US embassy cable - 01HARARE1030

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER BRIEFS DIPLOMATIC 
CORPS ON AFRICAN UNION, SADC, AND LAND REFORM 
 
REFS: A) HARARE 1019, B) HARARE 1016 
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CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: ON MARCH 14, ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER 
STANISLAUS MUDENGE BRIEFED ZIMBABWE'S DIPLOMATIC CORPS 
AND THE PRESS ON THE FUTURE OF THE PROPOSED AFRICAN 
UNION, CHANGES MADE TO SADC STRUCTURES IN WINDHOEK ON 
MARCH 9, AND THE STATUS OF LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE. 
MUDENGE ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANOTHER JAB AT 
THE UK.  THE FOREIGN MINISTER'S STATEMENTS ON THE DRC 
WERE REPORTED IN REF A.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AFRICAN UNION CLOSER TO FRUITION 
-------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) MUDENGE BRIEFED HEADS OF MISSION ON THE EARLY 
MARCH OAU EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT HELD IN SIRTE, LIBYA. 
MUCH OF THE SUMMIT WAS FOCUSED ON THE CREATION OF AN 
AFRICAN UNION, WHICH WILL BE ALONG THE LINES OF THE 
EUROPEAN UNION, THE MINISTER REPORTED.  NEW STRUCTURES, 
INCLUDING AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, A PAN-AFRICAN 
PARLIAMENT, A HIGH COURT, AN AFRICAN CENTRAL BANK, AND A 
VARIETY OF TECHNICAL COMMITTEES, WERE ALL AGREED UPON. 
ALL 53 COUNTRIES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT HAVE SIGNED 
THE ACT THAT CONSTITUTES THE UNION; 32 HAVE FORMALLY 
RATIFIED THE ACT, AND ONLY FOUR MORE ARE NEEDED TO MAKE 
THE UNION A REALITY, MUDENGE SAID.  (NOTE: LIBYAN 
AMBASSADOR MAHMOUD YOUSEF AZZABI LATER INTERJECTED TO 
SAY THAT TWO MORE COUNTRIES HAD JUST RATIFIED THE ACT, 
BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 34.  END NOTE.) 
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3.  (C) THE UNION IS EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL BY NEXT 
YEAR, MUDENGE CONTINUED.  THE UNION'S HEADQUARTERS WILL 
BE IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, BUT ITS OTHER INSTITUTIONS, 
SUCH AS THE PARLIAMENT AND CENTRAL BANK, WILL LIKELY BE 
HEADQUARTERED IN YET-TO-BE-DETERMINED CITIES.  THE OAU 
STRUCTURES WILL EVENTUALLY BE FOLDED INTO THE AFRICAN 
UNION.  MUDENGE NOTED THAT ZIMBABWE AND SOUTH AFRICA 
HAVE ALREADY RATIFIED THE AFRICAN UNION ACT, AND ASSURED 
THE DIPLOMATS PRESENT THAT THERE IS A "VIGOROUS 
COMMITMENT BY AFRICA TO GO FORWARD" WITH THE UNION. 
 
RESULTS OF SADC SUMMIT DOWNPLAYED 
--------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER TRIED TO DOWNPLAY THE 
RESULTS OF THE SADC SUMMIT HELD IN WINDHOEK ON MARCH 9. 
HE STATED THAT THE SUMMIT WAS FOCUSED ON "MODERNIZING" 
SADC'S INSTITUTIONS, AS THE DECENTRALIZATION OF SOME 
ORGANS HAD BECOME A PROBLEM.  MUDENGE CLAIMED THE PRESS 
WAS "CONFUSED" ABOUT THE DECISION MADE TO BRING THE 
ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE AND SECURITY INTO THE FORMAL 
SADC FRAMEWORK UNDER THE SADC CHAIRMAN.  THE MINISTER 
ASSERTED THAT THE DECISION TO ROTATE THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF 
THE ORGAN WAS NOT NEW--THE CHAIRMANSHIP WAS SUPPOSED TO 
BE ROTATED FROM THE ORGAN'S INCEPTION IN 1996, BUT THE 
MEMBER STATES HAD SIMPLY DECIDED TO RENEW PRESIDENT 
MUGABE'S MANDATE YEAR AFTER YEAR.  ZIMBABWE "KNEW" THIS 
COULD NOT GO ON INDEFINITELY.  HOWEVER, MUDENGE 
EMPHASIZED THAT MUGABE WAS NOT VOTED OUT OF THE 
CHAIRMANSHIP AT THE SUMMIT AS SOME PRESS ARTICLES 
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STATED.  ALL THE HEADS OF STATE UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO 
PUT OFF ELECTING A NEW CHAIRMAN UNTIL THE SIGNING OF THE 
NEW SADC CHARTER IN AUGUST.  ALL THE MEMBER STATES WERE 
VERY HAPPY WITH THIS DECISION, THE FOREIGN MINISTER 
CLAIMED. 
 
