US embassy cable - 01HARARE3341

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003341 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AND AF/EPS 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT:  MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER SEKERAMAYI 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: ON NOVEMBER 7, AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED 
BY THE DATT, PAID AN INITIAL COURTESY CALL ON DR. SYDNEY 
T. SEKERAMAYI, MINISTER OF DEFENSE, REPUBLIC OF 
ZIMBABWE. AFTER AN OPENING EXCHANGE OF PLEASANTRIES, A 
CORDIAL, RELAXED, AND OPEN CONVERSATION ENSUED 
ENCOMPASSING SEVERAL TOPICS: HUMANITARIAN DEMINING 
PROGRAM, HIV/AIDS, THE LUSAKA ACCORDS, AND FUTURE 
DISENGAGEMENT OF FORCES FROM THE DROC.  ELOQUENT AND 
KNOWLEDGEABLE ON DEFENSE ISSUES, SEKERAMAYI QUESTIONED 
USG POLICY IN THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REGIONS. 
CONCLUDING THE HOUR LONG SESSION WITH A COMPARISON OF 
SAVIMBI AND KAGAME, THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE PROVED AN 
ENGAGING INTERLOCUTOR- A WELCOME DEPARTURE FROM HIS 
ANIMATED BUT LESS THAN SUBSTANTIVE PREDECESSOR, THE LATE 
MOVEN MAHACHI. 
 
2.  (C) THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE OPENED THE EXCHANGE BY 
NOTING THAT FROM ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE, THE GOZ AND 
USG MAINTAINED GOOD RELATIONS AND HELD COMMON POSITIONS 
REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT 
COMMUNITY (SADC).  SEKERAMAYI PLEDGED THAT HE WOULD 
CONTINUE ALONG THOSE LINES AND AVOID A BREAKDOWN IN 
COMMUNICATIONS.  IN RESPONSE, THE AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED 
HIS APPRECIATION FOR THE ORIENTATION BRIEFINGS AND TOURS 
ORGANIZED BY THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES SHORTLY AFTER 
HIS ARRIVAL. 
 
3.  (C) SEKERAMAYI NEXT LISTED THE VARIOUS INITIATIVES 
AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CURRENTLY ONGOING.  MOST 
APPRECIATED WAS THE DEMINING PROGRAM THAT BOTH REDUCED 
SUFFERING AND FREED LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL USE.  IT WAS 
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THE "HUMAN FACTOR" THAT HE MOST UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE, AS A 
PHYSICIAN, HE HAD WITNESSED THE PAIN, AGONY, AND TRAUMA 
RESULTING FROM MINE DETONATIONS.  THE MINISTER ALSO 
EXPRESSED THE DESIRE THAT THE CLEARANCE PROCESS BE 
COMPLETED QUICKLY INSTEAD OF HAVING TO "STAGGER" THE 
EFFORT DUE TO RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS. 
 
4.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT, THE USG IS PREPARED 
TO WORK WITH THE DEFENSE FORCES IN COMBATING HIV/AIDS. 
THE MINISTER WAS VERY RECEPTIVE AND INDICATED THAT THIS 
WAS AN AREA IN WHICH HE AND THE DEFENSE FORCES WELCOME 
COOPERATION.  MOREOVER, SEKERAMAYI NOTED, IT IS THE 
CONSTRAINT ON RESOURCES THAT RETARDS THE SUCCESS OF THE 
CURRENT HIV/AIDS PROGRAM.  HE ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR 
THAT THE APPROPRIATE DEFENSE FORCES OFFICERS WOULD SOON 
CONFER WITH THE DATT REGARDING THIS INITIATIVE. 
 
5.  (C) NEXT, THE AMBASSADOR ELICITED MINISTER 
SEKERAMAYI'S PERSPECTIVES ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN 
THE DROC.  THE MINISTER RESPONDED THAT, SINCE THE EARLY 
1960'S, THE FORMER ZAIRE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED PEACE AND 
THAT CONSEQUENTLY STRUCTURES AND INSTITUTIONS WERE NEVER 
BUILT TO SUSTAIN STABILITY.  RELATING EVENTS PRECEDING 
THE DEPLOYMENT OF ZIMBABWEAN TROOPS, SEKERAMAYI NOTED 
THAT PRESIDENT MUSEVENI ASKED ZIMBABWE TO ASSIST IN THE 
REMOVAL OF MOBUTU.  WHEN THAT EVENT OCCURRED, THE 
MINISTER AND THE GOZ BEGAN TO SEE THE CONTRADICTIONS IN 
THE MOTIVES OF BOTH THE UGANDANS AND RWANDANS.  THE GOZ 
WAS IMMEDIATELY SUSPICIOUS OF THE FOREIGN FORCES AND SAW 
THAT THEY INTENDED TO BE AN OCCUPYING FORCE AND TO 
COMMAND THE CONGOLESE ARMY BY USING FOREIGN OFFICERS. 
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WHEN THE LATE LAURENT KABILA ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE, THE 
GOZ RESPONDED AND STOPPED THE ADVANCE TO NDJILI AIRPORT 
IN KINSHASA.  THE MINISTER BELIEVES THE GOZ SHOULD BE 
COMMENDED FOR STOPPING THE CARNAGE IN THE DROC. 
 
