US embassy cable - 01HARARE762

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GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE ENCOURAGED BY LUSAKA SUMMIT

Identifier: 01HARARE762
Wikileaks: View 01HARARE762 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2001-02-16 10:17:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PREL PGOV MCAP ZI CG
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

161017Z Feb 01

 

                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2890

PAGE 01        HARARE  00762  161016Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  USNW-00  DODE-00  DS-00    
      VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  PM-00    
      ACE-00   SSO-00   SS-00    PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00  
      SAS-00     /003W
                  ------------------C68FAB  161016Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8238
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RWANDA COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000762 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MCAP, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE ENCOURAGED BY LUSAKA 
SUMMIT 
 
REFTEL: LUSAKA 724 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00762  161016Z 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE IS VERY ENCOURAGED BY 
THE RESULTS OF THE SUMMIT HELD AMONG THE LUSAKA 
SIGNATORIES IN LUSAKA ON FEBRUARY 15 (REFTEL).  BERNARD 
TAKAVARASHA, THE UNDERSECRETARY FOR AFRICA IN ZIMBABWE'S 
MFA, TOLD POLOFF FEBRUARY 16 THAT THE SUMMIT OUTCOME WAS 
"VERY POSITIVE" AND "BETTER THAN EXPECTED."  TAKAVARASHA 
STATED THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT WAS THAT THE 
"PEOPLE OF THE CONGO" (GOVERNMENT AND REBEL FACTIONS) 
HAD AGREED TO START THE INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE. 
ZIMBABWE VIEWS THE DIALOGUE AS CRITICAL TO ANY 
MEANINGFUL PEACE SETTLEMENT IN DRC, THE MFA OFFICIAL 
NOTED.  ONCE STARTED, THE DIALOGUE COULD SIDELINE THE 
EXTERNAL STATE ACTORS, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, TAKAVARASHA 
STATED. 
 
2.  (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA'S 
FAILURE TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SUMMIT, THE 
UNDERSECRETARY SAID IT WAS REGRETTABLE, BUT HE DID NOT 
DWELL ON IT.  HE NOTED THAT PRESIDENT MUSEVENI DID NOT 
ATTEND EITHER, BUT THAT HE HAD SENT REPRESENTATIVES WHO 
OFFERED APOLOGIES FOR THE UGANDAN PRESIDENT'S ABSENCE. 
POLOFF ASKED TAKAVARASHA TO COMMENT ON PRESIDENT 
MUGABE'S STATEMENT THAT ZIMBABWE WOULD WITHDRAW ITS 
FORCES ONLY AFTER UGANDA AND RWANDA DID, TO WHICH HE 
RESPONDED THAT THAT HAS BEEN ZIMBABWE'S POSITION ALL 
ALONG.  THE MFA OFFICIAL JOKINGLY REMARKED THAT ZIMBABWE 
IS TOO POOR TO ESTABLISH PERMANENT BASES IN THE DRC AS 
THE MUCH WEALTHIER U.S. HAS DONE AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00762  161016Z 
3.  (C) COMMENT: THE ZIMBABWEAN MFA OFFICIAL SEEMED 
GENUINELY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE LUSAKA SUMMIT, 
ALMOST TO THE POINT OF GIDDINESS, WHICH IS NOT AN MFA 
TRAIT.  THE MFA'S COMMENTS UNDERSCORE ZIMBABWE'S DESIRE 
FOR THE RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE IN THE DRC SO THAT 
IT CAN BRING HOME AT LEAST SOME OF ITS TROOPS BEFORE 
NEXT YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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