US embassy cable - 00HARARE6423

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 006423 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AND AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, A/AID RMCCALL, DAA/AFR VNEWTON 
PASS USTR - ROSA WHITAKER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  06423  01 OF 02  171216Z 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/10 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, ZI, Land Reform 
SUBJECT: UNDP HOLDS FOLLOW-UP MEETING WITH THE DONOR 
COMMUNITY ON THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN ZIMBABWE. 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) 
AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN HARARE, 
VICTOR ANGELO, HOSTED A FOLLOW-UP MEETING OF THE LOCAL 
DONOR COMMUNITY ON NOVEMBER 9.  THE PURPOSE WAS TO ALLOW 
THE DONOR COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE DRAFT UNDP MISSION 
REPORT ON THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN ZIMBABWE, AS WELL 
AS TO DISCUSS HOW THE UNDP AND DONOR COMMUNITY COULD 
MOVE THE DIALOGUE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) 
AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN A 
POSITIVE DIRECTION WITHOUT REWARDING LAWLESSNESS.  THE 
RESIDENT COORDINATOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MUCH OF THE 
CRITICISM OF THE MISSION REPORT REGARDING HISTORICAL 
INACCURACY AND A BIAS AGAINST THE ROLE OF THE DONOR 
COMMUNITY IN THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN ZIMBABWE WAS AN 
ACCURATE CRITIQUE OF THE REPORT.  A MAJORITY OF THE 
DONOR REPRESENTATIVES AGAIN EMPHASIZED THAT THEIR 
GOVERNMENTS WILL NOT SUPPORT THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN 
ZIMBABWE UNTIL THE GOZ RESPECTS THE RULE OF LAW AND ENDS 
THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF COMMERCIAL FARMS.  THE DANISH 
AMBASSADOR TOLD THE GROUP THAT THE DANISH MINISTER FOR 
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION HAD MADE CLEAR TO PRESIDENT 
MUGABE THAT THERE WAS NO DONOR CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE 
GOZ, BUT THAT A RETURN TO THE RULE OF LAW AND A 
TRANSPARENT LAND REFORM PROCESS WERE PREREQUISITES FOR 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  06423  01 OF 02  171216Z 
DANISH ASSISTANCE TO THE GOZ.  AMBASSADOR MCDONALD 
PROPOSED THAT A POSSIBLE WAY TO MOVE FORWARD ON LAND 
REFORM WOULD BE FOR THE DONOR COMMUNITY TO SEND AN 
INFORMAL DELEGATION TO VISIT THE PROVINCE OF MIDLANDS 
WHERE THE GOVERNOR AND COMMERCIAL FARMERS ARE OPEN TO 
DIALOGUE AND LOCAL SOLUTIONS THAT MIGHT MORE CLOSELY 
FOLLOW THE 1998 DONORS' CONFERENCE GUIDELINES ARE BEING 
CONSIDERED.  WHILE SOME RESERVATIONS WERE EXPRESSED, THE 
DONORS AS A WHOLE AGREED THAT THIS WAS A WORTHY 
INITIATIVE TO FOLLOW.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------- 
UNDP HOSTS DONOR COMMUNITY MEETING 
---------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR VICTOR ANGELO HOSTED 
A DONOR COMMUNITY MEETING ON NOVEMBER 9 FOR THE 
AMBASSADORS OF 22 DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS, THE DIRECTOR OF 
USAID, THE COUNSELOR OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S DEPARTMENT 
FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID), THE EUROPEAN UNION 
REPRESENTED BY THEIR LEAD TECHNICAL OFFICER, AND THE 
WORLD BANK DEPUTY RESREP.  THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING 
WAS FOR RESREP ANGELO TO RECEIVE DONORS' REACTIONS TO 
THE DRAFT UNDP MISSION REPORT ON THE LAND REFORM PROCESS 
IN ZIMBABWE, AS WELL AS TO DISCUSS HOW THE UNDP AND 
DONOR COMMUNITY COULD MOVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOZ OVER 
THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.  THE 
RESIDENT COORDINATOR ALSO INFORMED THE DONORS THAT HE 
HAD MET WITH HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS OF THE GOZ REGARDING 
THE UNDP DRAFT REPORT AND HE HAD EMPHASIZED TO THEM THAT 
FOR THE UNDP TO SUPPORT THE GOZ LAND REFORM PROGRAM, IT 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  06423  01 OF 02  171216Z 
WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE LEGAL, CREDIBLE, AND 
IMPLEMENTABLE.  WHEN ASKED BY THE ASSEMBLED DONORS WHAT 
HE MEANT BY THESE WORDS, THE RESIDENT COORDINATOR 
ANSWERED THAT "LEGAL" MEANT LEGAL, "CREDIBLE" MEANT THAT 
IT HAS TO BE BASED ON A WIDE NATIONAL CONSENSUS, AND 
"IMPLEMENTABLE" MEANT THAT WHAT IS OCCURRING NOW IS NOT 
IMPLEMENTABLE. 
 
