US embassy cable - 03HARARE1614

UNCLAS HARARE 001614 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MUGABE/TAYLOR HOLD POLITICAL 
SPOTLIGHT; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Africa must now bear on Mugabe to step 
      down" the independent daily "The Daily News" dedicated its 
      August 14 editorial to calling on African leaders to "use 
      their influence" to encourage Robert Mugabe, blamed for the 
      "deepening political and economic anarchy" in the country, 
      to resign from the presidency of Zimbabwe as a harbinger to 
      the restoration of "normality" and "democracy" to Zimbabwe. 
      Hailing Charles Taylor's resignation from the presidency of 
      Liberia and his departure into exile after "he obviously 
      realized that Liberia is bigger than Taylor," the editorial 
      encouraged African leaders to "use their influence to 
      ensure that Mugabe is not forced to go the (Charles) Taylor 
      route."   Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "The change of the guard in Liberia, where Charles 
      Taylor resigned as president on Monday and flew to 
      Nigeria for political asylum, could provide useful 
      lessons for troubled Zimbabwe, where planned talks 
      between the government and the opposition Movement 
      for Democratic Change (MDC) could fail to rescue the 
      country from total collapse.  While Liberia has been 
      torn apart by civil war in the past 20 years, 
      Zimbabwe is gripped by deepening political and 
      economic anarchy after President Robert Mugabe 
      presided over the virtual destruction of the 
      economy.  Taylor, for all his sins of the past, 
      should be commended for seeing the light and 
      stepping aside so that peace could return to the 
      shattered land.  He obviously realized that Liberia 
      is bigger than Taylor. . .In Zimbabwe, Mugabe still 
      clings to power despite mounting public pressure for 
      him to step down in the midst of a rapidly worsening 
      economic crisis created by his government's poor 
      policies.  Mugabe, accused locally and 
      internationally of gross human rights abuses, would 
      need immunity if he were to step down. . .If Mugabe 
      does not quit now, how long can he precariously 
      cling to power and at what cost to the tottering and 
      anguished nation. . .?  Although Mugabe's colleagues 
      in the Southern African region have been working 
      behind the scenes to try to put things right, much 
      more needs to be done at that level to make clear to 
      the President that there can never be normality 
      until democracy is restored to Zimbabwe.  The 
      African leaders could use their influence to ensure 
      that Mugabe is not forced to go the Taylor route. 
      Whether or not an African country would be prepared 
      to offer him asylum would depend largely on the 
      modalities and timing of his departure." 
 
WHITEHEAD