Centre, Amphitheatre, Union Buildings
4 April 2007
Zimbabwe
As I said last week, the Chairman of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation Tanzanian
President Jakaya Kikwete convened meetings of the SADC Double Troika and an
Extraordinary SADC Summit in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on the 28 to 29 March
2007.
Communique
2007 Extraordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, 28 to 29
March 2007
The Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of SADC met
in Dar-es-Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania on 29 March 2007 to discuss the
political, economic and security situation in the region, with special focus on
the situations in Lesotho, DRC and Zimbabwe.
The meeting was chaired by his Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete,
Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security
Co-operation.
The Extra-Ordinary Summit was attended by following Heads of State and
Government and Government representatives:
* Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): HE President Joseph Kabila
* Kingdom of Lesotho: Right Honourable Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili
* Malawi: HE President Bingu wa Muthrika
* Mozambique: HE President Armando Emilio Guebuza
* Namibia: HE President Hifikepunye Pohamba
* South Africa: HE President Thabo Mbeki
* Kingdom of Swaziland: Right Honourable Prime Minister Themba Dlamini
* United Republic of Tanzania: HE President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
* Zambia: HE President Levy P Mwanawasa
* Zimbabwe: HE President Robert G Mugabe
* Botswana: HE Vice-President Honourable Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama lan Khama
* Angola: Honourable Joao Bernando Miranda, Minister of External
Relations
* Madagascar: HE Bruno Ranarivelo, Ambassador to Mauritius
* Mauritius: HE Mahomed Dossa, High Commissioner to South Africa
On the political situation in Lesotho
The Extraordinary Summit recalled that the Kingdom of Lesotho recently held
successful, peaceful and democratic elections.
The Extraordinary Summit noted and appreciated a briefing by the Right
Honourable Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili and a report form the Executive
Secretary arising out of the meeting of the Ministerial Double Troika on post
electoral developments in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The Extraordinary Summit decided to send a SADC delegation at Ministerial
level to go and assess the situation as requested by the political parties.
On the political situation in the DRC
The Extraordinary Summit recalled that SADC took an active part in ensuring
the holding of free, fair and democratic elections in the DRC and congratulated
the Government and people of the DRC for the successful outcome.
The Extraordinary Summit noted and appreciated the briefing by HE President
Joseph Kabila on the current political situation in the DRC.
The Extraordinary Summit resolved to render unconditional support to the
government of the DRC in its quest to restore law and order maintaining peace
and stability and spearheading national reconstruction.
The Extraordinary Summit reaffirmed the sovereign rights of the DRC to have
a single national army and urged all armed groups to integrate into the
national army or to be demobilised.
The Extraordinary Summit reiterated that the rule of law in the DRC must be
observed and respected by all parties in conformity with accepted international
convention.
The Extraordinary Summit expressed concern on the loss of life and urged all
parties to respect the sanctity on human lives and the principles of human
rights.
The Extraordinary Summit expressed its support to the ongoing efforts for
the economic reconstruction of the DRC.
Political situation in Zimbabwe
The Extraordinary Summit noted and appreciated the briefing by His
Excellency President Robert G Mugabe on the current political developments in
Zimbabwe.
The Extraordinary Summit recalled that free, fair and democratic
presidential elections were held in 2002 in Zimbabwe.
The Extraordinary Summit reaffirmed its solidarity with the government and
people of Zimbabwe.
The Extraordinary Summit mandated His Excellency President Thabo Mbeki to
continue to facilitate dialogue between the opposition and the government and
report back to the troika on progress.
The Extraordinary summit also encouraged enhanced diplomatic contacts which
will assist with the resolution of the situation in Zimbabwe.
The Extraordinary Summit mandated the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) Executive Secretary to undertake a study on the economic situation in
Zimbabwe and propose measures on how SADC can assist Zimbabwe recover
economically.
The Extraordinary summit reiterated the appeal to Britain to honour its
compensation obligations with regards to land reform made at the Lancaster
House.
The Extraordinary Summit appealed for the lifting of all forms of sanctions
against Zimbabwe.
Zanu-PF had its central committee meeting on Friday 30 March 2007.
The following decisions were taken at this meeting:
* President Mugabe will be the Zanu- PF's presidential candidate for the
2008 presidential election.
* Parliamentary elections will be held concurrently with the presidential
election. There is no need for a constitutional amendment as the President is
allowed, according to the current constitution, to bring parliamentary
elections forward.
* The Presidential term will be reduced from six to five years and this will
necessitate a constitutional amendment.
* Another important amendment pertains to a decision to change the process to
find a successor to the incumbent President. Previously the constitution stated
that presidential elections should be held within 90 days of the retirement,
death, or resignation of the President. The Central Committee decided that
should the incumbent President resign, die or be not capable of continuing with
the duties of President, Parliament will sit as an electoral college and elect
a new President.
