challenges. 
 
4. (SBU) On the just-concluded South African elections, 
Sangqu said there would be no big foreign policy changes with 
the new Zuma government.  He thought there might be style 
differences, but South Africa really wanted to engage the 
United States, especially with the newly elected American 
administration.  He asked to identify issues on which to 
engage bilaterally. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Ambassador Rice responded human rights would be an 
excellent topic on which to build more common ground, citing 
the strong position South Africa's constitution takes on 
civil rights.  She asked for South Africa's support for the 
U.S. candidacy on the Human Rights Council.  Sangqu said he 
was sure his government would consider the request, and that 
he would contact Pretoria on the issue.  He asked for U.S. 
support for South Africa's candidate for the IAEA Director 
General position.  Ambassador Rice said the U.S. had 
committed previously to support the Japanese candidate, but 
if that position has changed she would notify him. 
Rice