US embassy cable - 01HARARE2576

Disclaimer: This site has been first put up 15 years ago. Since then I would probably do a couple things differently, but because I've noticed this site had been linked from news outlets, PhD theses and peer rewieved papers and because I really hate the concept of "digital dark age" I've decided to put it back up. There's no chance it can produce any harm now.

BONGO CANCELS TRIP TO HARARE AT LAST MINUTE

Identifier: 01HARARE2576
Wikileaks: View 01HARARE2576 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2001-08-31 09:25:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PREL ZI
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.


 

                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO6567

PAGE 01        HARARE  02576  310936Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  DS-00    VC-00    
      TEDE-00  INR-00   VCE-00   M-00     NSAE-00  DSCC-00  NFAT-00  
      SAS-00     /000W
                  ------------------1943CC  310936Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9612
INFO AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002576 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S KANSTEINER FROM CDA RICHARD ROTH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 08/30/11 
TAGS: PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT: BONGO CANCELS TRIP TO HARARE AT LAST MINUTE 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.  REASONS: 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (U) DRC PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA OFFICIALLY OPENED THE 2001 
HARARE AGRICULTURAL SHOW ON AUGUST 29.  ACCORDING TO A PRESS 
REPORT, GABONESE PRESIDENT OMAR BONGO WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN THE 
EVENT BUT CALLED OFF HIS TRIP AT SHORT NOTICE.  GEORGE CHARAMBA, A 
SPOKESMAN IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, TOLD JOURNALISTS THAT BONGO 
CANCELLED HIS PARTICIPATION "AT THE LAST MINUTE...BECAUSE HE WAS 
COMMITTED ELSEWHERE." 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  02576  310936Z 
 
2.  (C) HENRY MUKONOWESHURO, A DIPLOMAT IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S 
AMERICAS OFFICE, TOLD POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF ON AUGUST 31 THAT 
BONGO HAD NEVER COMMITTED TO ATTENDING THE FAIR.  IN A WRITTEN 
RESPONSE DECLINING THE GOZ INVITATION, BONGO REPORTEDLY CITED 
"PRIOR COMMITMENTS OF WHICH HE HAD BEEN UNAWARE." 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: WE SUSPECT THAT BONGO, WHO IS REPORTEDLY 
SENSITIVE ABOUT HIS STATURE AS AN AFRICAN STATESMAN AND MEDIATOR, 
MAY WANT TO KEEP SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND MUGABE, WHOSE 
IMAGE CONTINUES TO DECLINE ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE.  BONGO'S 
"PRIOR COMMITMENT" MAY WELL BE TO HIS OWN IMAGE.  WE WOULD WELCOME 
EMBASSY LIBREVILLE'S THINKING ON THIS ISSUE. 
 
ROTH 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 

Latest source of this page is cablebrowser-2, released 2011-10-04