* Local government elections will also be held in 2008, which will mean that
local government elections will be held every five instead of every four
years.
* The elections for the Senate will be scrapped and senators will now be
chosen on the basis of proportional representation. In other word the number of
votes garnered by a party in the elections for the House of Assembly would be
allocated on a proportional basis to decide on the number of representatives in
the Senate. During the 2005 Senatorial elections, senators were elected
according to constituencies specifically demarcated for this purpose.
* The number of seats in the House of Assembly will be increased from 150 to
210 while seats in the Senate will go up from 66 to 84. It is not clear how
this will impact on President Mugabe's presidential prerogative to nominate
some MPs and senators. Until now President Mugabe could nominate 20
parliamentarians to the House of Assembly. Of the 66 members of the Senate,
President Mugabe nominated six and ten senators came from the ranks of the
traditional leaders � in effect another ten pro-government senators.
The Central Committee decisions demand that SADC and the international
community have to intensify efforts to ensure that the necessary climate and
conditions are created to ensure free and fair elections. This, inter alia,
will have to deal with concerns about certain legislation, etc.
To ensure that the necessary climate is created, all Zimbabweans must act
with restraint and within the rule of law. Decisive action must be taken
against those that are carrying out sabotage activities. Zimbabweans must
continue to respect the independence and integrity of the justice system.
This will create a more favourable climate for President Mbeki to carry out
SADC's mandate to continue to facilitate dialogue between the government and
the opposition (including political parties and other sectors of civil
society.)
This will assist the SADC initiative to create conditions for free and fair
elections.
The Summit also 'encouraged enhanced diplomatic contacts' which will assist
with the resolution of the situation in Zimbabwe, inter alia, Summit appealed
for the lifting of all forms of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Given the serious economic situation the SADC Summit mandated the Executive
Secretary to undertake a study on the economic situation in Zimbabwe and
propose measures on how SADC can assist Zimbabwe recover economically.
In this context, SADC reiterated its appeal to the United Kingdom to honour
the Lancaster House compensations agreement with regard to land reform.
As President Mbeki indicated in his interview to the Financial Times, "We
had already been in contact with both the opposition and ZANU-PF. Last week
Friday the two secretaries general of the two factions of the MDC (the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change) came and had a long discussion with
our people about their view about what needs to happen. At the end of that
discussion they said they would then go back to Harare and give us a document
which would reflect the official view, the combined view of both factions of
the MDC which would then open the way for us to interact with ZANU-PF. This was
before the Dar as Salaam (SADC) summit. So they are in the process of
finalising that document. And when it is finalised we will interact with
ZANU-PF."
President Mbeki also yesterday announced that there will be another meeting
between the two Secretaries-General of the MDC and the South African
delegation.
Given that there has been movement with regard to the situation in Zimbabwe,
the principal challenge facing all Zimbabweans is what should be done between
now and the elections (possible in March 2008) to create a climate that will be
truly free and fair elections for an outcome that will not be contested by
anybody.
As the President also said, "It is the view of the region that the only way
to deal with these problems and the only way to achieve results, is if we
encourage the Zimbabwean political parties to engage with one another� whether
this succeeds or not it is up to the Zimbabwe leadership. It is they who will
agree about the future of Zimbabwe, so to the extent that they don't agree, and
therefore the conflict continues, maybe violence escalates which the region is
very much against, sure that may be damaging but what can you do about it
except to say we don't like this�.We have intervened because we don't like it
and we think this is the route to go. But none of us in the region has any
power to force the Zimbabweans to agree."
It is a daunting challenge for the mediation and the region.
However, as President Mbeki said that while we are concerned about the
negative effects of the crisis in Zimbabwe on the region, we would not ever
support any proposition about regime change. So that is not an option for us,
whatever other people might think in the rest of the world. The only option we
have is to make sure that the Zimbabwe political leadership agrees on the steps
that it needs to take the country out of its problems. That was the only point
made with regard to that.
What is clear is that SADC had extensive discussions on the three areas of
concern to the region. It was made clear that any negativity in any of the
three areas would have serious implications for us as a region so it was
decided that we would, as the region, take steps to ensure these issues are not
exacerbated.
Democratic Republic of Congo
We remain concerned about the developments in the DRC.
Mr Bemba remains at the compound of the SA Embassy in Kinshasa, while he
still awaits the approval of his departure from the Congolese authorities. The
date for his departure therefore remains unknown at this stage.
United Nations (UN) Security Council Presidential Statement on the situation
in the DRC
"The Security Council deplores the violence which occurred from 22 to 25
March in Kinshasa between Congolese security forces and the security guards of
Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba. It expresses its grave concern at the loss of lives,
in particular of civilians, and urges all parties to respect the sanctity of
human life and the principles of human rights. It also expresses its regret at
the destruction and pillaging, including of some diplomatic missions, which
took place during the clashes."
