US embassy cable - 00HARARE4145

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004145 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LUSAKA PLEASE PASS TO S/E HOWARD WOLPE 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/10 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, CG, ZI 
SUBJECT: EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AJELLO HAS POSITIVE 
MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE 
 
REF: HARARE 4064 (NOTAL) 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING REASONS 
1.5 B/D. 
 
1.  (C) BRITISH DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER IAN HAY- 
CAMPBELL SHARED HIS REPORT ON EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE 
ALDO AJELLO'S VISIT TO HARARE ON JULY 25-26, WHICH WE 
REPRODUCE HERE IN FULL. 
 
2.  (C) BEGIN TEXT. 
 
THE EU PRESIDENCY (FRANCE) ARRANGED A BRIEFING FOR EU 
MISSIONS BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AJELLO ON JULY 26. 
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AJELLO HAD BEEN IN HARARE FROM JULY 25-26 DURING WHICH 
TIME HE HAD MET PRESIDENT MUGABE, FOREIGN MINISTER 
MUDENGE AND MONUC OFFICIALS.  AJELLO SAID MUGABE LARGELY 
SHARED HIS ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT SITUATION.  THE 
MEETING HAD TAKEN PLACE IN A GOOD ATMOSPHERE.  KABILA 
APPEARED TO BE LOOKING TO A MILITARY SOLUTION IN THE 
DRC.  MUGABE AGREED THAT THIS WOULD BE A "NO WIN" 
STRATEGY AND THAT THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT HAD TO BE 
RESPECTED.  MUGABE WAS INCLINED TO DISCOUNT YERODIA'S 
RECENT REMARKS ABOUT LUSAKA. 
 
AJELLO HAD RAISED THE PROBLEMS OF THE MASIRE MISSION AND 
THE IDEA OF ATTACHING FRANCOPHONE MEMBERS TO THE TEAM AS 
A WAY OF MOVING THE PROCESS FORWARD.  MUGABE APPEARED TO 
ACCEPT THIS.  THE TWO ALSO DISCUSSED THE PLAN FOR THE 
NON CONGOLESE BELLIGERENTS TO MEET.  AJELLO THOUGHT THE 
PROSPECTS FAIR FOR THIS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE 
FORTHCOMING SADC SUMMIT IN WINDHOEK.  IF AGREEMENT WAS 
REACHED, IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SET UP SUCH A MEETING 
QUITE QUICKLY.  MUGABE HAD EXPRESSED THE USUAL 
DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE SLOWNESS OF MONUC DEPLOYMENT. 
THIS SUBJECT HAD BEEN RAISED MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVELY BY 
MUDENGE IN THEIR MEETING, MUDENGE ACCUSING THE UN OF 
EFFECTIVELY UNDERMINING LUSAKA BY NOT YET DEPLOYING AND 
THEREBY BEARING THE RESPONSIBILITY.  HE WAS NOT 
RECEPTIVE TO AJELLO'S EXPLANATIONS OF THE DIFFICULTIES 
PUT IN MONUC'S WAY BY THE DRC. 
 
WITH THE MONUC OFFICERS, AJELLO HAD HEARD OF THE 
SLOWNESS OF UGANDAN DISENGAGEMENT FROM KISANGANI, 
ATTRIBUTABLE, IN PART, TO A LACK OF LOGISTICS. 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  04145  271028Z 
 
AJELLO WAS ENCOURAGED BY MUGABE'S SIMILAR APPRECIATION 
OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DRC.  HE ALSO CONFIRMED WHAT DHC 
HAD LEARNED EARLIER IN THE DAY FROM DAVID HAMADZIRIPI, 
MFA UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA, THAT FOREIGN MINISTER 
MUDENGE WAS HAVING A MEETING AT VICTORIA FALLS WITH HIS 
CONGOLESE COUNTERPARTS ON JULY 27 BEFORE FLYING ON TO 
LUSAKA FOR A MEETING OF THE POLITICAL COMMITTEE.  THE 
CONGOLESE HAD TOLD MUDENGE THEY WOULD ACCOMPANY HIM TO 
LUSAKA IN THE SAME AIRCRAFT. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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