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DONOR CRITICISM OF THE UNDP DRAFT REPORT 
---------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) A NUMBER OF ATTENDEES SPOKE STRONGLY ABOUT THE 
HISTORICAL INACCURACY OF THE DRAFT REPORT REGARDING THE 
ROLE OF THE DONOR COMMUNITY ON LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE, 
AS WELL AS THE APPARENT BIAS IN THE REPORT AGAINST THE 
DONOR COMMUNITY AS A POSITIVE FORCE IN THE LAND REFORM 
PROCESS IN ZIMBABWE.  THE COUNSELOR FOR DFID STRESSED 
THAT THE REPORT MADE NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ALL THE 
SUPPORT THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS PROVIDED TO LAND REFORM 
AND RESETTLEMENT SINCE ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE.  THE 
WORLD BANK DEPUTY RESREP SAID WHAT WAS VERY DISTURBING 
ABOUT THE REPORT WAS THAT IT LACKED THE PERSPECTIVE OF 
STAKEHOLDERS, AND THAT IT PORTRAYED THE GOZ AND THE 
DONOR COMMUNITY AS BEING IN OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8610 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  06423  02 OF 02  171223Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  COME-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00 
      EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   L-00     AC-01 
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00 
      DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00     /005W 
                  ------------------A04EF3  171223Z /22 
R 171029Z NOV 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7637 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 006423 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AND AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, A/AID RMCCALL, DAA/AFR VNEWTON 
PASS USTR - ROSA WHITAKER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  06423  02 OF 02  171223Z 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/10 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, ZI 
SUBJECT: UNDP HOLDS FOLLOW-UP MEETING WITH THE DONOR 
COMMUNITY ON THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN ZIMBABWE. 
 
OVER LAND REFORM.  THE RESIDENT COORDINATOR ACKNOWLEDGED 
THAT THE CRITICISM THE UNDP HAD RECEIVED REGARDING THE 
DRAFT REPORT WAS LARGELY VALID AND THAT CHANGES WOULD BE 
MADE TO THE REPORT. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
DONOR PREREQUISITES FOR MOVING FORWARD ON LAND REFORM 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
4. (C) RESIDENT COORDINATOR ANGELO QUERIED THE ASSEMBLED 
GATHERING IF ANYONE HAD CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS ON HOW TO 
MOVE THE DISCUSSION ON LAND REFORM WITH THE GOZ IN A 
POSITIVE DIRECTION.  A NUMBER OF AMBASSADORS AND HIGH 
COMMISSIONERS SPOKE ON THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE GOZ 
RETURN TO THE RULE OF LAW AND A TRANSPARENT AND 
EQUITABLE LAND REFORM PROCESS THAT ADHERES TO THE TENETS 
OF THE 1998 DONORS' CONFERENCE AGREEMENT.  THE GERMAN 
AMBASSADOR AND THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER BOTH 
SPOKE FORCEFULLY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE 
PREREQUISITES, BEFORE THEIR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS COULD 
AGAIN PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN 
ZIMBABWE. 
 