"The Security Council encourages the Congolese authorities and the United
Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to
undertake the necessary investigations into these events. The Security Council
emphasises the legitimacy of the new democratically elected institutions and
the need for these institutions to ensure the protection of the population. At
the same time, it underlines the importance of these institutions operating
with respect for the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian
law, and avoiding any unnecessary or disproportionate use of force."
"The Security Council regrets the use of violence, instead of dialogue, to
resolve disputes, and urges all Congolese stakeholders to pursue negotiated
solutions to their differences with respect for the constitutional framework
and the law. It calls on the Government to respect the space and role conferred
on parties by the Constitution with a view to ensuring their effective
participation in the national political debate, and encourages all parties to
remain committed to the political process."
"The Security Council expresses its full support for the efforts of MONUC to
re-establish dialogue between the Government and opposition parties and to
contribute to the protection of the civilian population."
Other international role players' involvement
The new European Union (EU)Special representative for the Great Lakes Mr
Roeland van de Geer had indicated that the EU through Mr Louis Michel were
interested to get involved in the Bemba case by 'harmonising' the South African
and EU's view on the way forward regarding the DRC.
SADC Recommendations
The Extraordinary Summit recalled that SADC took an active part in ensuring
the holding of free, fair and democratic elections in the DRC and congratulated
the Government and people of the DRC for the successful outcome.
The Extraordinary Summit noted and appreciated the briefing by HE President
Joseph Kabila on the current political situation in the DRC.
The Extraordinary Summit resolved to render unconditional support to the
government of the DRC in its quest to restore law and order maintaining peace
and stability and spearheading national reconstruction.
The Extraordinary Summit reaffirmed the sovereign rights of the DRC to have
a single national army and urged all armed groups to integrate into the
national army or to be demobilised.
The Extraordinary Summit reiterated that the rule of law in the DRC must be
observed and respected by all parties in conformity with accepted international
convention.
The Extraordinary Summit expressed concern and the loss of life and urged
all parties to respect the sanctity on human lives and the principles of human
rights.
The Extraordinary Summit expressed its support to the ongoing efforts for
the economic reconstruction of the DRC.
Burundi
On 26 March 2007, the Office of the Facilitator announced that the Joint
Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) had been suspended as a result of
the Paliphehutu-FNL persistently raising issues which were, in the opinion of
the Facilitation, outside the ambit of their mandate. It would appear that the
Paliphehutu-FNL is reverting to a pre-Dar es Salaam stance, for instance its
statement that "it was agreed in the ceasefire deal that � all government
troops will have to quit zones where there are FNL fighters, but this was not
respected." Another issue is the future role of the Paliphehutu-FNL leadership
in Burundian political life. The former rebel movement is of the opinion that
it should be absorbed without ever having been mandated to do so by popular
elections, which the government finds hard to reconcile with. It argues that
Paliphehutu-FNL is raising issues that fall outside of the Comprehensive
Ceasefire Agreement and is 'sabotaging the Agreement.' The JVMM has been
suspended four times since its inception, each time as result of objections or
concerns raised by the Paliphehutu-FNL. Other parties, notably FRODEBU (Front
for Democracy in Burundi) and the MRC (Movement for the Rehabilitation of
Citizens), have expressed disappointment at the suspension of the JVMM and have
asked parties to make concessions for the sake of Burundi.
The South African government urges the Paliphehutu-FNL to adhere to the
agreements reached in Dar-es-Salaam and to refrain from raising issues outside
the mandate of the Facilitator.
Sudan
Comments by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on situation in Sudan
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on conclusion of visit to Saudi Arabia where
he held discussions with Sudanese President El-Bashir on the margins of the
Arab League Summit said he was pleased by the commitment of Arab leaders to
help resolve the Darfur situation.
On the way forward he said, "I am going to dispatch DPKO [Department of
Peacekeeping Operations] experts to Addis Ababa to discuss with the African
Union, the implementation of the agreement reached between me and President
Omar el-Bashir of Sudan and Alpha Oumar Konare, the Chairman of the African
Union.
"I hope that I will be able to dispatch experts to Addis Ababa to discuss
the Darfur heavy support package issue, and I am going to make an informal
report to the Security Council on 5 April."
"I would like to inform you that I am going to convene a high-level
consultation to discuss the Darfur situation in New York with the Chairman of
the African Union, Mr Konare. He is going to visit New York on 16-17 April. On
those two days I am going to engage in extensive, in-depth consultation with
the African Union to make further progress on this matter, based upon the
report of the technical expert-level consultation in Addis Ababa. We will
continue to discuss what further measures will have to be taken to make
progress."
"On the future course of actions by the United Nations, I would hope that I
would first of all be able to engage in technical-level consultation; at the
same time the political dialogue process should continue. We have achieved some
improvement and results through this political dialogue. The
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr John Holmes, visited
Darfur, and made good progress in humanitarian assistance. I need to have some
time to engage in political dialogue, as well as on this detailed consultation
with the Sudanese government.
