US embassy cable - 01HARARE450

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000450 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE TRIES TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO IN DRC AS 
IT GROWS SUSPICIOUS OF ITS ALLIES 
 
REFTEL: HARARE 00349 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) ON JANUARY 23, CHARGE SPOKE WITH THE PERMANENT 
SECRETARY IN ZIMBABWE'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 
 
SIPDIS 
WILLARD CHIWEWE, ABOUT THE DRC.  CHIWEWE REITERATED 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00450  231455Z 
POINTS THAT SPEAKER MNANGAGWA HAD MADE TO US LAST WEEK 
(REFTEL):  1) ZIMBABWE WILL NOT CHANGE ITS APPROACH TO 
THE DRC GOVERNMENT, 2) IT WANTS CONGOLESE "SOCIETY" TO 
REMAIN "INTEGRAL" TO THE EQUATION, AND 3) IT DOES NOT 
WANT ANY OF THE DRC PLAYERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 
KABILA'S ASSASSINATION WITH NEW MILITARY ADVENTURES. 
ZIMBABWE WILL BE STRESSING THESE POINTS IN ALL ITS 
MEETINGS WITH THE OTHER PLAYERS IN THE COMING WEEKS, 
CHIWEWE STATED.  THE PERMSEC, WHO JUST RETURNED FROM SIX 
WEEKS OF LEAVE ON JANUARY 22, WANTS TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT 
WEEK TO MEET WITH US IN ORDER TO GET FULLY UP TO SPEED 
ON DRC EVENTS. 
 
2.  (C) POLOFF SPOKE WITH THE MFA'S ACTING 
UNDERSECRETARY FOR AFRICA, MR. TAKAVARASHA, ON JANUARY 
23.  WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PROPOSED LUSAKA SIGNATORIES 
MEETING, TAKAVARASHA DEMURRED, SAYING THAT THE ALLIED 
HEADS OF STATE WOULD LIKELY BE MEETING ON THE MARGINS OF 
OR SHORTLY AFTER KABILA'S FUNERAL.  THE ACTING 
UNDERSECRETARY SAID THAT ZIMBABWE NO LONGER FEELS 
COMFORTABLE MEETING WITH ANY OF THE DRC PLAYERS, 
INCLUDING ITS ALLIES, WITHOUT KNOWING WHO WAS BEHIND THE 
ASSASSINATION OF KABILA.  TAKAVARASHA SUGGESTED THAT A 
MEANINGFUL CONTINUATION OF THE LUSAKA DIALOGUE COULD NOT 
TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION INTO KABILA'S MURDER 
IS COMPLETED.  WHEN QUERIED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A 
MAPUTO III SUMMIT, THE UNDERSECRETARY SAID HE WAS 
UNAWARE OF ANY PLANS FOR SUCH A MEETING, AND, IN ANY 
CASE, DISMISSED THE SOUTH AFRICANS AS "OUTSIDERS" TO THE 
DRC CONFLICT. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00450  231455Z 
3.  (C) COMMENT: ZIMBABWE'S UNEASINESS ABOUT THE 
SITUATION IN THE DRC IS BEGINNING TO SHOW.  THE GOZ 
LEADERSHIP'S PARANOID OPTICS MAY BE FOCUSING ON ITS 
ALLIES, PARTICULARLY ANGOLA, AS SPECULATION AND RUMOR 
ABOUND ABOUT WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KABILA'S DEATH. 
TAKAVARASHA'S COMMENTS ARE WORRISOME, AS HE SEEMED MORE 
CONCERNED ABOUT FINGERING KABILA'S KILLER THAN USING THE 
OPPORTUNITY OF A CHANGE OF DRC LEADERSHIP TO ADVANCE THE 
LUSAKA PEACE PROCESS.  WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A 
MORE DEFINITIVE READOUT OF ZIMBABWE'S THINKING AFTER THE 
KEY PLAYERS RETURN FROM KABILA'S FUNERAL THIS WEEK.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>