US embassy cable - 01HARARE3241

UNCLAS HARARE 003241 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S, AF/P, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR 
JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ABUJA COMMONWEALTH FOLLOW-UP; 
HARARE 
 
 
1.   FOLLOWING THE VISIT LAST WEEK BY A COMMONWEALTH 
   TEAM TO ZIMBABWE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE COUNTRY IS 
   MEETING ITS COMMITMENTS UNDER A NIGERIAN-LED LAND 
   AGREEMENT SIGNED IN ABUJA ON SEPTEMBER 6, ALL THREE 
   SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 28 CARRIED 
   EDITORIALS CENTERING ON THE MEETING IN HARARE: 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "ZIMBABWE IS A SOVEREIGN STATE," THE 
   GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" COMMENTS: 
 
   ". . .WHY SHOULD FOREIGNERS COME HERE TO MONITOR AND 
   SUPERVISE OUR ELECTIONS WHEN WE NEVER MEDDLE IN THEIR 
   INTERNAL POLITICS?  THE WHOLE WORLD WITNESSED HOW 
   GEORGE W. BUSH'S REPUBLICAN PARTY RIGGED ITS WAY TO 
   VICTORY IN THE UNITED STATES' LAST PRESIDENTIAL 
   ELECTIONS.  DID TONY BLAIR AND HIS ILK COMPLAIN ABOUT 
   THIS?  THE PROGRESSIVE FORCES OF AFRICA SHOULD BE 
   WORRIED TODAY THAT THE ACCORD. . .RUNS THE DANGER OF 
   BEING HIJACKED BY BRITAIN, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA.  WE 
   HOPE REASON WILL PREVAIL OVER VANITY IN THESE TALKS." 
 
3.   UNDER HEADLINE "GAME UP FOR MUGABE," THE 
   INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE STANDARD" COMMENTS: 
 
"IF THERE IS ONE ADMINISTRATION AROUND THE WORLD WHICH 
HAS PERFECTED THE ART OF PLAYING TRUANT WHEN IT COMES TO 
HONORING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS, IT IS THAT OF MR. 
ROBERT MUGABE. . .  THE LATEST AGREEMENT. . .IS ABUJA. . 
.WHICH THE STATE IS NOW TRYING TO WRITHE OUT AGAINST THE 
BACKGROUND OF DEMANDS BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR 
POLITICAL CLEANLINESS. . .  WITH THIS WEEK'S SPITING OF 
THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) DELEGATION, ONE IS. . .FORCED TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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ASK WHETHER MUGABE REALIZES - OR CARES - THAT HE HAS 
ALSO TOLD HIS REGIONAL COLLEAGUES TO GO TO HELL. . .  IT 
IS TIME THAT MUGABE'S TRICKS ARE BROUGHT TO FINAL CHECK. 
WE HOPE THAT THE DECISIONS OF THE DELEGATION (WILL) 
FINALLY BRING THE MESSAGE TO HIM THAT THE REST OF THE 
WORLD, INCLUDING ZIMBABWE, EXPECT HIM TO BEHAVE IN A 
CIVILIZED MANNER." 
 
4.   UNDER HEADLINE "NO AMOUNT OF LIES WILL STOP LAND 
   REFORM," THE OCTOBER 28 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT- 
   CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" COMMENTS: 
 
". . .THE VISIT BY THE COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS. . . 
REVEALED HOW TORTUOUS IT IS TO KEEP THE (ABUJA) ACCORD 
GOING.  IT ALSO SHOWS HOW MUCH THE ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT 
IS COMMITTED TO MAKING IT SUCCEED.  THEY WERE CLEARLY 
GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO RESTRAIN THEMSELVES IN THE 
FACE OF RACIST INSULTS AND OPEN BIAS. . .  THIS IS A 
REVOLUTION THAT PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF DISPOSSESSION, 
LIKE THE MINISTERS FROM THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN THE 
COMMITTEE, CAN EASILY APPRECIATE.  IT IS ALSO A 
REVOLUTION THAT THE LIKES OF MR. (DAVID) KILGOUR 
(CANADIAN SECRETARY OF STATE - AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA) 
AND THEIR VANQUISHED COLLEAGUES WILL FIND DIFFICULT TO 
SWALLOW." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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