Comments by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes
John Holmes, the UN's top humanitarian official, while on a visit to a
refugee camp near the town of El-Fasher in Darfur on Sunday, said: "This
humanitarian effort is fragile � If the situation deteriorates, it could
collapse."
He said problems such as obstruction from Sudan's government and insecurity
on the ground have created an environment where "morale is fragile" and could
push aid workers to pull out.
"The risk is high," he said. "It is not imminent, but if things deteriorate,
people may not want to maintain their efforts."
Es Sallam, the refugee camp visited by Holmes and where some 45 000 people
have taken refuge from the region's spiraling violence, is one of three camps
near El Fasher.
Holmes said people in the camp were not starving and health conditions
seemed decent.
But the camp is over spilling with people and aid workers are currently
negotiating space for a fourth camp to meet the incoming flow of refugees.
Killing of African Union (AU) Peacekeepers
Position of South African government
The South African government unequivocally condemns the killing of the five
African Union Peacekeepers. This is a serious violation of international law
and all relevant resolutions of the Security Council. We demand that those
responsible for this criminal act must be arrested and charged.
Comments by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
"I am very sorry for the death of African Union peacekeepers. I am not aware
of who was behind it, but I would like to strongly deplore such killings
against peacekeepers in Africa. That really illustrates the necessity and
urgency of dispatching hybrid peacekeepers to Darfur. That is what I am going
to work on."
Statement by African Union Mission in Sudan
The African Union has launched an investigation into the killing of five of
its peacekeepers by unidentified assailants in Sudan's western region of
Darfur, saying attacks against its troops were increasing.
"It was a heinous crime against peacekeepers," Noureddine Mezni, spokesman
for the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS), told IRIN on Monday.
"We are very concerned over the increasing number of attacks against our
personnel and we will not tolerate it," said Mezni. The attack happened about
24 hours after a helicopter carrying AMIS's deputy commander and other officers
was shot at in the Kurni area of Western Darfur. Nobody was hurt in the
incident.
Comment by SA Government
These killings underscore the urgency of strengthening the AU Mission in
Sudan by implementing the AU and UN Security Council resolution.
It is a matter of concern that despite comments by the Secretary-General
some countries continue to speak of more sanctions against Sudan. The objective
of Africa and the international community should now be to resolve the
different interpretations of the AU and UN resolutions and implement the heavy
support package and to not create any further obstacles.
President Mbeki will visit Sudan next week where he will have discussions
with President Omar el-Bashir and First Vice President Salva Kirr on issues of
the comprehensive peace agreement and the implementation of the AU-UN
resolutions on the strengthening and blue-hatting of the AU forces in
Darfur.
We do hope that matter can be resolved quite urgently because as the AU
spokesperson has warned it will become increasingly difficult for the AU to
sustain its presence in Darfur.
Somalia
Violence is continuing unabated in Somalia with the UN saying 47 000 Somalis
have fled Mogadishu in the past 10 days, making a total of 96 000 since
February. South Africa is very concerned about the increasing violence that has
resulted in over 350 deaths.
It is important that the Somali government convenes the national
reconciliation congress, scheduled for 16 April and we hope all necessary
preparations will be completed to enable this to happen.
South Africa urges all parties to the conflict to respect the ceasefire that
has been in place since Sunday, to permanently end hostilities and to conclude
an unconditional ceasefire. A ceasefire is the prerequisite for bringing the
required humanitarian assistance to the affected population, which is now so
urgently needed.
It is quite clear that if the situation is not resolved we will reach
proportions of conflict in excess of what was witnessed 15 years ago.
The conflict can only be solved through dialogue across the political and
civil society spectrum.
The South African government remains committed to support such dialogue.
High Commissioner urges protection of civilians in Mogadishu (3 April
2007)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour is deeply
concerned over the high number of civilian deaths and injuries caused by recent
hostilities in Mogadishu, Somalia, her spokesman told reporters this morning.
The casualties are reportedly the result of indiscriminate attacks and aerial
bombardments in populated areas.
The High Commissioner also condemns the repeated cases of desecration of
bodies witnessed in recent days, the spokesman said. As a tense calm prevails
over the city, there is a worry that civilians will again bear the brunt of
fighting if the ceasefire in place since Sunday does not hold. The High
Commissioner urges the parties to respect international humanitarian law and
reminds them of their duty to protect the human rights of civilians at all
times. This includes granting civilians safe passage and allowing humanitarian
aid to reach those who have been affected.
The High Commissioner also condemns the repeated cases of desecration of
bodies witnessed in recent days, the spokesman continued. As a tense calm
prevails over the city, there is a worry that civilians will again bear the
brunt of fighting if the ceasefire in place since Sunday does not hold. The
High Commissioner urges the parties to respect international humanitarian law
and reminds them of their duty to protect the human rights of civilians at all
times. This includes granting civilians safe passage and allowing humanitarian
aid to reach those who have been affected.