6.  (C) SEKERAMAYI THEN ADDRESSED THE CONDITIONS FOR 
ZIMBABWEAN WITHDRAWAL FROM THE DRC. ZIMBABWE, THE 
MINISTER INSISTED, COULD NOT LEAVE A VACUUM IN THE DRC. 
ONCE THE UN IS DEPLOYED, ZIMBABWE WILL LEAVE.  THE 
AMBASSADOR THEN ASKED WHETHER THE GOZ WITHDRAWAL IS 
CONTINGENT UPON THE WITHDRAWAL OF UGANDA AND RWANDA. 
THE GOZ, REPLIED THE MINISTER, IS COMMITTED TO THE 
"FIFO" PRINCIPLE: FIRST IN; FIRST OUT.  MOREOVER, ANY 
POST-LUSAKA ACCORD ROLE FOR THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES 
WILL BE DEFINED BY AGREEMENTS WITH THE HOST COUNTRY. 
 
7.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR THEN RAISED THE ISSUE OF 
DEMOBILIZATION AND DISARMAMENT AND THE SCANT LIKELIHOOD 
OF UN FORCES UNDERTAKING AND SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHING 
THAT MISSION.  ALTHOUGH GOOD NATURED AND NON 
CONFRONTATIONAL, SEKERAMAYI NEVERTHELESS CHIDED THE 
AMBASSADOR WITH, "DON'T BE DODGY. WHY NOT THE UN?" 
OFFERING AS EXAMPLES THE EVENTS SURROUNDING BOSNIA AND 
THE DAYTON ACCORDS, THE MINISTER POINTED OUT THAT THE UN 
HAD TACKLED MUCH LARGER PROBLEMS.  THE AMBASSADOR 
 
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INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   USNW-00  DINT-00 
      DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   FAAE-00  FBIE-00 
      VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00 
      VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00 
      PC-01    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    IRM-00 
      TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 
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                  ------------------3BA404  081156Z /38 
R 081114Z NOV 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0238 
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
SECDEF WASHDC 
DIA WASHDC 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003341 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AND AF/EPS 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/11 
TAGS:  PGOV, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT:  MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER SEKERAMAYI 
 
RESPONDED THAT NEITHER THE UN NOR NATO HAS ACTUALLY 
DISARMED COMBATANTS BUT INSTEAD IMPLEMENTED THE DAYTON 
ACCORD. THE EX-FAR INTERHAMWE WAS, HOWEVER, NOT A PARTY 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  03341  02 OF 02  081156Z 
TO THE LUSAKA ACCORD AND THOSE WHO HAD ARMED OR MADE USE 
OF EX-FAR INTERHAMWE HAD TO LEAD UNDER DDR. 
 
8.  (C) CONCEDING THE POINT, MINISTER SEKERAMAYI 
INSISTED THAT KEGAME AND KABILA MUST BEGIN A DIALOGUE. 
THAT WILL BE THE ONLY WAY TO TRULY COMPLETE THE PEACE 
PROCESS.  ADDRESSING FUTURE SECURITY IN DRC, SEKERAMAYI 
SAID THAT, HISTORICALLY, THE DRC NEVER HAD AN ARMY. 
MOBUTU, HE SAID, "NEVER USED ZAIRIAN FORCES TO CONTAIN 
CONFLICT BUT WOULD CALL ON THE BELGIANS, THE MOROCCANS, 
THE FRENCH...ANYONE, BUT NEVER AN INDIGENOUS FORCE." 
ACCORDING TO THE MINISTER, THERE IS A NEED TO PUT IN 
PLACE A PROGRAM TO TRAIN A CAPABLE NATIONAL ARMY FOR THE 
CONGOLESE PEOPLE. 
 
9.  (C) CONCLUDING THE SESSION IN SOMEWHAT A DRAMATIC 
FASHION, DR. SEKERAMAYI OFFERED WHAT HE TERMED "FINAL 
FOOD FOR THOUGHT".  CALLING ON THE AMBASSADOR TO RECALL 
HIS POSTING IN ANGOLA, SEKERAMAYI DREW THE COMPARISON OF 
SAVIMBI'S RELUCTANCE TO TRAVEL TO LUANDA FOR MEETINGS 
OVER ALLEDGED SECURITY CONCERNS. THIS, SAID THE 
MINISTER, IS NO DIFFERENT THAN KAGAME, WHO NEEDED THE 
DRC CONFLICT TO REMAIN IN POWER. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
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