LAND REFORM IS PROCEEDING 
------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) MUDENGE WENT ON TO SAY THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE HAD 
ASKED HIM TO RESPOND TO THE UNDP'S LETTER URGING THE GOZ 
TO BREAK THE IMPASSE ON LAND REFORM (REF B).  MUDENGE 
SAID HE COULD NOT DIVULGE THE DETAILS OF THE GOZ'S 
RESPONSE, AS THEY WERE INTENDED FOR UNDP ADMINISTRATOR 
MARK MALLOCH-BROWN.  THE GOZ WILL FOLLOW THE LAWS OF 
ZIMBABWE WHEN IT PURSUES ITS LAND REFORM PROGRAM, THE 
MINISTER CONTENDED.  "WE DO NOT REGARD THE ACTIVITIES OF 
THE WAR VETERANS AS LEGAL, BUT ONLY AS A DEMONSTRATION 
OF THEIR FRUSTRATION," HE SAID.  ZIMBABWE WANTS TO AVOID 
THE ENORMOUS BLOODSHED THAT WOULD OCCUR IF IT TRIED TO 
EXPEL THE WAR VETS FROM THE OCCUPIED FARMS.  OUR FAST- 
TRACK LAND REFORM PROGRAM WILL "SHORTEN THE PERIOD OF 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2806 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  01030  02 OF 02  151446Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DODE-00  DOTE-00 
      DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00  IRM-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00 
      SAS-00     /002W 
                  ------------------D22A09  151450Z /38 
P 151443Z MAR 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8440 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
OAU COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER BRIEFS DIPLOMATIC 
CORPS ON AFRICAN UNION, SADC, AND LAND REFORM 
 
AMBIGUITY," MUDENGE CLAIMED.  THE GOZ HAS RESETTLED 
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60,000 PEOPLE ON TWO MILLION HECTARES ALREADY.  "GO SEE 
FOR YOURSELVES WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE DONE WITH FEW 
INPUTS," HE CHALLENGED.  MUDENGE REMARKED THAT THEIR 
CROPS "LOOK WONDERFUL," BUT ADMITTED THAT THE LIVING 
CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE ARE NOT GOOD. 
 
ANOTHER JAB AT THE BRITISH 
-------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER COULD NOT PASS UP AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANOTHER JAB AT THE BRITISH, WHOSE 
HIGH COMMISSIONER WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE BRIEFING.  IN 
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR, 
MUDENGE ACCUSED THE UK OF TRYING TO SCUTTLE THE EU'S 
EFFORTS TO HELP ZIMBABWE OUT OF ITS TROUBLES.  "HOW CAN 
THEY CRITICIZE BELGIUM AND FRANCE FOR RECEIVING 
PRESIDENT MUGABE?" HE ASKED.  A PALL FELL OVER THE ROOM 
AS MUDENGE CALLED THE BRITISH "RACISTS" IN FRONT OF THE 
ENTIRE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND SAID THEIR ATTITUDE WOULD 
EXACERBATE RACIAL DIVISIONS IN ZIMBABWE.  MUDENGE'S RANT 
WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE HEADLINE STORY IN THE MARCH 15 
EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED "THE HERALD." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
7.  (C) MUDENGE'S ENTHUSIASTIC ENDORSEMENT OF THE LIBYA- 
SPONSORED SUMMIT ON THE AFRICAN UNION SUGGESTS SOME KIND 
OF QUID PRO QUO MAY BE AT WORK BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND 
LIBYA.  ALTHOUGH MANY IN THE GOZ UNDOUBTEDLY AGREE THAT 
THE IDEA OF AN AFRICAN UNION HAS SOME APPEALING 
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ELEMENTS, PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS BEEN TO LIBYA NUMEROUS 
TIMES BEFORE TO SEEK RELIEF FOR HIS COUNTRY'S CHRONIC 
FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND FUEL SHORTAGES.  MUDENGE'S EFFORT 
TO DOWNPLAY PRESIDENT MUGABE'S EFFECTIVE OUSTER FROM 
SADC'S SECURITY ORGAN WAS AS TRANSPARENT AS IT WAS 
EXPECTED.  GOVERNMENT SPINMEISTERS HAVE WORKED HARD TO 
PORTRAY SADC'S MOVE AS A REGULAR ROTATION OF THE 
SECURITY ORGAN'S CHAIRMANSHIP, NOT AS A VOTE OF NO- 
CONFIDENCE IN MUGABE'S HANDLING OF ZIMBABWE'S POLITICAL 
AND ECONOMIC CRISES.  THERE WAS NOTHING NEW IN THE 
FOREIGN MINISTER'S REMARKS ON LAND REFORM.  ANY FEELINGS 
OF GOODWILL HE MAY HAVE RESURRECTED IN BRINGING TOGETHER 
THE RESIDENT MISSION HEADS WERE SWEPT AWAY BY HIS 
UNDIPLOMATIC DIATRIBE AGAINST THE BRITISH.  MUDENGE'S 
UNEVEN DIPLOMACY IS CHARACTERISTIC OF GOZ ACTIONS IN 
GENERAL: ONE STEP FORWARD FOLLOWED BY TWO STEPS BACK. 
END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
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