5.  (C) THE DANISH AMBASSADOR TOLD THE GROUP THAT AT THE 
NOVEMBER 7 MEETING BETWEEN THE DANISH MINISTER FOR 
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION, JAN TROJBORG, AND PRESIDENT 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  06423  02 OF 02  171223Z 
MUGABE, THE MINISTER HAD TRIED TO MAKE CLEAR TO THE 
PRESIDENT THAT THERE WAS NO DONOR CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE 
GOZ AND LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE, AND THE DANISH 
GOVERNMENT WAS WILLING TO ASSIST ZIMBABWE ON LAND 
REFORM.  HOWEVER, HE ALSO STRESSED THAT THE RETURN TO 
THE RULE OF LAW ON OCCUPIED FARMS AND A TRANSPARENT LAND 
REFORM PROCESS BASED ON THE 1998 DONORS' CONFERENCE WERE 
PREREQUISITES FOR DANISH ASSISTANCE. 
 
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AMBASSADOR MCDONALD PROPOSES A WAY FORWARD 
------------------------------------------ 
 
6. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD THEN PROPOSED THAT A WAY TO 
BREAK THE CURRENT IMPASSE AND MOVE THE DISCUSSIONS ON 
LAND REFORM FORWARD WOULD BE TO VISIT SITES IN MIDLANDS 
PROVINCE WHERE THE AMBASSADOR IN AN EARLIER TRIP AND 
USAID OFFICIALS IN JUST THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAD VISITED 
WITH GOVERNOR CEPHAS MSIPA AND COMMERCIAL FARMERS WHO 
HAD BEEN WORKING TOGETHER CONSTRUCTIVELY ON LAND REFORM 
IDEAS.  THE GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE USAID OFFICIALS 
WHO VISITED THIS PROVINCE IS THAT THERE IS A REASONABLE 
SET OF ACTORS OF GOODWILL, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR, WHO 
MIGHT DEVELOP THEIR OWN COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.  THE 
AMBASSADOR SUGGESTED THAT AN INFORMAL DELEGATION FROM 
DONOR EMBASSIES AND THE UNDP VISIT THESE SITES IN 
MIDLANDS AND SEE FIRSTHAND WHETHER THERE ARE 
COMPLEMENTARY NON-GOVERNMENTAL APPROACHES TO LAND REFORM 
IN THIS PROVINCE THAT THE DONOR COMMUNITY COULD CONSIDER 
SUPPORTING.  THE AMBASSADOR MADE CLEAR THAT THIS WOULD 
BE A LOOK SEE MISSION WITH NO COMMITMENTS BEING MADE AND 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  06423  02 OF 02  171223Z 
THAT THE UNDERTAKING WOULD BE UNDP LED.  WHILE THERE 
WERE SOME RESERVATIONS RAISED BY MEMBERS OF THE 
ASSEMBLED DONOR COMMUNITY CONCERNING THE GOZ'S 
WILLINGNESS TO ALLOW SUCH APPROACHES, A CONSENSUS WAS 
REACHED TO SEND A SMALL DELEGATION TO MIDLANDS PROVINCE 
AND REPORT BACK TO THE UNDP AND THE DONOR COMMUNITY AT A 
FUTURE MEETING. 
 
7. (C) COMMENT: IT WAS CLEAR FROM THIS MEETING THAT 
THERE REMAINS A GREAT DEAL OF SKEPTICISM AND CONCERN 
WITHIN THE DONOR COMMUNITY REGARDING THE FINAL VERSION 
OF THE UNDP MISSION REPORT ON THE LAND REFORM PROCESS IN 
ZIMBABWE.  THERE ALSO REMAINS A STRONG CONSENSUS AMONG 
THE DONORS, THAT UNTIL THE GOZ UPHOLDS THE RULE OF LAW 
AND SHOWS READINESS TO RETURN TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE 
1998 DONOR CONFERENCE, THERE IS LITTLE OR NO ROOM TO 
MANEUVER ON THIS ISSUE.  JUDGING BY THE DONOR 
REPRESENTATIVES RESPONSES, WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT 
AMBASSADOR MCDONALD'S PROPOSAL MAY OFFER A WAY FOR THE 
UNDP TO TAKE THE LEAD ON FINDING A MECHANISM FOR 
REENGAGING PRESIDENT MUGABE AND THE GOZ ON THE LAND 
REFORM ISSUE.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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