US embassy cable - 00HARARE4536

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HARARE'S PERSPECTIVE ON LUSAKA SUMMIT

Identifier: 00HARARE4536
Wikileaks: View 00HARARE4536 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2000-08-16 16:03:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PGOV PREL MOPS ZI CG
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

161603Z Aug 00

 

                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO9027

PAGE 01        HARARE  04536  161606Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  
      DS-00    EB-00    FAAE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   
      IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OIC-02   
      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  PRM-01   
      DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /010W
                  ------------------7A9078  161606Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6862
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RWANDA COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004536 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR A/S RICE AND PDAS POWELL 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MOPS, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT:  HARARE'S PERSPECTIVE ON LUSAKA SUMMIT 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD.  REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  04536  161606Z 
(D). 
 
1. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD SPOKE TO ZIMBABWE 
UNDERSECRETARY FOR AFRICA DAVID HAMADZIRIPI ON AUGUST 
15 ABOUT HARARE'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROCEEDINGS AND 
OUTCOME OF THE LUSAKA DROC SUMMIT.  HAMADZIRIPI, WHO 
HAD JUST RETURNED FROM LUSAKA, WHERE HE WAS STAFFING 
PRESIDENT MUGABE AND FOREIGN MINISTER STANISLAUS 
MUDENGE, TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE MEETING WENT 
QUITE WELL.   THE UNDERSECRETARY SAID THE LUSAKA 
ACCORDS ARE ALIVE AND WELL AND THAT ALL THE PARTIES 
INVOLVED RECOMMITTED THEMSELVES TO THEM.   ALTHOUGH 
PRESIDENT KABILA WAS THE ONLY HEAD OF STATE NOT IN 
AGREEMENT ON THE PATH FORWARD, HAMADZIRIPI DID NOT 
CHARACTERIZE KABILA AS BEING OSTRACIZED BY THE OTHER 
HEADS OF STATE AT THE SUMMIT.  THE UNDERSECRETARY 
NOTED THAT THE ATMOSPHERE WAS GENERALLY POSITIVE AND 
CONSTRUCTIVE.  ZIMBABWE, IN PARTICULAR, WAS PLEASED 
WITH RWANDA'S PROPOSAL TO WITHDRAW 200 KILOMETERS. 
 
2. (C) DESPITE THE FAILURE TO OBTAIN KABILA'S AGREEMENT 
ON MASIRE AS FACILITATOR AND PROBLEMS RELATED TO MONUC 
DEPLOYMENT, ZIMBABWE IS HOPEFUL THAT MOMENTUM WILL 
BUILD FROM THE SUMMIT.  HAMADZIRIPI TOLD THE 
AMBASSADOR THAT MUSEVENI AND MUGABE WILL HAVE A CHANCE 
TO DISCUSS THE MASIRE IMPASSE AND OTHER ISSUES AT THE 
SADC SMART PARTNERSHIP MEETING STARTING IN MAPUTO THIS 
WEEKEND AND CONTINUING INTO NEXT WEEK.   AT THE 
SUMMIT, THE PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSED BRINGING IN ONE TO 
THREE INDIVIDUALS TO ASSIST MASIRE, AND NAMES WERE 
MENTIONED, ACCORDING TO HAMADZIRIPI, BUT HE DID NOT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  04536  161606Z 
SHARE ANY NAMES WITH THE AMBASSADOR.  HE ALSO NOTED 
THAT AS A RESULT OF THE SUMMIT, DEFENSE CHIEFS WILL 
MEET NEXT WEEK TO FOLLOW UP ON DETAILS OF 
DISENGAGEMENT.  THE REBEL GROUPS AND THE KABILA 
GOVERNMENT, FOR THEIR PART, ARE DUE TO MEET SOON TO 
DISCUSS MODALITIES.  REGARDING MONUC ISSUES, FOREIGN 
MINISTER MUDENGE WILL CHAIR A POLITICAL COMMITTEE 
MEETING IN THE NEAR TERM. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT:  ZIMBABWE'S FOREIGN MINISTRY IS UPBEAT 
ABOUT REVIVING THE LUSAKA ACCORDS AND CREATING THE 
CONDITIONS TO EXPAND THE MONUC PRESENCE.  THIS LIKELY 
HAS MORE TO DO WITH MUGABE'S PERENNIAL HOPE THAT HE 
CAN BRING HOME THE TROOPS THAT CONTINUE TO DRAIN THE 
TREASURY AND PROVIDE A LIGHTNING ROD FOR OPPOSITION 
CRITICISM THAN ANY BREAKTHROUGH IN LUSAKA.  ZIMBABWE 
WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO DISENGAGE FROM THE 
CONGO WITHOUT A FACE-COSTING UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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