US embassy cable - 01HARARE1914

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READOUT ON SADC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN HARARE

Identifier: 01HARARE1914
Wikileaks: View 01HARARE1914 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2001-06-17 14:54:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PREL PGOV PINR ZI AO
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.

171454Z Jun 01

 

                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO6161

PAGE 01        HARARE  01914  171453Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   USNW-00  DODE-00  
      DOTE-00  DS-00    EB-00    FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  
      INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  ACE-00   DSCC-00  
      DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00     /004W
                  ------------------F9D4D0  171453Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9111
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001914 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, ZI, AO 
SUBJECT: READOUT ON SADC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN HARARE 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES AUBREY HOOKS FOR 
REASONS: 1.5(B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) 
MINISTERS MET IN HARARE ON JUNE 11 TO APPROVE A PROTOCOL 
THAT WILL RESTRUCTURE SADC'S ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  01914  171453Z 
AND SECURITY.  HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF "DISCREPANCIES" IN 
THE TEXT OF THE PROTOCOL, THE APPROVAL WAS DEFERRED 
UNTIL THE NEXT SADC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN MASERU, 
LESOTHO IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS, ACCORDING TO EDWIN MANGAZA, 
THE NEW UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA IN ZIMBABWE'S 
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.  MANGAZA WOULD NOT 
ELABORATE ON THE DISCREPANCIES OR THE SUBSTANCE OF THE 
PROTOCOL, BUT EMPHASIZED THAT THERE WERE NO SUBSTANTIVE 
DISAGREEMENTS AMONG THE PARTIES ABOUT FORMALIZING THE 
AGREEMENT.  THE DATE FOR THE MASERU MEETING HAS NOT BEEN 
ESTABLISHED YET, BUT MUST TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE JULY 9- 
11 OAU SUMMIT, WHICH WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF THE SADC 
PROTOCOL, THE UNDER SECRETARY TOLD POLOFF.  MANGAZA 
REPORTED THAT THE HARARE MEETING INCLUDED THE FOREIGN 
MINISTERS OF ZIMBABWE, LESOTHO, MOZAMBIQUE, AND NAMIBIA, 
THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF ANGOLA, THE HOME AFFAIRS 
MINISTERS OF ZAMBIA AND MALAWI, AND THE MINISTER OF 
DEFENSE OF SOUTH AFRICA.  TANZANIA AND THE DRC WERE 
REPRESENTED BY THEIR LOCAL DIPLOMATS. 
 
2.  (U) IN REMARKS OPENING THE HARARE MEETING, PRESIDENT 
MUGABE URGED SADC TO TAKE CONCRETE MEASURES AGAINST 
ANGOLAN REBEL LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI, ACCORDING TO THE 
JUNE 12 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED "THE 
HERALD."  THE PRESIDENT SAID THE REGIONAL BODY SHOULD 
NOT WAIT FOR THE UN TO CONCLUDE ITS INVESTIGATION ON THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF SANCTIONS AGAINST UNITA.  MUGABE ALSO 
IMPLORED THE UN TO MOVE SWIFTLY IN DEPLOYING MONUC IN 
THE DRC, THE ARTICLE STATED. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: IN A RESTRUCTURING ON THE AGENDA TO BE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  01914  171453Z 
FORMALIZED AT SADC'S AUGUST 2001 SUMMIT, THE ORGAN ON 
POLITICS, DEFENSE AND SECURITY WILL BE MADE SUBORDINATE 
TO THE SADC SUMMIT AND HEADS OF STATE.  IF THE 
RESTRUCTURING IS APPROVED, IT WILL EVENTUALLY RELEASE 
THE STRANGLEHOLD THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE -- THE ORGAN'S 
CHAIRMAN -- HAS HAD ON SADC SECURITY ISSUES FOR THE LAST 
FIVE YEARS.  IT IS UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT WHETHER THE NEW 
PROTOCOL WILL FORCE MUGABE TO GIVE UP HIS CHAIR THIS 
YEAR OR NEXT.  HIS GRANDSTANDING AT THE OPENING OF THE 
SADC MEETING SUGGESTS HE MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN UP ON THE 
POSSIBILITY OF HOLDING SWAY OVER THE ORGAN FOR ANOTHER 
YEAR.  WE WILL DEFER TO EMBASSY GABORONE, HOWEVER, ON 
WHAT THIS MAY MEAN FOR SADC.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOOKS 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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