Japan, which was under pressure from countries like the United States not to invite President Robert Mugabe to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, said it wanted to hear the African voice and did not distinguish between Mugabe and other African leaders.
It said it had invited all 52 African heads of state with the exception of Somalia with which it did not have diplomatic relations.
Africa Division director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sotaro Ozaki said while some countries took exception with the invitation of Zimbabwe, Japan “does not distinguish” between Mugabe and other African leaders.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08TOKYO100, AFRICANS WELCOME JAPAN’S RESPONSIVENESS IN TICAD
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VZCZCXRO9514
PP RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKO #0100/01 0110758
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P 110758Z JAN 08
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RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 000100
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO AID/ANE JBEVER AND MWARD AND AID/PPC
DMENARCHIK AND NNICHOLSON
PARIS FOR USOECD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2018
SUBJECT: AFRICANS WELCOME JAPAN’S RESPONSIVENESS IN TICAD
IV PREP
REF: TOKYO 93
TOKYO 00000100 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: CDA Joseph R. Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b/d)
¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Fourth Tokyo International Conference
on African Development (TICAD IV) taking place May 28 – 30 in
Yokohama will focus on four main topics: economic growth and
investment; human security; environment and climate and;
consolidation of peace. The GOJ has invited all African
heads of state, including Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe (ref).
Tokyo-based African diplomats are optimistic about TICAD IV’s
potential results given more active input from African
representatives. Establishment of a permanent TICAD
secretariat and a time-bound action plan are still points of
SIPDIS
contention, however. End summary.
¶2. (SBU) “Towards a Vibrant Africa” is the theme of the
Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development
(TICAD IV), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) First Africa
Division Deputy Director Sotaro Ozaki told Emboff. The
conference, to be held in Yokohama May 28-30, will center
upon four topics: economic growth and investment; human
security; environment and climate; and consolidating peace,
including building capacity to prevent conflicts.
All Inclusive – Even Mugabe
—————————
¶3. (C) The GOJ’s goal in TICAD IV is to “hear the African
voice” and to involve all parties interested in African
development. As such, Ozaki said Japan has invited all 52
African heads of state (with the exception of Somalia with
which Japan does not have diplomatic relations), including
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. He acknowledged some
countries may take exception with the invitation to Zimbabwe,
but maintained Japan “does not distinguish” between Mugabe
and other African leaders. As of January 3, 34 African
governments had accepted the invitation, according to
newspaper reports. Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura
recently traveled to Tanzania (septel) and former Prime
Minister Mori will visit Africa in early 2008 to bolster
support for the conference. In addition to African heads of
state, Japan will also invite representatives from donor
countries, emerging donors, and international organizations
to attend TICAD, Ozaki stated.
“Competition Is Good for Africa” – The African View of TICAD
——————————————— ———–
¶4. (C) There are “very mixed opinions” among African
governments regarding the success TICAD has produced over the
15 years of its existence, according to Tokyo Embassy of
Mozambique Minister-Counsellor Ermindo Ferreira. Most would
agree, he said, that progress in implementing commitments has
been far too slow. With globalization and the rise of
emerging market countries such as China and India, demand for
Africa’s natural resources is increasing. Ferreira believes
the rising role of new donors could be the reason for Japan’s
new-found interest in TICAD. “Competition is good for
Africa,” he observed.
¶5. (C) MOFA Director General for International Cooperation
Koro Bessho echoed Ferreira’s assessment, but lamented
China’s disregard for international conventions on
assistance, particularly the OECD development assistance
committee (DAC) guidelines. Bessho emphasized that TICAD is
an all-inclusive forum to discuss African issues and
contrasted it with the China-Africa Forum which only focused
on China’s relations with the continent. He noted the need to
reinforce the positions stated in the OECD and G-8 in recent
years on development issues, including attention to good
TOKYO 00000100 002.2 OF 003
governance.
