US embassy cable - 00HARARE6907

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006907 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MOPS, CG, ZI 
SUBJECT: SENIOR FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL COMMENTS ON 
SIGNING OF DISENGAGEMENT AND REDEPLOYMENT OF FORCES 
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AGREEMENT 
 
REF:  LUSAKA 5410 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 
B/D. 
 
1.  (C) ON DECEMBER 7 DCM HAD BREAKFAST WITH A VERY 
TIRED DAVID HAMADZIRIPI, A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE 
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CURRENTLY POSTED IN 
KINSHASA.  THE ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT, WHO ATTENDED THE DRC 
DISENGAGEMENT MEETING IN HARARE, REPORTED THAT HIS 
GOVERNMENT EXPECTED THE SIGNING CEREMONY TO BE NON- 
CONTROVERSIAL, BUT NEGOTIATIONS THAT BEGAN ON DECEMBER 5 
STRETCHED INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THE NEXT MORNING.  HE 
CONTINUED THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE CONGOLESE REBEL 
MOVEMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE MOVEMENT FOR THE LIBERATION 
OF THE CONGO (MLC), OBJECTED TO THE JOINT POLITICAL 
COMMITTEE'S ADOPTION OF THE SUB-PLANS FOR THE 
DISENGAGEMENT AND REDEPLOYMENT OF FORCES IN THE FOUR 
MILITARY SECTORS OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 
(DRC)(REFTEL).  THE MLC, WHICH WAS REPRESENTED AT THE 
MINISTERIAL-LEVEL MEETING BY ITS RELATIVELY JUNIOR 
MEMBER ON THE JOINT MILITARY COMMISSION, REFUSED TO SIGN 
CLAIMING HIS MOVEMENT WOULD ONLY DO SO WHEN THE INTERNAL 
DIALOGUE IN THE DRC HAD BEGUN.  HAMADZIRIPI THOUGHT THAT 
IT WAS A PLAY FOR TIME, AS JEAN-PIERRE BEMBA PROBABLY 
HAD NOT GIVEN HIS DELEGATE A MANDATE TO JOIN THE 
CONSENSUS. 
 
2.  (C) HAMADZIRIPI MADE A STRONG PLEA FOR A SIX-MONTH 
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EXTENSION OF THE MONUC MANDATE AND AN EARLY DEPLOYMENT 
OF THE UNITED NATIONS' PEACEKEEPING BATTALION.  "WITHOUT 
IT THESE AGREEMENTS ARE A DEAD LETTER," HE SUMMED UP. 
HE HOPED THE USG WOULD SUPPORT THE HARARE EFFORT AT THE 
WORLD BODY.  THE SIGNING OF THE DISENGAGEMENT PLAN 
SHOULD BE SEEN AS A SIGN THAT THE DRC PLAYERS ARE 
SERIOUS ABOUT A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION, HE DECLARED.  HE 
ADDED THAT ZIMBABWE HAD BROUGHT HOME TWO BATTALIONS FROM 
THE CONGO, WHICH IT DID NOT INTEND TO REPLACE.  THE 
FIGHTING NEAR PWETO SHOULD NOT DETER MONUC DEPLOYMENT 
BECAUSE MONUC COULD EASILY DEPLOY TO ANY OTHER AREA OF 
THE FRONT, WHICH IS MOSTLY QUIET.  WHEN ASKED WHETHER 
THE REPORTED TAKING OF PWETO BY REBEL FORCES POSED A 
THREAT TO THE AGREEMENT, HAMADZIRIPI STATED 
CATEGORICALLY, "NO." 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: HAMADZIRIPI, A RELIABLE CONTACT ON DRC 
MATTERS, WAS UNUSUALLY KEEN ON RECEIVING US SUPPORT FOR 
THIS LATEST DIPLOMATIC EFFORT TO DISENTANGLE THE WARRING 
PARTIES IN THE DRC.  PRESIDENT MUGABE, WHO ADDRESSED 
LOCAL DEFENSE ATTACHES ATTENDING THE SIGNING CEREMONY, 
URGED THEIR GOVERNMENTS TO GET BEHIND THE DISENGAGEMENT 
PLAN.  THIS EXTRAORDINARY DIPLOMATIC PLEADING COULD BE 
AN INDICATION THAT THE DRC ALLIES ARE INCREASINGLY 
DESPERATE TO STOP THE FIGHTING BEFORE REBELS MAKE ANY 
MORE ADVANCES.  ALTHOUGH ZIMBABWE MAY HAVE INTENDED TO 
CONTINUE A GRADUAL WITHDRAWAL, RECENT ADVANCES BY THE 
REBELS MAY FORCE THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES TO REDEPLOY 
FORCES TO THE CONGO.  THE ALLIES COULD FEAR THAT THEY 
ARE LOSING MOMENTUM TO THE REBELS, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT 
OF REPORTS OF A HASTY RETREAT BY DRC ALLIES FROM PWETO. 
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WITH HIS DOMESTIC CHALLENGES MOUNTING, MUGABE, IN 
PARTICULAR, CANNOT AFFORD AN INTENSIFIED WAR IN THE DRC 
OR A MAJOR MILITARY REVERSAL. END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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