US embassy cable - 00HARARE4849

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 004849 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/10 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  04849  01 OF 02  311700Z 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MOPS, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT: DROC FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS HARARE 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD.  REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND 
(D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  DROC FOREIGN MINISTER YERODIA PAID A 
BRIEF VISIT TO ZIMBABWE ON AUGUST 29 TO ASSUAGE 
HARARE'S CONCERNS AFTER PRESIDENT KABILA SAID HE WOULD 
SEEK TO REVISE THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT.  AMBASSADOR 
MCDONALD OBTAINED A READOUT ON YERODIA'S VISIT FOM 
NEW MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY AND THE UNDERSECRTARY FOR 
AFRICA.  BOTH ITERATED THAT THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT IS 
STILL ON TRACK.  THE UNDERSECRETARY SID ZIMBABWE IS 
OPEN TO HEARING ANY PROPOSALS TO EVISE THE AGREEMENT, 
BUT IT HAS NOT FORMED A POSTION ON KABILA'S DESIRE 
THAT UGANDA, RWANDA, ANDBURUNDI SHOULD BE NAMED AS 
AGGRESSORS.  HOWEVER, ANY REVISION PROCESS SHOULD NOT 
BE A HINDRANCE TOTHE MONUC PHASE II DEPLOYMENT, 
ACCORDING TO THE IMBABWEAN MFA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) AFTER AN AGUST 29 MEETING IN HARARE WITH 
PRESIDENT MUGABE,DROC FOREIGN MINISTER YERODIA TOLD 
REPORTERS THAT THE LUSAKA PROCESS WAS STILL ON TRACK 
BUT SHOULDBE REVISED TO NAME RWANDA, UGANDA, AND 
BURUNDI A AGGRESSORS.  CURRENT FACILITATOR MASIRE WAS 
A "OMPLICATOR" AND COULD NOT BE TRUSTED.  IN HIS 
PULIC COMMENTS, YERODIA SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH THE DROC 
DID NOT THINK A FACILITATOR WAS NECESSARY, IT HAD 
PROPOSED POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES IN AN EFFORT TO B 
FORTHCOMING, INCLUDING KENNETH KAUNDA, FREDERIKDE 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  04849  01 OF 02  311700Z 
KLERK, AND CYRIL RAMAPHOSA.  ZIMBABWEAN FOREIN 
MINISTER MUDENGE TOLD JOURNALISTS THAT THE LUSAKA 
ACCORDS HAD NOT BEEN "WRITTEN IN STONE," AND SID THE 
DROC'S DESIRE TO REVISE THE LUSAKA ACCORD WOULD BE 
CONSIDERED. 
 
3.  (C) IN AN AUGUST 30MEETING ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC 
WITH MFA PERMSEC WILARD CHIWEWE, THE AMBASSADOR ASKED 
FOR A READOUT OF YERODIA'S VISIT.  CHIWEWE NOTED THAT 
HE HAD ATENDED PRESIDENT MUGABE'S MEETING WITH 
YERODIA, AD HAD NOT COME AWAY WITH THE SENSE THAT THE 
CONGLESE GOVERNMENT WAS AN OBSTACLE TO FORWARD 
MOVEMNT ON LUSAKA.  MASIRE HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED, 
BUT HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE PHASE II MONUC DEPLOYMENT 
MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT KABILA'S CONCERNS ABOUT WHEE 
THE TROOPS WILL BE DEPLOYED.  THE AMBASSADOR AKED 
WHETHER YERODIA HAD INSISTED THAT LUSAKA BE EVISED. 
THE USG, HE SAID, IS STRONGLY CONCERNED THAT OPENING 
UP THE LUSAKA ACCORDS TO REVISION WOUD BE A SERIOUS 
SETBACK TO THE PEACE PROCESS.  TH ZIMBABWEAN 
GOVERNMENT, CHIWEWE REPLIED, BELIEVE WE HAVE COME 
THIS FAR BECAUSE OF LUSAKA.  ANY REQUEST FOR REVISION, 
HE SAID, WOULD REQUIRE A STRONG JUSTIFICATION, BUT THE 
DROC GOVERNMENT HAD NOT YET ENGAGED IN THE FORMAL 
AMENDMENT PROCESS PERMITTED UNDER ARTICLE 26.  ALL 
INDICATIONS, CHIWEWE THOUGHT, ARE THAT LUSAKA IS ON 
COURSE, PROVIDED THAT MONUC II DEPLOYS QUICKLY. 
 
4.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR AND POLOFFS MET SEPARATELY ON 
AUGUST 31 WITH MFA UNDERSECRETARY FOR AFRICA DAVID 
HAMADZIRIPI ABOUT YERODIA'S DISCUSSIONS HERE. 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  04849  01 OF 02  311700Z 
HAMADZIRIPI SAID THE MEETING WAS INTENDED TO BE A 
CONSULTATION AMONG THE ALLIES TO ENSURE THEY WERE ON 
THE SAME TRACK AND TO DISCUSS ACCELERATING 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LUSAKA AGREEMENTS.  DUE TO 
SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, HOWEVER, ANGOLA WAS UNABLE TO 
SEND ANYONE AND NAMIBIA WAS REPRESENTED BY ITS 
AMBASSADOR HERE. 
 
