US embassy cable - 00HARARE6281

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 006281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AND AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN 
 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PASS USTR - ROSA WHITAKER 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  06281  01 OF 02  071536Z 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/10 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, ZI 
SUBJECT: UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ANGELO SHARES HIS 
VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD.  REASONS 1.5 (B) 
AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR MCDONALD, ACCOMPANIED BY 
LABOFF, PAID A CALL NOVEMBER 6 ON RECENTLY ARRIVED UNDP 
RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE (RES REP) VICTOR ANGELO TO 
DISCUSS THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN 
ZIMBABWE.  THE RES REP TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT WHILE 
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS IN THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY IN 
HARARE WHO WANT TO TAKE A WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE 
REGARDING THE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE, HE THINKS THAT A 
MORE PROACTIVE RESPONSE IS CALLED FOR TO PREVENT A MAJOR 
CRISIS.  THE AMBASSADOR WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREED WITH THE 
RES REP AND THEY DECIDED TO SET-UP A NUMBER OF MEETINGS 
AIMED AT BRINGING TOGETHER THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE 
(GOZ)/ZANU-PF, THE OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTY MOVEMENT 
FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC), AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO 
DISCUSS WORKING TOGETHER ON A WAY FORWARD.  RES REP 
ANGELO INFORMED THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE UN SECRETARY 
GENERAL (SG) WAS PLANNING ON SENDING A REPRESENTATIVE TO 
HARARE ON NOVEMBER 17 TO ALSO TRY AND BREAK THE ICE 
HERE, BUT THIS TRIP HINGES ON PRESIDENT MUGABE AGREEING 
TO SEE THE SG'S REP.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD PAID A VISIT TO THE UNITED 
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NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (UNDP) RESIDENT 
REPRESENTATIVE (RES REP) IN HARARE, VICTOR ANGELO, ON 
NOVEMBER 6 TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC 
CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE AND WHAT COULD BE DONE TO LOWER 
TENSIONS.  THE AMBASSADOR STATED THAT HE WAS VERY 
CONCERNED THAT THE SITUATION HAD TAKEN A TURN FOR THE 
WORSE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS WITH NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENTS 
INCLUDING FOOD RIOTS, THE MDC'S FILING OF AN IMPEACHMENT 
MOTION AGAINST MUGABE, AND AN UPSWING IN VIOLENCE ON 
OCCUPIED COMMERCIAL FARMS. AMBASSADOR MCDONALD TOLD RES 
REP ANGELO THAT HE WAS WORRIED THAT TENSIONS ARE 
REACHING A BOILING POINT, AND THAT THE EMBASSY AND THE 
UNDP NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER IN GETTING THE GOZ AND 
OPPOSITION TALKING. 
 
3. (C) RES REP ANGELO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE SHARED 
HIS CONCERNS AND PERCEPTIONS.  ANGELO STATED THAT WHILE 
THERE ARE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HARARE DIPLOMATIC 
COMMUNITY WHO BELIEVE THAT A WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE IS 
APPROPRIATE, HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS PRUDENT. 
HE ALSO AGREED THAT EVENTS COULD GET OUT OF HAND IN 
ZIMBABWE BEFORE LONG.  HE WAS ESPECIALLY WORRIED THAT 
THE UNDP SECURITY OFFICER WHO IS THE LIAISON WITH THE 
ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE (ZRP) HAD INFORMED HIM THAT ZRP 
RIOT UNITS HAD BEGUN RANGE TRAINING WITH LIVE 
AMMUNITION, A PRACTICE NOT SEEN BEFORE.  THE CLEAR 
IMPLICATION IS THAT THE ZRP WOULD USE LIVE AMMUNITION IN 
ANY FURTHER CIVIL DISTURBANCES. 
 
4. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD AND RES REP ANGELO AGREED TO 
ARRANGE THE FOLLOWING MEETINGS TO EXPLORE WAYS TO 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  06281  01 OF 02  071536Z 
INCREASE THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE GOZ, THE MDC, AND 
OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY STAKEHOLDERS. 
 
- A MEETING AMONG THE AMBASSADOR, THE RES REP, AND THE 
PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 
MR. WILLARD CHIWEWE.  MR. CHIWEWE IS A CONDUIT TO 
PRESIDENT MUGABE.  THIS MEETING COULD BE USED TO 
UNOFFICIALLY GAUGE IF A WILLINGNESS EXISTS ON THE PART 
OF PRESIDENT MUGABE TO TRY AND DEFUSE TENSIONS AND BEGIN 
DIALOGUE WITH THE OPPOSITION MDC, AS WELL AS TO RELAY 
THE AMBASSADOR'S AND RES REP'S WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST IN 
EFFORTS TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE. 
 
- A MEETING AMONG THE AMBASSADOR, RES REP, AND CHIEFS OF 
MISSION OF THE OTHER MAJOR DONORS AND KEY PLAYERS IN 
ZIMBABWE.  AUSTRALIA, DENMARK, THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN, NIGERIA, NORWAY, SWEDEN, 
TANZANIA, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM WILL BE INVITED.  THE 
PURPOSE WILL BE TO BRAINSTORM ON WAYS TO LOWER TENSIONS 
AND GET DIALOGUE STARTED. 
 
- A MEETING AMONG THE AMBASSADOR, THE RES REP, AND THE 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU).  THE PURPOSE WILL BE TO 
ENCOURAGE THE CFU TO REACH OUT TO THE GOZ AND GET BOTH 
SIDES TALKING AGAIN. 
 
5. (C) RES REP ANGELO INFORMED THE AMBASSADOR THAT UN 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8000 
 
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ACTION IO-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   CIAE-00  COME-00 
      INL-00   DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EUR-00   OIGO-00  VC-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   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    IRM-00   STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  R-00 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00 
      SWCI-00    /009W 
                  ------------------9BF8EC  071537Z /38 
P 071535Z NOV 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7576 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 006281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AND AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN 
 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PASS USTR - ROSA WHITAKER 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  06281  02 OF 02  071536Z 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/10 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, UN, ZI 
SUBJECT: UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ANGELO SHARES HIS 
VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE 
 
SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN IS PLANNING ON SENDING TO 
 
SIPDIS 
HARARE AS HIS SPECIAL ENVOY UNDP HEAD MARK MALLOCH-BROWN 
ON NOVEMBER 17 - 19 IF, AND ONLY IF, A MEETING WITH 
PRESIDENT MUGABE CAN BE ARRANGED.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS 
VISIT WILL BE TO TRY TO LOWER TENSIONS, AND ENCOURAGE 
DIALOGUE BETWEEN ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. 
 
6. (C) COMMENT: WITH TENSIONS CLEARLY ESCALATING IN 
ZIMBABWE, POST WILL EXPLORE ALL REASONABLE AVENUES TO 
GET THE GOZ TALKING WITH THE OPPOSITION MDC AND OTHER 
CIVIL SOCIET 
Y STAKEHOLDERS TO TRY AND LOWER THE 
TEMPERATURE IN HARARE.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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