US embassy cable - 00HARARE6032

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Identifier:	00HARARE6032
Wikileaks:	View 00HARARE6032 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2000-10-25 16:21:00
Classification:	CONFIDENTIAL
Tags:	PGOV PREL MOPS ZI CG SA
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MOPS, ZI, CG, SA 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE VIEWS ON DRC PEACE PROCESS 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  06032  251621Z 
REFTEL: SECSTATE 200297 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) POLOFF SPOKE TO CONGO DESK OFFICER MAXWELL 
CHIKOROWONDO IN ZIMBABWE'S MFA ON OCTOBER 18 ABOUT 
ZIMBABWE'S VIEWS ON RECENT EVENTS REGARDING THE DRC.  HE 
STATED THAT THE OCTOBER 14-15 MAPUTO SUMMIT GAVE NEW 
MOMENTUM TO THE LUSAKA PEACE PROCESS.  REAFFIRMING THE 
KAMPALA DISENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT REACHED IN APRIL, THE 
STATE PLAYERS AT MAPUTO AGREED TO PULL BACK THEIR 
RESPECTIVE FORCES 15 KM TO CREATE A 30 KM BUFFER ZONE 
BETWEEN THEM; RWANDA UNDERSCORED ITS INTENTION TO PULL 
BACK 200 KM.  SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT MBEKI APPARENTLY 
SAID AT THE MEETING THAT THE DRC REBEL GROUPS WOULD BE 
EXPECTED TO COMPLY WITH THE PULLBACK, TO WHICH THEY 
ALREADY AGREED AT KAMPALA EARLIER THIS YEAR.  THE STATE 
DEFENSE CHIEFS ACCOMPANIED THEIR HEADS-OF-STATE TO 
MAPUTO, AND AGREED TO MEET AGAIN SOON TO ENSURE THAT 
THEIR RESPECTIVE MILITARIES IMPLEMENTED THE AGREEMENT ON 
THE GROUND.  WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE RECENT REPORTS OF NEW 
CLASHES IN THE DRC, CHIKOROWONDO STRESSED THAT 
ZIMBABWEAN FORCES WERE NOT/NOT INVOLVED AND THAT NO 
CLASHES HAD OCCURRED IN KATANGA OR KASAI AS REPORTED IN 
THE PRESS. 
 
2.  (C) ON OCTOBER 23, POLOFF LEARNED FROM CHIKOROWONDO 
THAT THE STATE DEFENSE CHIEFS, AS AGREED IN MAPUTO, MET 
OVER THE OCTOBER 21-22 WEEKEND TO HAMMER OUT AN 
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.  THE DESK OFFICER DID NOT KNOW 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  06032  251621Z 
EXACTLY WHAT ZIMBABWE DEFENSE MINISTER MAHACHI HAD 
WORKED OUT AT THE MEETING, BUT HE HAD SEEN NO SIGNS OF 
NEW ZIMBABWEAN TROOP MOVEMENTS ON THE GROUND.  HE DID 
SAY, HOWEVER, THAT MAHACHI AND THE OTHER DEFENSE CHIEFS 
ARE DUE TO REPORT THEIR ACTIONS OCTOBER 28-29 TO ANOTHER 
HEADS-OF-STATE MEETING IN MAPUTO INVOLVING ZIMBABWE, 
RWANDA, SOUTH AFRICA, AND THE DRC.  CHIKOROWONDO 
BELIEVED THAT THE MAPUTO MEETINGS WOULD GIVE NEW LIFE TO 
THE PEACE PROCESS. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: ZIMBABWE'S MFA REMAINS EVER-HOPEFUL 
THAT A LASTING PEACE WILL SOON COME TO THE DRC.  SEVERAL 
REPORTS DO INDICATE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCE UNITS WERE 
INVOLVED IN THE RECENT FIGHTING IN LOWER EQUATEUR, AND 
THAT CLASHES DID OCCUR IN KATANGA AND KASAI, ALBEIT NOT 
INVOLVING ZIMBABWEAN FORCES.  AS OF LATE, THE DRC HAS 
BEEN ABSENT FROM THE HEADLINES IN ZIMBABWE, AND WE 
SUSPECT THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS NOT GIVEN IT HIS FULL 
ATTENTION DUE TO THE DISTRACTION OF DOMESTIC POLITICS. 
END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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