5.  (C) YERODIA, HAMADZIRIPI SAID, HAD AGREED THAT 
LUSAKA REMAINS VALID, BUT BELIEVED THERE WAS A NEED TO 
REVIEW THE AGREEMENTS NOW THAT RWANDA, BURUNDI, AND 
UGANDA HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS AGGRESSOR NATIONS IN 
UNSCR 1304, AND BECAUSE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL REBEL 
SIGNATORIES HAVE NOW WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONFLICT. 
HAMADZIRIPI INDICATED THAT ZIMBABWE IS OPEN TO 
REVIEWING ANY PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENTS, AS PERMITTED 
BY ARTICLE 26, BUT HAD NOT YET TAKEN A POSITION ON THE 
SUBSTANCE OF POSSIBLE CHANGES.  HAMADZIRIPI DID NOT 
SEE A FORMAL REVIEW OF LUSAKA AS AN OBSTACLE TO THE 
MONUC PHASE II DEPLOYMENT.  PARTICIPANTS IN THE 
DISCUSSIONS WELCOMED RWANDA'S PROPOSAL TO WITHDRAW 200 
KM, AND DEFENSE MINISTERS OF DROC'S ALLIES PLAN TO 
MEET SOON TO DISCUSS THE MODALITIES OF DISENGAGEMENT. 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6198 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  04849  02 OF 02  311700Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  SMEC-00  INL-00   DODE-00 
      DOEE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-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 
                  ------------------804B1C  311700Z /38 
O 311659Z AUG 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6981 
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
RWANDA COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
NSC WASHDC 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 004849 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/10 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  04849  02 OF 02  311700Z 
TAGS:  PGOV, PREL, MOPS, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT: DROC FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS HARARE 
 
6.  (C) ACCORDING TO HAMADZIRIPI, MASIRE'S ROLE AS 
PEACE FACILITATOR DID NOT COME UP IN THE PRIVATE 
DISCUSSIONS.  THIS IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE FOR ZIMBABWE, 
HE POINTED OUT, BECAUSE THE GOZ WANTS TO IMPLEMENT 
LUSAKA BUT DOES NOT WANT TO OFFEND BOTSWANA BY 
UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPING THE WELL-RESPECTED MASIRE. 
PRESIDENT KABILA IS ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED TO MASIRE, SO 
ZIMBABWE MUST HELP COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN 
THAT DOES NOT DENIGRATE MASIRE.  THE GOZ, HAMADZIRIPI 
RECALLED, HAD ACCEPTED THE NAMIBIAN PROPOSAL THAT TWO 
EMINENT PERSONS BE ASKED TO WORK WITH MASIRE.  DESPITE 
THE OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL BY THE DROC AND OTHERS, 
HAMADZIRIPI WAS CONFIDENT A WAY OUT COULD BE FOUND, AS 
THE DROC IS COMMITTED TO THE FACILITATION PROCESS. 
 
7.  (C) EVINCING A BIT OF FRUSTRATION, HAMADZIRIPI 
SAID THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION HAD WORKED HARD TO 
KEEP THE LUSAKA PROCESS ALIVE, AND HE CRITICIZED THE 
UN FOR "LETTING US DOWN."  THE AMBASSADOR REMINDED 
HAMADZIRIPI THAT PRESIDENT KABILA BORE MOST OF THE 
BLAME FOR THE SLOW PACE OF PROGRESS, AND SAID MONUC II 
COULD NOT PROCEED UNTIL KABILA PROVIDES THE NECESSARY 
SECURITY GUARANTEES AND ALLOWS DEPLOYMENT IN AREAS HIS 
GOVERNMENT CONTROLS.  HAMADZIRIPI ACKNOWLEDGED THE 
POINT, AND SAID THE GOZ WOULD DO ALL IT COULD TO 
ENSURE THE CONDITIONS WERE RIGHT FOR THE PHASE II 
DEPLOYMENT.  ZIMBABWE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE DROC, 
HAMADZIRIPI INSISTED, WAS MOTIVATED GENUINELY BY THE 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  04849  02 OF 02  311700Z 
PRINCIPLE OF PROTECTING A NATION'S SOVEREIGN BORDERS, 
NOT BY ECONOMIC INTERESTS, AND THE GOZ WOULD CONTINUE 
TO REMAIN ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. 
 
8.  (C) COMMENT:  HAMADZIRIPI IS THE MOST SENIOR MFA 
OFFICIAL ENGAGED ON A DAILY BASIS ON DROC POLICY, AND 
SO IS MUCH MORE THOROUGHLY BRIEFED ON DROC THAN 
CHIWEWE, WHO ASSUMED HIS CURRENT POSITION ONLY ON 
AUGUST 28.  HAMADZIRIPI, HOWEVER, IS SOMETIMES OVERLY 
OPTIMISTIC AND FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ZIMBABWE'S CLEAR 
ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN THE DROC.  LIKE THE REST OF THE 
MFA, HE DID NOT APPEAR PHASED BY KABILA'S LATEST 
WRANGLINGS, AND REMAINED HOPEFUL AFTER YERODIA'S VISIT 
THAT THE DROC WOULD STICK TO LUSAKA AND THAT THE MONUC 
DEPLOYMENT WOULD GO FORWARD.  DESPITE ZIMBABWE'S 
CONTINUING AND INTENSIFYING DIFFICULTIES WITH KABILA, 
HE IS STILL KEY TO ENDING THE GOZ'S MILITARY 
ENTANGLEMENT THERE. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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