US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS1177

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USAID FOR D/AA WOODS AND DIRECTOR 
AFR/SA FLEURET; DCHA/OFDA FOR HALDRAST-SANCHEZ; DCHA/FFP 
FOR LANDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PREF, EAID, ZI, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: SPURRING SADC ENGAGEMENT ON ZIMBABWE: EC RESPONSE 
 
REF: STATE 53747 
 
Classified By: PRMOFF MARC MEZNAR. REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  The European Commission (EC) is skeptical 
that pressure 
through SADC or any other channel can reverse the 
deteriorating situation in 
Zimbabwe.  The members of SADC have disparate agendas and 
circumstances that 
hinder them from coming together forcefully on Zimbabwe. 
Although official 
development assistance to Zimbabwe has been frozen, the EC 
has stepped up its 
humanitarian efforts to respond to the food, health and 
education needs of 
the Zimbabwean people.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) On 3/18, PRMOff delivered reftel talking points to DG 
DEV Zimbabwe Desk 
officer Joan Pijuan regarding SADC engagement to address the 
deteriorating 
humanitarian and political situation in Zimbabwe.  As noted 
during DAS Pamela 
Bridgewater's discussions about Zimbabwe with senior EU 
officials on 3/10 
(septel), the EC is skeptical that any leverage on the GoZ 
will be effective. 
Pijuan said that the EU had clear benchmarks with regard to 
democracy and 
governance issues, but did not want to seem to be imposing 
them from the 
outside.  Ideally, he felt that SADC, for its own sake, 
should convey to Mugabe 
the importance of reform.  However, Pijuan thought it was 
unlikely this would 
happen because many of Zimbabwe's neighbors have no real 
incentive to pressure 
Mugabe.  Pijuan stated that the key player, South Africa, has 
its own agenda 
and will only give a token push when necessary to satisfy 
western concerns. 
Namibia shares the land reform issues as Zimbabwe and cannot 
be forward 
leaning. Other neighboring states are worse off economically, 
so the situation 
in Zimbabwe does not seem dire by comparison.  In fact, 
Pijuan said that some 
neighbors benefited economically from the trouble in Zimbabwe 
and might prefer 
to continue reaping advantages from these problems.  Even the 
spillover of 
migrant laborers was welcomed, to a degree, as professional 
and educated classes 
were among those leaving Zimbabwe. 
 
3. (C) Pijuan concluded that Mugabe, far from feeling 
isolated, actually has 
become more arrogant and disdainful of international 
pressure.  Pijuan signaled 
two worrying developments vis-a-vis the international 
community:  the 
withdrawal of Zimbabwe's request for UNDP to assist with 
elections and the 
decision to stop accepting food aid from WFP.  According to 
Pijuan, Mugabe will 
not show any pretense of conducting "fair and free" 
elections.  He said the 
government has food stocks available which it will freely 
distribute in the 
run-up to the election for political gain.  Pijuan concluded 
his analysis by 
saying that "perhaps doing nothing is the best plan.  The 
international 
community should monitor and be ready, but should not push 
too much.   Let 
Zimbabwe find its own way." 
 
4. (SBU) Pijuan gave an overview of current EC assistance to 
Zimbabwe.  He 
noted that despite the freezing of 9th European Development 
Fund (EDF), the EC 
has actually reinforced its office in Harare since other 
funding sources are 
being utilized to assist vulnerable people.  Approximately 89 
million euros 
will be available this year, as follows: 
-- 25 million euros in remaining funds from the 6th through 
8th EDFs 
administered by DG DEV: All development assistance in the 
pipeline has been 
reprogrammed to meet the current humanitarian needs, mainly 
in the areas of 
health and education.  Although the assistance programs had 
been mainly in 
these same sectors, they are now being applied to meet the 
direct needs of the 
population (such as purchasing medicine) instead of 
supporting the 
institutional structures. 
-- 19 million euros from envelope B of the 9th EDF.  The B 
envelope can be used 
for unforeseen emergencies and does not require a signed 
agreement with the GoZ 
(as does the A envelope, which consists of 127 million euros 
in frozen funds). 
-- 25 million euros for humanitarian work: ECHO aims to meet 
pockets of hunger 
through school feeding, nutritional surveillance, 
agricultural rehabilitation, 
water and sanitation, therapeutic feeding and logistical 
support for 
distribution.  An initial funding decision for 15 million 
euros will be 
forthcoming (with funds likely to go to UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, 
ICRC and WHO). 
ECHO expects that later in the year additional funds will be 
made available 
to match their 2003 funding level of 25 million euros. 
-- 20 million euros for food aid administered by EuropeAid: 
These funds are 
being used to meet food needs through May 2004.  (Note.  This 
amount is half the 
total allocated in 2003.  Of the combined 2003-2004 amount, 
52 million euros will 
be channeled through WFP and the remaining 8 million euros 
through NGOs.  End 
Note.) 
 
FOSTER