Cote d'Ivoire
Developments which I reported last week have been supported by the AU Peace
and Security Council and UN Security Council through a Presidential statement.
We are hopeful that this matter can be resolved sooner rather than later.
Communique of the 74th meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the
African Union on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union, at its 74th meeting
held on 29 March 2007, adopted the following decision on the situation in Cote
d'Ivoire:
Council,
1. Recalls its Communique PSC/PR/Comm.2 (LXXIII) adopted on 19 March 2007 in
which it decided, among other things, to fully endorse the Ouagadougou
Political Agreement of 4 March 2007.
2. Welcomes the signing, on 26 March 2007, of the Additional Agreement
between President Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro, Secretary-General of the
Force Nouvelles, under the aegis of President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso,
Current Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
through which the signatory parties have decided to designate Guillaume Soro as
the new Prime Minister. Council further reiterates its appreciation of the
efforts being deployed by President Blaise Compaore to facilitate the
successful outcome of the peace and reconciliation process in Cote
d'Ivoire.
3. Decides to endorse the Additional Agreement as well as the designation of
Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister.
4. Commends the outgoing Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny for his tireless
efforts aimed at facilitating the successful outcome of the peace and
reconciliation process in Cote d'Ivoire.
5. Takes note of the Presidential Statement on Cote d'Ivoire adopted by the
United Nations Security Council on 28 March 2007, whereby the Council, taking
note of the recommendations of ECOWAS and of the AU, endorsed the Ouagadougou
Political Agreement, took note of the parties' agreement on the required
institutional arrangements, and expressed its support to the appointment of
Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister.
6. Invites the United Nations Security Council to endorse this decision and
to take all necessary measures, including the adoption of a new resolution, to
help the Ivorian parties keep the momentum generated by the Ouagadougou
Political Agreement and the Additional Agreement to enable them to successfully
conclude the peace and reconciliation process in C�te d�Ivoire, which should
lead on to free, open, transparent and democratic elections.
7. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Middle East
Declaration by Arab League Leaders at the 19th Arab League Summit in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia 28-29 March 2007
We, leaders of the Arab countries, convened in the nineteenth round of the
Arab League Council at the level of summit in Riyadh capital of Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia 28- 29 March 2007, denounce all forms of extremism and
discrimination, and seeking to promote the Arabic identity and consolidate its
cultural and civilisation constituents and pursuing its open humanitarian
mission in view of the challenges and dangers faced by the nation threatening
to reshape the situation in the region, fade away the Arab identity and
undermine the ties among us.
We hereby declare our intention to:
Work earnestly to fortify the Arab identity, support its constituents and
anchors, consolidate the association to it in the hearts and minds of the
children and the youth on the grounds that Arabism is not a racial
discrimination concept but a unified cultural identity whereby the Arabic
language plays the role of expressing it and safeguarding Arabic heritage and
represents a mutual cultural framework based on the spiritual, moral and
humanitarian values enriched by plurality and diversity and openness to other
human civilisations and keeping abreast with the fast-paced scientific and
technological developments without melting or breaking into pieces or losing
distinction, therefore we decide:
* To spread the culture of moderateness, tolerance, dialogue and openness
and reject all forms of terrorism, extremism and extravagance and all isolative
discriminative tendencies, feud, hatred, distortion campaigns, attempts to
question our human values or to tamper with our religious convictions, and
warning against using faith plurality and sectarianism for political objectives
aiming to divide the Nation and divide its countries and peoples and to ignite
sedition and destructive civil conflicts.
* To promote effective Arab solidarity which contains crises and solves
conflicts among the member states in pacific means in framework of activating
the Arab Council of Peace and Security which was approved by the previous Arab
Summits, and to sustain dialogue with the regional neighbouring countries based
on certain unified Arab stances and to revive institutions for the protection
of the collective Arab security as stipulated by the Arab Pacts, and to seek to
meet the Arab defensive and security needs.
* To confirm the option of the fair and comprehensive peace being as
strategic option for the Arab Nation and to confirm the Arab Peace Initiative
which sets up the correct path for reaching to a peaceful settlement of the
Arab-Israeli conflict based on the principles of legal legitimacy and
international resolutions and the principles of land for peace.
* To confirm the significance of making the region free from all weapons of
WMD away from the double standards and selectiveness, warning against launching
dangerous and destructive nuclear arming race in the region and confirming the
rights of all countries to possess peaceful nuclear power in accordance with
the international agencies and the inspection and monitoring system associated
with them.
It is clear that there is a growing feeling in the Arab world that the Arabs
must be united in dealing with their cultural identities and indeed deal with
the situation that is exploding all around them.
