US embassy cable - 00HARARE3634

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003634 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/10 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI, US 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE SENDS SIGNALS OF 
DISPLEASURE WITH USG 
 
REF:  HARARE 3616 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD REASONS 1.5 B/D. 
 
1. (C) THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT HAS FINALLY FOCUSED ON 
THE USG'S CRITICAL WORDS AND ACTIONS IN THE LAST FEW 
MONTHS AND HAS BEGUN SENDING SIGNALS OF ITS DISPLEASURE. 
THESE INCLUDE NOT ACCREDITING THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC 
INSTITUTE (NDI) AND THE INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN 
INSTITUTE (IRI) AS ELECTION OBSERVERS, SENDING A 
DIPLOMATIC NOTE AT THE LAST MINUTE STATING THAT IT WOULD 
NOT RESPOND TO NATIONAL DAY MESSAGES, NOT SENDING A 
SENIOR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE AMBASSADOR'S 4TH 
OF JULY RECEPTION AND GIVING THE RECEPTION NEGATIVE 
COVERAGE ON THE TELEVISION NEWS.  FOREIGN MINISTER 
MUDENGE EXPRESSED DISPLEASURE WITH THE PROPOSED 
CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS TO PLACE "SANCTIONS" ON ZIMBABWE, 
AND HOPED THE U.S. WILL NOT COME INTO THE SAME LEAGUE AS 
THE UNITED KINGDOM. WE THINK PRESIDENT MUGABE IS LOOKING 
FOR SOMEONE ON WHOM TO BLAME THE DEFEAT HIS PARTY WAS 
HANDED IN THE JUST-CONCLUDED PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION, AND 
WILL TARGET THE U.S. FOR CRITICISM AS PART OF HIS POST- 
ELECTION GOVERNANCE STRATEGY AND PRESIDENTIAL RE- 
ELECTION CAMPAIGN.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) AN ACCUMULATION OF RECENT SIGNALS SUGGESTS THAT 
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE USG. 
ON JULY 3, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SENT A 
DIPLOMATIC NOTE, ALONG WITH THE STANDARD FOURTH OF JULY 
GREETING FROM PRESIDENT MUGABE, STATING THAT IT "HAS THE 
HONOR TO ADVISE THAT THE PRACTICE OF SPEECHES AT 
NATIONAL DAY MESSAGES (SIC) HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED."  IN 
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RESPONSE, THE AMBASSADOR INFORMED DEPUTY FOREIGN 
MINISTER NICHOLAS GOCHE THAT HE PLANNED TO GIVE A SPEECH 
ON JULY 4.  GOCHE REPLIED, "OF COURSE, AMBASSADORS ARE 
EXPECTED TO SPEAK AT SUCH EVENTS."  (COMMENT: WE 
INTERPRET THIS TOTALLY UNPRECEDENTED AND ABRUPT CHANGE 
IN PRACTICE AS A WAY TO ATTEMPT TO CENSOR FOREIGN 
DIPLOMATS FROM SAYING ANYTHING REMOTELY CRITICAL OF THE 
GOZ AND ITS POLICIES. END COMMENT). 
 
3.  (C) LATER THAT DAY, FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE 
PROTESTED LEGISLATION WINDING ITS WAY THROUGH CONGRESS 
THAT WOULD RESULT IN "SANCTIONS" AGAINST ZIMBABWE AND 
THE RECENT HEARING BEFORE THE HOUSE AFRICA SUBCOMMITTEE. 
IN PASSING MUDENGE IMPLIED ANTI-USG STATEMENTS MAY BE 
FORTHCOMING AND REMARKED THAT HE HOPED THE UNITED STATES 
WOULD NOT BE IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS BRITAIN. (COMMENT: 
ZIMBABWE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED 
IN A VERY ACRIMONIOUS AND PUBLIC DISPUTE THAT HAS 
RESULTED IN PARALYSIS OF THEIR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. 
END COMMENT).  THE SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE 
GOVERNMENT SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT THE AMBASSADOR'S 
FOURTH OF JULY RECEPTION, DEPUTY MINISTER GOCHE, WAS 
CALLED AWAY THE MORNING OF JULY 4 TO DEAL WITH A GROUP 
OF UNRULY WAR VETS IN BINDURA IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL, AN 
AREA HE DOES NOT REPRESENT IN PARLIAMENT.  WE INTERPRET 
THIS ABSENCE TO BE THE ZIMBABWEAN EQUIVALENT OF 
"DIPLOMATIC FLU." 
 
4.  (U) THE NIGHTLY NEWSCAST ON THE ZIMBABWE 
BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ZBC) NORMALLY REPORTS NATIONAL 
DAY RECEPTIONS IN AN ANODYNE MANNER.  IN OUR CASE, THE 
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ZBC DESCRIBED THE EVENT NEGATIVELY AND NOTED AN ALLEGED 
HEAVY PRESENCE OF THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE 
(MDC) MEMBERS AT THE RECEPTION, WHICH IT LIKENED TO A 
VICTORY CELEBRATION FOR THE OPPOSITION.  THE EVENT WAS, 
IN FACT, ATTENDED BY OVER 700 PERSONS REPRESENTING ALL 
SECTORS OF ZIMBABWEAN SOCIETY IN AND OUT OF GOVERNMENT. 
MANY OF THE MDC MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED OUR NATIONAL DAY 
ARE PROMINENT CONSTITUTIONAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS, 
DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES, AND OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS 
WITH WHOM EMBOFFS HAVE REGULAR CONTACTS. 
 
5.  (C) IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL TO 
ACCREDIT ELECTION OBSERVERS FROM IRI AND NDI ONLY DAYS 
BEFORE THE ELECTION (AND THEREBY RENEGING ON PRESIDENT 
MUGABE'S PUBLIC PLEDGE TO WELCOME ANY AND ALL 
INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS BE THEY NON-BRITISH), 
CONSTITUTES, IN OUR VIEW, ANOTHER STRIKE AT AMERICA. 
WHILE THE AMERICAN GROUPS WERE TWO OF SEVERAL EXCLUDED, 
AMONG THEM THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, WE HAVE LITTLE 
DOUBT THAT THE U.S. WAS THE OBJECT OF THE ZIMBABWEAN 
GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT TO BAR NON-GOVERNMENTAL 
ORGANIZATIONS. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT: WE SENSE A DISTINCT CHILLING IN THE 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6327 
 
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ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00 
      EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   L-00 
      VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------6A440A  050953Z /38 
O 050956Z JUL 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6506 
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003634 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/10 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI, US 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE SENDS SIGNALS OF 
DISPLEASURE WITH USG 
 
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, NOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT HERE HAS 
HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  03634  02 OF 02  050953Z 
ELECTIONS AND TAKEN STOCK OF OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS.  SO 
FAR, THE ZIMBABWEANS' ACTIONS HAVE HEWED TO THE PETTY. 
NEVERTHELESS, WE CANNOT RULE OUT PRESIDENT MUGABE MAKING 
US A PRINCIPAL TARGET OF HIS POST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 
GOVERNANCE STRATEGY AND HIS PRESIDENTIAL RE-ELECTION 
CAMPAIGN, WHICH WE PERCEIVE HAS JUST STARTED IN EARNEST. 
MUGABE IS CLEARLY LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME FOR HIS 
PARTY'S RESOUNDING REJECTION IN THE PARLIAMENTARY 
ELECTIONS.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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