¶6. (C) Several Japan-based African diplomats have suggested
past TICADs have been top-down processes run by MOFA with
very little input from African nations or the African
Diplomatic Corps (ADC) in Tokyo. This time, the ADC has been
very aggressive in getting its viewpoints heard and has
formed a TICAD committee consisting of 13 African
ambassadors, headed by Zimbabwean Ambassador Stuart
Comberbach. The group met weekly in late 2006 and early 2007
to produce “Proposals for the Fourth Tokyo International
Conference on African Development” which it submitted to MOFA
in March 2007. Getting MOFA to accept the document was “a
major victory” one diplomat said. The paper provides an
overview of Japanese ODA to Africa to date and outlines seven
proposals with corresponding action items for TICAD’s agenda.
¶7. (SBU) According to the document’s executive summary, the
lack of a monitoring or follow-up body has made it difficult
to measure TICAD’s effectiveness. In addition, no detailed
or time-bound action plan emerged from any of the prior
conferences. The ADC document notes goods and services from
Africa accounted for only 2% of Japan’s total imports in 2003
and 2004. The continent receives only 0.4% of Japan’s total
foreign direct investment (FDI) and, of that, 85% went to
just two countries, Liberia and South Africa. The ADC paper
does hail recent indications that the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), which provides technical and other
assistance to developing nations, is now more active in
Africa. In addition, the paper cites recently-developped
trade and investment programs as having great potential,
particularly the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance Facility
(EPSA), which aims to foster private sector activities on the
continent.
The ADC’s Proposed Agenda
————————-
¶8. (SBU) Building on this review, the ADC document proposes
the following for TICAD IV’s agenda: consolidation of peace,
including capacity building for conflict prevention;
fostering infrastructure projects in conjunction with the
African Union’s (AU) New Partnership for African Development
(NEPAD); institutional and human capacity-building for human
security including education, food production and security,
and health; promoting capital flows and strengthening
financial institutions in Africa especially foreign direct
investment and trade support for the private sector;
embracing the information and communication technology age;
protecting the environment for sustainable development and;
the role of women including reaffirming the importance of
women in African development. According to an ADC member
diplomat, MOFA collapsed these seven into the four agenda
items outlined in paragraphs 1 and 2.
A Permanent Secretariat?
————————
¶9. (C) The issues of a follow-up body and a time-bound action
plan, however, remain contentious. The ADC wants to
establish a permanent secretariat in Tokyo consisting of AU
members. According to African diplomats here, however, MOFA
maintains because Japan sponsors and finances TICAD, MOFA
should be responsible for ensuring commitments are met. The
ADC and MOFA have recently been discussing a compromise
solution in which representatives from the AU, ADC, MOFA, the
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the World
Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
among others, would meet once-per-year to review program
implementation. No agreement has yet emerged.
TOKYO 00000100 003.2 OF 003
Cautiously Optimistic
———————
¶10. (C) Nevertheless, African diplomats in Tokyo are
cautiously optimistic about TICAD IV given the GOJ’s
willingness to engage and hold regular meetings with the ADC.
In addition, planning ministerials were held in Lusaka and
Tunis in 2007 and another is planned in Gabon in March to
ensure African capitals are in agreement with the TICAD
agenda. This is a significant departure from previous TICAD
planning, according to African diplomats. They are hopeful
Japan’s concurrent hosting of TICAD and the G-8 will result
in more progress on African development issues, perhaps even
in making Africa a permanent G-8 agenda item.
Comment
——-
¶11. (SBU) Although questions about past TICADs were generally
met with eye-rolling and disparaging remarks, many
Tokyo-based African diplomats believe Japan has turned the
corner in its thinking regarding aid and trade with the
continent. There is still much cynicism as to the reasons
behind this change, with many attributing it to competition
with China for political influence and natural resources.
Still others say Japan is using aid as a way to buy support
for a permanent UN Security Council seat. The recently
announced 4% cut in Japan’s spending for official development
assistance during the coming fiscal year, however — which
makes for a total cut of 40% over the past 11 years — will
further limit resources to woo friends in Africa, regardless
of the motivation. End Comment.
DONOVAN
(32 VIEWS)