Reactions by Arab Leaders
King Abdullah II:
"Peace between Arab states and Israel cannot be reached unless Israel deals
positively and seriously with the Arab initiative," he said in a speech to the
gathering. "That is the real challenge for the leaders of the region and the
world, especially the United States. Israel must choose between two options: to
live in a cycle of constant war and increasing hatred or to accept the option
of peace and co-existence," Abdullah said.
Amr Moussa:
Arab League Secretary-General criticised Israel's stance, saying it is
demanding Arabs naturalise relations with it before it makes any concessions.
But he said Arabs were putting their hopes in the peace plan because of the new
US determination to make progress. Further stating that, "The Arab world is in
a state of agitation."
The South African government welcomes the comments by Secretary-General Ban
Ki-Moon on conclusion of visit to the Middle East
"I was able to witness at first hand, and also could have very constructive,
useful constructive exchanges of views with many leaders in the Middle East
countries."
"As you may know, with the formation of a National Unity Government in
Palestine, the active diplomatic initiatives are on the way: Arab peace
initiatives, Arab leaders who are determined to visit this issue again as a
foundation for establishing a good relationship and peace between Israel and
Arab countries, and particularly between Israel and the Palestinian
authorities."
"I know they (Palestinian Unity Government) are fully aware of the
expectations and principles of the international community. Realistically
speaking, again, I thought from my meeting with the Foreign Minister of
Palestine, and the National Unity Government, that it may take time for them to
make their own positions coordinated among themselves. Therefore I would hope
that while the international community encouraged them to change their
positions and perform well in meeting the expectations of the international
community, we would also hope to be a little bit patient on this matter."
Comment by South African government
The South African government urges the international community to have
unconditional dialogue with the Palestinian Unity Government and to lift all
sanctions against the Palestinian government.
We urge Israel to seize the opportunity and begin serious negotiations on
the basis of the 2002 Arab Plan
Iran
As you know, we voted in support of the UN Resolution on Iran and as we were
trying to understand the consequences of this resolution, the already volatile
situation was seriously exacerbated by the arrests and detention of the 15
British sailors.
Statement by Prime Minister Tony Blair (3 April 2007)
"I've read the transcripts of the interview [head of the Supreme National
Security Council] Ali Larijani gave and that seems to offer some prospect but
the most important thing is to get these people back."
"All the way through this we've really had two tracks on this; one is to
make sure Iran understands that the pressure is there available to us if this
thing has to be hard and tough and long."
"On the other hand, to say all the way through we're not looking for
confrontation over this and actually the most important thing is to get the
people back safe and sound and if they want to resolve this in a diplomatic way
the door is open."
Statement by United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett on
detention of British soldiers in Iran (3 April 2007):
"There is a huge amount going on behind the scenes, Lord Triesman is about
to have his eighth meeting with the Iranian ambassador in the last 10 days, and
that is being replicated, as much as it can, in Tehran and in official meetings
around the place."
"I am afraid we still have no consular access to those involved, that indeed
we have not yet had a formal response to the note we sent to the Iranian
authorities. They sent us a formal note and we replied, in 24 hrs, also with a
formal note. We have not had a response to that. We saw Larijani on TV
yesterday, we have been studying what he said and it is clear there remain some
differences between us. We certainly share his preference, he seemed to be
expressing, for early bilateral discussions for a diplomatic solution and we
are following up those remarks with the Iranian authorities."
"There has been a lot of speculation in the media more widely, more
generally, about things like, will there be a delegation to Tehran, what
happens if talks fail etc, I am not going to get involved in more speculation
about those issues but what I would say is that I would urge you to be cautious
in assuming we are likely to see a swift resolution to this issue. Our
diplomatic effort will continue, and continue intensively. But while those
diplomatic efforts continue, we are clear that we still want our people
released, we still want information on where they are, also immediate consular
access. We have made it clear that as far as we are concerned, they were seized
in Iraqi waters and we also made our views clear on the TV pictures, so called
confessions and letters."
"There is only one more thing I would add, some people have read a lot into
the Prime Minister's remarks about not seeing progress in the next 48 hrs, he
is not talking, nor intending to imply, anything about military action, we are
not seeking confrontation, we are seeking to pursue this through diplomatic
channels."
Comments by Iranian Government
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said on Wednesday,
4 April 2007 that the British government has started diplomatic discussions
with the Iranian Foreign Ministry to resolve the issue of the British military
personnel.
The talks have just started and "if they continue this path they can change
the condition logically in such a way that the issue is resolved," Larijani
told Iran's Central News Bureau.
The arrested sailors entered Iran's territorial waters to inspect an Indian
ship but "this is a kind of interference in Iran's sovereignty," Larijani
said.
Such an incident had taken place before, but Britain had pledged that it
would not be repeated, he added.
"From the start it was intended to resolve this issue through bilateral
contacts between Iran and Britain and that the other side would resolve the
issue by realising its mistake."
