US embassy cable - 04LILONGWE223

C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MI, ZI, Political 
SUBJECT: MALAWI FRUSTRATED BY LACK OF PROGRESS IN ZIMBABWE 
 
REF: STATE 53747 
 
Classified By: POLOFF KIERA EMMONS FOR REASONS 1.5 B & D. 
 
1. (U) Ambassador met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Lilian 
Patel to deliver reftel demarche on Zimbabwe.  At the March 
16 meeting, the Ambassador also briefly discussed Haiti 
(septel) and the MCA with the Minister. 
 
2.  (C) Patel stated that Malawi remains hopeful for 
increased dialogue between opposition and government 
leadership in Zimbabwe.  She expressed disappointment that 
after two years, no changes had occurred in Zimbabwe despite 
Malawi's quiet diplomacy.  The lack of progress has, 
according to Patel, made Malawi a victim and she noted that 
Zimbabwe is Malawi's number two trading partner.  (NOTE: We 
take Patel's characterization of Malawi as a victim to be a 
reference to the regional and bilateral destabilization 
resulting from the situation in Zimbabwe. END NOTE.)  Patel 
said any anti-Mugabe position by Malawi would have a negative 
impact and acknowledged that Malawi had previously shown 
support for Zimbabwe as a matter of solidarity among African 
states.  She said that Malawi, through direct intervention by 
Muluzi, has taken initiatives on its own but cannot continue 
doing so because such initiatives would be "misunderstood." 
 
2.  (C) Patel said SADC needs to take the issue of Zimbabwe 
more seriously. The way forward for SADC regarding Zimbabwe, 
she said, requires careful analysis.  She observed that 
within SADC "certain things happen behind the scenes" and 
that there had been "much talk of Mugabe."  Patel stated that 
Malawi has done all it can within the SADC context and noted 
she has visited Zimbabwe on four occasions and the president 
has done so twice. President Muluzi, she said, is "the first 
president who has tackled the Zimbabwe issue head-on."  When 
asked if she thought Muluzi would be willing to continue to 
work to resolve the situation in Zimbabwe even after his 
final term ends in May of 2004, she replied that he likely 
would, though not on a full-time basis. South Africa, she 
said, is playing a big role, though Malawi "would have hoped 
for more." 
 
3.  (C)  Patel raised the issue of sanctions on her own.  She 
met with the Ambassador immediately after meeting with EU 
diplomats, and her first remark was that EU Ambassadors had 
pushed for renewal of sanctions.  She observed that targeted 
sanctions did not affect ordinary Zimbabweans, but the broad 
impact of sanctions should be carefully analyzed. She said 
sanctions may be useful in making progress "in the absence of 
any other way." 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  Patel seemed willing to discuss the issue 
of Zimbabwe and left the impression that Malawi was 
interested in finding a solution through behind the scenes 
diplomacy within the structure of SADC.  This seems to be in 
line with earlier GOM positions, but is now more interesting 
in light of Patel's statements that Muluzi could be "used as 
needed" once out of office to address the issue. EU diplomats 
report that Patel made similar remarks to them about a future 
role for Muluzi. It appears, however, that Malawi is more 
comfortable letting SADC, and especially South Africa, take 
the lead for now. 
BROWNING