US embassy cable - 01HARARE1019

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/11 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, MCAP, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER CONVENES DIPLOMATIC 
CORPS TO URGE INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT TO DRC PEACE 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
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REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) ON MARCH 14, ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER 
STANISLAUS MUDENGE CONVENED ZIMBABWE'S DIPLOMATIC CORPS 
AND THE PRESS TO MAKE A STATEMENT TO URGE GREATER 
INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE DRC DISENGAGEMENT PLANS. 
REPORTING ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE FEBRUARY 15 
LUSAKA SUMMIT AND THE FEBRUARY 21 MINISTERIAL OF THE 
BELLIGERENTS AT UN HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK, MUDENGE 
URGED ALL GOVERNMENTS PRESENT TO USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO 
ENSURE THAT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL REMAINS COMMITTED TO 
FULLY DEPLOYING MONUC.  MUDENGE CALLED MARCH 15 "D-DAY" 
FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE DISENGAGEMENT AND REDEPLOYMENT 
OF BELLIGERENT FORCES IN THE DRC.  THE FOREIGN MINISTER 
OUTLINED THREE AREAS OF CONCERN THAT ZIMBABWE HAS WITH 
MONUC DEPLOYMENT: 
 
A) THE SIZE OF THE OBSERVER TEAM IS TOO SMALL.  THE 
UNSC ORGINALLY AGREED TO DEPLOY A FORCE OF 5,037, 
THEN CUT IT BACK TO 3,000, THEN REAFFIRMED A 
COMMITMENT TO 5,037.  THIS SENDS AN "UNFORTUNATE" 
MESSAGE OF A LACK OF COMMITMENT BY THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  THE DRC SHOULD HAVE A 
FORCE OF 40,000 TO DO THE JOB PROPERLY, BUT CUTTING 
BACK THE PALTRY 5,000 FIGURE WOULD JEOPARDIZE THE 
ENTIRE MISSION, THE MINISTER CONTENDED. 
 
B) THE PERIOD ALLOWED FOR DEPLOYMENT IS TOO SHORT. 
BEGINNING MARCH 15, THE DRC WILL BE DIVIDED INTO 
FOUR SECTORS, AND MONUC WILL HAVE ONLY 14 DAYS TO 
DEPLOY TO EACH ONE, A TOTAL OF 56 DAYS IN ALL. 
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DEPLOYMENT TO KATANGA (SECTOR 4) WILL BEGIN MARCH 
15, MUDENGE EXPLAINED.  THE FOREIGN MINISTER URGED 
THE UN TO ALLOW ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE THE 
DEPLOYMENT OF ALL THE OBSERVERS. 
 
C) RWANDA AND UGANDA ARE TRYING TO RENEGE ON 
COMMITMENTS MADE UNDER THE KAMPALA AGREEMENT OF 
APRIL 2000.  SINCE THAT CONFERENCE, RWANDA AND 
UGANDA HAVE ADVANCED THEIR FORCES UP TO 500 KM. IN 
SOME AREAS.  THEY WANT TO USE THEIR POSITIONS ON 
THE GROUND NOW AS THE POINT OF WITHDRAWAL, WHEN 
THEY SHOULD BE USING THE POINTS WHERE THEY WERE IN 
APRIL 2000.  KIGALI AND KAMPALA ARE TRYING TO 
REINTERPRET THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT, AND THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT ALLOW THIS, 
MUDENGE REMARKED. 
 
2.  (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER DESCRIBED THE MONUC 
DEPLOYMENT AS "PHASE TWO" OF ENDING THE DRC WAR.  "PHASE 
THREE" WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, HE OPINED, AND WILL 
COMPRISE DISARMING NON-STATE BELLIGERENTS AND 
WITHDRAWING ALL OF THE FOREIGN TROOPS IN THE DRC. 
MUDENGE CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT DRC BELLIGERENTS HAVE 
AGREED TO GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON DISENGAGEMENT, BUT THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST DO THE SAME IF THE PEACE 
PROCESS IS TO SUCCEED. 
 
3.  (C) MUDENGE'S SUBSEQUENT STATEMENTS ON PLANS FOR AN 
AFRICAN UNION, THE SADC SUMMIT ON MARCH 9, AND THE GOZ'S 
RESPONSE TO THE LETTER WRITTEN TO PRESIDENT MUGABE BY 
UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MALLOCH-BROWN, WILL FOLLOW SEPTEL. 
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4.  (C) COMMENT: MUDENGE DOES NOT OFTEN CONVENE THE 
ENTIRE DIPLOMATIC CORPS TO MAKE STATEMENTS.  THAT HE 
CONVENED THE HEADS OF MISSION TO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER 
MONUC DEPLOYMENT AND TO PLEA FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP 
DEMONSTRATES THE GOZ'S GROWING SENSE OF URGENCY TO BRING 
PEACE TO THE DRC.  IT IS EVER MORE EAGER TO BRING HOME 
ITS TROOPS, WHICH COMPRISE HALF ITS MILITARY, TO STOP 
THE RAPID DEPLETION OF ZIMBABWE'S SCARCE FOREIGN 
CURRENCY RESERVES, TO CONTEND WITH POSSIBLE UNREST 
LEADING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SCHEDULED FOR EARLY 
2002, AND TO REMOVE DRC INVOLVEMENT AS AN ISSUE IN THE 
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
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