"But they acted as if trespassing into Iranian waters was something normal
and Iran should not protest," he said. In an interview with the British Channel
4 News on Monday, Larijani stated, "This issue can be resolved and there is no
need for any trial."
"Our priority is to solve this through proper diplomatic channels. We are
not interested in having this issue get further complicated," he added.
Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) responded by saying, "We are
still studying Dr Larijani's remarks. There remain some differences between us,
but we can confirm we share his preference for early bilateral discussions to
find a diplomatic solution to this problem."
First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi said on Tuesday, 3 April 2007 that
Britain should admit that the British vessels had entered to Iranian
territorial waters and give guarantee on non-occurrence of such action in
future.
Speaking to reporters on 15 British marines, he said Britain has changed its
behaviour in recent days and the ground is well-prepared to end the crisis
through diplomatic means.
It was a blatant violation and all documents available prove it, he said
citing the GPS surveys Iran already offered to the British officials.
The British soldiers had violated Iran's territorial waters in the past and
the matter had been settled bilaterally.
"At first, Britain connected the issue with Iran's peaceful nuclear program
and opted for clamour but due to their failure they wanted to resolve the issue
through mutual dialogue which won our support." He hoped that the matter would
be resolved soon.
Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel
"Britain and the European Union should understand Iran's message, urging
respect for rights of other countries. As they expect their rights to be
respected, Tehran also expects its rights to be respected by others."
Comment by South African government
We must work collectively to ensure that the matter of the 15 sailors in
detention is resolved through diplomatic means. We must avoid any exacerbation
or the use of military intervention to deal with this situation. It is too
volatile a region to be able to sustain such actions. Any actions to ignite the
situation in the region will have serious consequences not just for the region
but for us all.
We will continue to see how we can positively contribute to this situation
through the Security Council.
Questions and answers
Question: Deputy Minister, when will President Mbeki meet with the
Secretaries-General of the MDC? Will Zimbabwe be discussed by President Mbeki
and President Kikwete while President Mbeki is in Tanzania for the Presidential
Economic Commission?
Answer: This is not a Presidential meeting � it is a meeting of the MDC
Secretaries-General with South African government officials. A government team
is mandated to deal with this matter and at the appropriate time President
Mbeki will meet with the Secretaries-General of the MDC.
As the President said in his interview, we have already, before the Summit,
had extensive discussions based on which the MDC Secretaries-General were to
consult with the constituencies and draft a joint document on what would make
free and fair elections possible in Zimbabwe for our consideration.
We are meeting with the Secretaries-General this afternoon. I am not sure if
this document is ready. If it is, we will present it to the President for his
consideration whereupon based on this he will have to report back to the
Government of Zimbabwe on the recommendations from the MDC.
Based on this, President Mbeki will have to work out his own roadmap on how
he wishes to fulfil his mandate to create the climate for the two parties to
meet to deal with the issues raised by the factions of the MDC.
Question: Deputy Minister, there are rumours from Iran that the US will
strike on 6 April 2007. In that eventuality, what will the position of the
South African government be seeing that you serve on the Security Council?
Answer: I have not heard of any possible strike on Iran.
Our position will be that we must deal with Iran on both the matters of the
nuclear issue and the abducted sailors, diplomatically, through the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Security Council. We will
hope that all parties will refrain from the use of any military action, the
consequences of which will be disastrous for all involved.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, based on South Africa's mandate to mediate
between the parties in Zimbabwe, is there any indication when President Mugabe
will meet Morgan Tsvangirai?
Answer: We have only just begun the mediation efforts. A meeting between
President Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai will be determined by the progress in
the mediation efforts. If conditions are created for such a meeting following
senior official's consultations with all three groups (both MDC factions and
government formations) then the Facilitation could try to set up a meeting
between President Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.
I have seen a report quoting Mr Tsvangirai, who is in South Africa for
medical treatment at the moment, saying he welcomes the SADC decision to have
President Mbeki as the mediator and has expressed confidence that President
Mbeki will be able to make a genuine and serious effort to help find a solution
to the situation in Zimbabwe.
This is a welcome sign that both sides have accepted President Mbeki's SADC
bestowed mandate.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, is it with relief that you relinquish the
Presidency of the UN Security Council? Did you achieve what you set out to?
Answer: It is not with relief because we are still members of the Security
Council and we will still be faced with many burning issues � Kosovo, Africa
remains high on the agenda and now following the comments by the UN
Secretary-General on the Middle East, this matter will also be high on the
agenda of the Security Council.
Many of the issues with which we were dealing before we assumed the
Presidency and now, following our Presidency, will remain high on the
agenda.
As President we merely managed the meetings but we are still involved with
the discussions.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, do you have any indication when the UN
Security Council will be briefed on the situation in Zimbabwe?
Answer: No, I am not aware of a date.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, (inaudible) will you now take a different
position on the situation in Iran?
