US embassy cable - 00HARARE4749

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004749 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MOPS, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT:  VIEW FROM ZIMBABWE ON DROC ISSUES DISCUSSED IN 
MAPUTO 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD.  REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND 
(D). 
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1.  (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD SPOKE TO FORMER INDUSTRY AND 
COMMERCE MINISTER NATHAN SHAMUYARIRA ABOUT PRESIDENT 
MUGABE'S CONGOLESE DISCUSSIONS WITH REGIONAL LEADERS IN 
MAPUTO AUGUST 20-23.  SHAMUYARIRA, WHO EARLIER IN HIS 
CAREER WAS FOREIGN MINISTER AND IS STILL IN CLOSE 
COUNSEL WITH MUGABE, PROVIDED A BRIEF READOUT OF 
MUGABE'S ONE-ON-ONE MEETING (WITH NO NOTETAKERS) WITH 
UGANDAN PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AND OTHERS.  SHAMUYARIRA, WHO 
ACCOMPANIED THE PRESIDENT TO MAPUTO BUT WAS NOT PRESENT 
AT ANY OF THE RELEVANT MEETINGS, CONVEYED MUGABE'S VIEW 
THAT PRESIDENT KABILA IS NOW BEING MORE FLEXIBLE AND 
WILL HELP GET THE LUSAKA ACCORDS BACK ON TRACK. 
APPARENTLY, KABILA WILL PERMIT THE MONUC DEPLOYMENT IN 
CONGOLESE TERRITORY AS THE FIRST CONCRETE STEP IN 
REVIVING THE ACCORDS.  ADDITIONALLY, POSITIVE ACTION BY 
RWANDA AND UGANDA COULD BRING REBEL OFFENSIVES TO AN 
END.  SHAMUYARIRA FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE ROLE OF 
MASIRE AS FACILITATOR IS STILL A POINT OF CONTENTION, SO 
OTHER LEADERS WERE BEING CONSIDERED, INCLUDING NELSON 
MANDELA.  HE THOUGHT THAT KABILA WAS OPEN TO MANDELA 
ASSUMING THE FACILITATOR ROLE AND THAT THE FORMER 
PRESIDENT WAS ALSO INTERESTED. 
 
2.  (C) COMMENT: SHAMUYARIRA'S BELIEF (AND PRESUMABLY 
MUGABE'S) THAT KABILA WILL TAKE THESE NECESSARY STEPS TO 
REVIVE LUSAKA IS SOMEWHAT OVERLY OPTIMISTIC AT THIS 
POINT.  GIVEN KABILA'S OPEN AND WELL KNOWN DISLIKE OF 
MANDELA, IT IS HARD FOR US TO THINK THAT THIS IS A REAL 
POSSIBILITY.  HOWEVER, MUGABE'S CONTINUING STRONG FOCUS 
ON SEEKING A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE DROC WAR 
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UNDERSCORES HIS DESIRE TO WITHDRAW THE TROOP DEPLOYMENT 
THAT HIS COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: PROCEDURALLY, IT IS 
INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT NO ONE FROM THE FOREIGN 
MINISTRY WAS INVOLVED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS IN MAPUTO AND 
NO ONE AT MFA KNEW ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE ABOUT THEM WHEN 
WE INQUIRED TODAY.  IT SOUNDS LIKE SHAMUYARIRA WILL BE 
PLAYING THE ROLE OF SPECIAL ADVISOR ON SEVERAL IMPORTANT 
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES.  THE FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER MAY 
NOW FUNCTION LIKE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT EMMERSON 
MNANGAGWA ON SUCH WEIGHTY MATTERS.  HE TOLD THE 
AMBASSADOR THAT HE IS ACCOMPANYING MUGABE ON HIS TRIP TO 
LIBYA, WHICH BEGINS ON AUGUST 27 OR 28.  SHAMUYARIRA 
AGREED TO GIVE THE AMBASSADOR A READOUT ON THESE ISSUES 
WHEN HE RETURNS FROM TRIPOLI LATER NEXT WEEK. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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