Date: 09/12/2008

Source: Department of Foreign Affairs

Title: SA: Ntsaluba: Briefing by the director-general of Foreign Affairs Ayanda Ntsaluba

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES

Burundi

Minister Nqakula, in his capacity as the Facilitator of the Burundi Peace Process will on Thursday 11 December 2008 brief the UN Security Council. Quite recently, you had the opportunity of being briefed by the Minister of the progress in the Burundi peace talks and as you know the latest development was the signing of the Declaration by the government and the Palipehutu-FNL on 4 December 2008 during the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Great Lakes Region

Somalia

A Ministerial level meeting of the United Nations Security Council will he held on Tuesday 16 December to discuss the situation in Somalia. The meeting will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Croatia. Croatia, as you know, is the President of the Security Council for this month. We are working on the possibility of someone senior from our executive attending this meeting. We feel this meeting will be very important to give some momentum to the discussions to find a political solution to the situation in Somalia. We are encouraged by the current discussions that are taking place. The EU and France are strongly supporting an EU led resolution regarding the issue of humanitarian assistance and particularly efforts covering food aid from the World Food Programme. We believe it is very important, and as we deal with the situation in Somalia, as important as this issue is, we believe it is important to not lose sight of the situation in its entirety.

Counter terrorism

The UN Security Council will be holding a thematic debate later today Tuesday 9 December 2008 on the threat posed by international terrorism. The meeting will be presided over by the President of Croatia and the expected outcome is a presidential statement.

South Africa will participate and just to highlight that the input from South Africa will emphasise the standard positions that we hold and have spoken about before: viz. our condemnation of all forms and manifestations of terrorism, South Africa is committed to addressing the threats posed by terrorism within the context of multilateral engagement with a specific stress on us to at all times, be sensitive to the preservation of human rights and to operate within the framework of international law. We will also highlight that it is important for us to operate within the framework of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly in 2006, which provides a holistic and multifaceted response that is premised on respect for human rights and the rule of law.

That would be the key elements of our input.

Renewal of mandates

During December several mandates of the political and peacekeeping missions mandated by the UNSC get renewed. Among these is the mandate of MONUC in the DRC, BINUB (UN Integrated Office in Burundi), MNF (Multinational Forces in Iraq), UNOGIBS (UN Office in Guinea Bissau), BONUCA (UN Peacebuilding Office in Central African Republic). None of these, in our view are controversial and South Africa will support these renewals.

EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

South Africa continues to observe the developments in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We remain concerned about the skirmish that continue to occur. We know that African leaders will meet in Kenya on 11 December 2008 to get some sort of appraisal from the UN Special Envoy President Obasanjo and the AU representative President Mkapa.

We continue to follow the humanitarian situation, I believe there has been some response to this. There are no other major dramatic developments except off course, the latest engagement between the CNDP and the government under the auspices of the Nairobi initiative.

ZIMBABWE

With respect to Zimbabwe two things off course, occupy the minds of South Africa and SADC - the first being the conclusion of the political negotiations to usher in the inclusive government and the second one is to deal with the humanitarian situation.

With respect to the first, our understanding is that we should be expecting some sort of response that should give us an indication of when Amendment 19, which we all know was initialled by the parties following which the parties had to discuss with their principals. By and large we remain hopeful that Amendment 19 should be agreed upon.

As you recall, there are three stages thereafter: the first one is that following agreement to Amendment 19, it should be gazetted but the agreement signed on 15 September 2008 also makes it clear that once it is gazetted and before it is even passed into law, that we need not wait for that, and once gazetted we can proceed to the appointment of a Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. At the time of gazetting, it would presuppose that all the parties have agreed and then therefore it would mean that all parties will co-sponsor it when it goes before parliament and it would therefore be possible to achieve the required ⅔ majority. So, I think that process is there. We are hoping this can be accelerated because in its own right it is very important to conclude that step but perhaps the humanitarian situation brings further urgency to it precisely because if you look at all the challenges on the humanitarian side, they do require an inclusive government in place so that it can take full charge and responsibility for the country, and indeed so there can be some comfort provided in terms of the international community to commence high level and significant engagement with Zimbabwe.

Now, you would also recall that an announcement was made late last week about a delegation, led by Reverend Chikane, of which I was part, that travelled to Zimbabwe on Sunday 7 December 2008 and spent the day on Monday 8 December 2008. What we focused on was mainly an assessment and discussion with the relevant structures in Zimbabwe ranging from the government, the United Nations systems in their different formations (World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Programme, UNICEF), the churches, the three farmers unions and essentially, the picture, and off course South Africa is still finalising its report that Reverend Chikane will present to the relevant authorities in our government so that South Africa can consolidate the nature, extent and form of its assistance and bearing in mind that this is something we are doing both as South Africa and as the current chair of SADC. Just to say, the South African delegation that travelled to Zimbabwe included a representative from the SADC secretariat.

It is quite clear that there is assistance that is needed firstly on the health front, with respect to the issue that we have all heard about, the cholera outbreak. It is the most significant that has afflicted Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe has had cholera outbreaks in the past but I am told that the last one that was a serious as the current one was either in 1991 or 1992-1993. The figures that have been verified by everyone that we met is basically that 14000 people have been affected and as you know, there are reports of around 600 deaths.

More important to us, as South Africa, is that there are basically three epicentres of the cholera outbreak and one of them is around the Beit Bridge area hence, you would obviously see the need for South Africa to scale up its support and activity especially on our northern border. I think our focus is then to work together with the region and the international community to render the necessary support to Zimbabwe to help their health system to cope but more importantly, to look at what can be done on the prevention side - primarily primary prevention so to speak, this is more or less the question of looking at the water supplies and I think this will be given far more substance, and I think South Africa will make her own contribution at the meeting of the SADC Ministers of Water and Health on Thursday in South Africa. I think this will help consolidate the nature of support, but I must say, there has been what we consider to be a good response what both our country and other countries in the region. We were told of other countries who have also begun rendering support to Zimbabwe.

Off course the other issue that is coming up, which is something that we will have to deal with, which not only affects Zimbabwe but given the difficulties Zimbabwe is going through is something that might also require some attention, is the support that the World Food Programme is working on in a few countries in the region. We had an opportunity to engage on this matter and help ensure food security until the next harvest season early next year. And as you know, part of our investigation in Zimbabwe was also to make an assessment of the form of South Africa's own assistance to Zimbabwe particularly given the announcement that our Cabinet has made about support to the agricultural side that can be rendered.

I will not go into detail regarding our thoughts one what South Africa should do because as I have said, we were sent to conduct an investigation. That team led by Reverend Chikane has done that, it has returned, Reverend Chikane would have received additional responses today, some validation of some of the information we were receiving, and then, I am sure that within the next 24-48 hours there will be a very definite proposal for consideration by our leadership.

And that is where we are.

Thank you very much.