Answer: As I have indicated in all my briefings, our initial position with
regard to the resolution on Iran was to understand the resolution that was
created, in secret, by the P5 + Germany. Once we received the draft, it was
incumbent upon us to discuss the contents of the draft and like many other
countries submit our own amendments, knowing that amendments involve
consultations and finally a common approach.
In the end, we came to the conclusion that many of the issues we had raised
were incorporated in the first draft by the P5 + Germany, some were not, and we
voted for the resolution.
We will still maintain that the best body to deal with the Iran nuclear
issue remains the IAEA which has the relevant expertise and is the body that
has been put in place to deal with matters of nuclear non-proliferation. We did
not vote for the IAEA decision that this matter be taken to the Security
Council.
This matter is now in the ambit of the Security Council but if you have read
all the statements at the Security Council, there is almost unanimous agreement
that if certain steps are taken by Iran to satisfy the IAEA concerns, this
matter should revert to the IAEA.
This remains our position and it has not changed.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, President Mugabe said that none of the SADC
leaders had reprimanded him over the treatment of Morgan Tsvangirai. What makes
you think that President Mugabe will take you seriously this time?
Answer: If you read President Mbeki�s interview, you will note that this
matter was discussed. Concerns were expressed by the SADC leaders regarding the
violence meted out to those arrested. In the end SADC took the decision, that
because of the effects of crises in Lesotho, DRC and Zimbabwe on the region, we
would deal with all these matters.
On Zimbabwe, SADC mandated President Mbeki to, on behalf of SADC, carry out
this process of consultation to bring the Zimbabweans together.
As you will recall, it has always been our position, South Africa and SADC,
that we will not be able to impose a solution on Zimbabwe. The best thing would
be for us to contribute to an environment within which the Zimbabweans could
define their own solution.
We all acknowledged there was an economic crisis. This is why the SADC
Secretariat has been urged to prepare a report on how we can help Zimbabwe
emerge from this crisis and our interaction with the international community,
besides the political dimension, is to see how we can deal with the economic
crisis facing the Zimbabweans.
The issue of sanctions is a red herring. No one, including the EU, wants to
impose economic sanctions because they will only further create hardships of
the people of Zimbabwe.
What the European Union and the US have done is to impose 'smart sanctions.'
These are not economic sanctions. No one, including Zimbabweans, have called
for economic sanctions.
Our own view, as reflected by the report of the Reserve Bank Governor, is
that there is a very serious crisis within the Zimbabwean economy. We in SADC,
have to assist, in whichever way we can, to help this economy recover from this
crisis. You cannot accept an inflation rate 1060% and not be concerned with
indications being that this figure will rise to 4 000%.
The region, specifically South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, are
receiving literally thousands of Zimbabweans coming into our countries.
Our view is that this is systematic of larger problems in Zimbabwe. We
cannot stop the flow of Zimbabweans to South Africa.
But the question is, if you want to stop this flow and enable Zimbabweans to
return to Zimbabwe including qualified professionals, you must ensure movement
in the political processes accompanied by an economic recovery plan.
This is now what drives us under SADC's mandate.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, President Mbeki said in his interview with
the Financial Times that the Iranian nuclear situation must be dealt with along
with other serious issues in the Middle East. Does this imply that South Africa
is not very happy with the way in which the matter of Iran was dealt with? What
other mechanisms can be put in place?
Answer: I have not seen this part of the President's interview. I am also
not able to speak on his behalf.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, before the SADC Summit, MONUC issued
statements that were more critical of President Kabila rather than Mr Bemba.
The SADC communique however reflects support for President Kabila. Was there a
feeling at the Summit that both sides need to exercise restraint and deal with
the matter through negotiation?
Answer: Yes, I think so. Our own view is very reflective of the UN Security
Council Presidential statement about all sides having to respect the democratic
processes, the rule of law, dialogue and acceptance of the fact that there are
different political formations that must be given the space within which to
function. This was the general thrust of the discussions.
We, i.e. SADC and Africa, achieved what could only be described as a
remarkable success with the holding of elections in the DRC. This violence in
which an estimated 350 people have died represents a serious challenge to the
stability of the DRC and we must support MONUC initiatives quite earnestly.
All parties should act with restraint.
Question: Deputy Minister Pahad, the 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC)
yesterday said that is was concerned about the impact on the Zimbabwean
situation on the 2010 Soccer World Cup. What is your view?
Answer: I am not sure on what basis the LOC makes this statement. There has
been much speculation about South African dynamics and only last week, FIFA
said it was happy with the way in which preparations were advancing.
Again, I am not sure on what basis the LOC makes such statements. After all
Zimbabwe is not a province of South Africa. I cannot see how Zimbabwe will
impact on this.
As you know, when people hear about DRC, Lesotho, Somalia, Darfur, for many
it is not conceivable that Africa consists of 53 countries and that South
Africa is only one country.
However, the LOC should know better than this.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
4 April 2007
