US embassy cable - 00HARARE2100

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002100 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S RICE, AF PDAS POWELL, AF DAS 
SCHNEIDMAN, AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER, AF/S DESK OFFICER GURNEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/14/10 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE ON KAMPALA TALKS, DROC PROCESSES 
 
REF: (A) STATE 65669 (B) STATE 68609 (C) STATE 70286 
 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 (B), (D) 
 
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1.  (C)  SUMMARY.  OCM THANKED ZIMBABWEAN MINISTRY OF 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE FOR HELPFUL ZIMBABWEAN 
ACTIONS IN KAMPALA.  OURING THE COURSE OF THE 
CONVERSATION, THE MFA REPRESENTATIVE MADE HELPFUL NOISES 
ABOUT FACILITATING THE UPCOMING VISIT OF SPECIAL 
REPRESENTATIVE WOLPE, BUT WAS OUT OF THE LOOP ON DETAILS 
OF THE TRIP AND ON THE PROPOSED MAPUTO MEETING OF 
CONCERNED HEADS OF STATE.  HOWEVER, THE DETAILS OF S/E 
WOLPE'S VISIT TO HARARE ARE BEING WORKED OUT AND ARE WELL 
IN HAND. END SUMMARY. 
 
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  ZIMBABWE HOPES FOR PROGRESS 
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2.  (C)  DCM AND TDY POLOFF (NOTETAKER) CALLED ON 
AMBASSADOR GODFREY MWEDZI, GOZ'S DIRECTOR FOR AFRICAN 
AFFAIRS, APRIL 13, TO CONVEY USG APPRECIATION FOR GOZ ROLE 
IN KAMPALA TALKS (REF B).  MAXWELL CHIKOROWONDA, GOZ 
CONGO DESK OFFICER, SERVED AS NOTETAKER FOR THE 
ZIMBABWEANS. 
 
3.  (C)  MWEDZI RECEIVED OUR THANKS WITH FEW COMMENTS, 
OBSERVING THAT IT IS ENCOURAGING THAT THERE HAS BEEN 
PROGRESS IN A DELICATE PROCESS.  HE SAID THE GOZ APPRECIATES 
U.S. SUPPORT, WHICH HELPS BOOST CONFIDENCE IN THE PROCESSES 
HE EXPECTS WILL FOLLOW FROM CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS. 
MWEDZI EMPHASIZED THE JMC NEEDS TO BE CLOSELY FOCUSED 
UPON.  HE ALSO RECEIVED WITHOUT COMMENT OUR UPDATE ON 
THE VISIT OF PRIME MINISTER BARAK (REF C). 
 
4.  (C)  WHEN DCM INFORMED MWEDZI THAT SPECIAL REP WOLPE 
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WILL BE ARRIVING NEXT WEEK, MWEDZI SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN 
INFORMED OF THE VISIT THROUGH HIS CHANNELS, BUT EXPRESSED 
A GENERAL WELCOME FOR THE VISIT.  HE THOUGHT IT WAS 
IMPORTANT THAT THE VISIT COME AFTER THE APRIL 14, WHEN THE 
SITUATION IN DROC SHOULD BE CLEARER, AND PRACTICAL 
ASPECTS OF IMPLEMENTATION CAN BE SEEN. 
 
5.  (C) WHEN QUERIED BY DCM IF HE HAD ANY FURTHER 
INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSED MEETING IN MAPUTO THAT 
UGANDAN PRESIDENT MUSEVENI MENTIONED TO A/S RICE (REF A), 
MWEDZI SAID HE HAD NOT HEARD OF CONCRETE PLANS FOR IT.  HE 
SAID HE WILL LET US KNOW AS HE GETS INFORMATION.  HE 
MENTIONED THAT HE HAD HEARD FROM THE GOZ WASHINGTON 
EMBASSY ABOUT INQUIRIES FROM A/S RICE. 
 
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  WANT TO SEE COOPERATION 
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6.  (C)  MWEDZI OBSERVED THAT WHAT IS NOTABLE ABOUT THE 
KAMPALA MEETING AND CURRENT DISENGAGEMENT PLANS IS 
THAT THE POSITIONS ON THE GROUND OF THE VARIOUS SIDES HAVE 
CHANGED CONSIDERABLY IN THE NINE MONTHS SINCE THE SIGNING 
OF THE LUSAKA ACCORD.  HE REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES THAT JMC 
AND MONUC NEED TO COOPERATE, AND THAT, IN FACT, WHAT HE 
CALLED "POINTLESS SQUABBLING" CAN WEAKEN THE JMC 
SYSTEMS.  HE ADDED THAT GOZ WANTS THE UN DEPLOYMENT TO 
GO FORTH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND INTENDS TO KEEP THE 
PROCESS MOVING. 
 
7.  (C)  MWEDZI CLOSED THE VISIT WITH AN INQUIRY ABOUT OUR 
READOUT OF THE DROC NATIONAL DIALOGUE AND THE VISIT OF 
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NATIONAL DIALOGUE COORDINATOR MASIRE TO KINSHASA. 
MWEDZI AGREED WITH DCM THAT THE PROCESS APPEARS TO BE 
STUCK IN NEUTRAL, AND ADDED THAT HE THINKS THE PROBLEMS 
MASIRE EXPERIENCED DURING HIS VISIT HAVE GIVEN HIM A CLEAR 
VIEW OF THE STATE OF PLAY IN DROC. 
 
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   COMMENT 
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8.  (C)  MWEDZI WAS PLEASANT, BUT AS ILL-INFORMED ABOUT HIS 
GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES AND INTENTIONS AS ALWAYS.  WE 
WILL FOLLOW UP TO ENSURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR SPECIAL REP. 
WOLPE'S VISIT ARE ON TRACK.  ON A POSITIVE NOTE, WHILE 
MWEDZI IS NOT GOING TO REVEAL ANYTHING OF HIS OWN 
THINKING TO US, HIS ASSESSMENT THAT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 
DAYS AFTER APRIL 14 WILL BE TELLING AND HIS ASSERTION THAT 
THE GOZ IS EAGER TO PUSH THE PROCESS FORWARD PROBABLY 
REFLECT THINKING HERE AT  THE HIGHEST LEVELS.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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