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| Identifier: | 01HARARE3814 |
|---|---|
| Wikileaks: | View 01HARARE3814 at Wikileaks.org |
| Origin: | Embassy Harare |
| Created: | 2001-12-22 04:40:00 |
| Classification: | CONFIDENTIAL |
| Tags: | PREL PGOV PHUM PINR 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.
220440Z Dec 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7244
PAGE 01 HARARE 03814 220544Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 WHA-00
DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02
SSO-00 SS-00 EPAE-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/004W
------------------4F5AC7 220544Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0607
INFO AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY
USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003814
SIPDIS
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NSC FOR AF SR DIR FRAZIER
AF/FO AND AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2011
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PINR, ZI
SUBJECT: CMAG DECISION A SHOCK FOR ZIMBABWE
REF: FBIS AFP20011221000024
CLASSIFIED BY JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5B/D
1. (C) THE DEC 20 DECISION BY THE COMMONWEALTH
MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP(CMAG) "TO EXPRESS ITS DEEP
CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE ESPECIALLY THE
CONTINUED VIOLENCE, OCCUPATION OF PROPERTY, ACTIONS
AGAINST THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE MEDIA AND
POLITICAL INTIMIDATION" . (WHICH) "CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS
AND PERSISTENT VIOLATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH'S
FUNDAMENTAL POLTICAL VALUES AND THE RULE OF LAW AS
ENSHRINED IN THE HARARE COMMONWEALTH DECLARATION" COMES
AS A SHOCK TO THE GOZ. THE CMAG'S DRAWING ATTENTION OF
THE GOZ TO ITS ABUJA AGREEMENT COMMITMENTS AND STRONG
URGING TO IMPLEMENT THESE COMMITMENTS COMES AS A
PARTICULAR BLOW, SINCE IT CONTRADICTS THE GOZ CLAIM THAT
IT HAS IMPLEMENTED ABUJA AND ONLY THE UK HAS FAILED TO
FULFILL ITS FUNDING COMMITMENTS. THE PRESENCE OF
NIGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAMIDO ON THE CMAG AND HIS
SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS ON BBC, IN PARTICULAR UNDERMINE
THE GOZ PRETENSE TO BE ABIDING BY ABUJA. THE PRESENCE
OF NIGERIA AND BOTSWANA IN THE CMAG, NOT TO MENTION
MALAYSIA, ALSO UNDERMINES THE GOZ ARGUMENT THAT ANY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03814 220544Z
CRITICISM OF ZIMBABWE IS A UK, EUROPEAN OR NORTH
AMERICAN PLOT.
2. (C) THE CMAG STATEMENT LEFT THE STATE MEDIA
SPEECHLESS; THE BEST RESPONSE FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE
COULD MUSTER WAS A CLAIM THAT CMAG ACTIONWITHOUT A
CHOGOM DIRECTIVE WAS ILLEGAL (A POINT ON WHICH OUR UK
AND CANADIAN COLLEAGUES CONCED HE HAS HALF A POINT.)
OTHERWISE, HE FELL BACK ON UNSUSTAINABLE CLAIMS OF A
BRITISH CONSPIRACY.
3. (C) COMMENT: COMING SO SHORTLY AFTER THE SADC
MINISTERIAL MISSION HAD AGREED WITH THE GOZ VIEW THAT
THERE HAD BEEN SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS ON THE LAND ISSUE
AND THAT VIOLENCE HAD DIMINISHED, THE CMAG REPORT IS A
MAJOR SHOCK FOR THE GOZ. PRESIDENT MUGABE, CURRENTLY
VISITING LIBYA FOR ANOTHER INJECTION OF PETROL, WOULD
SEEM LIKELY TO REACT AS HE HAS TO ALL OTHER CRITICISMS,
WITH A " THEY CAN GO TO HELL." BUT NIGERIA'S JOINING IN
THE CRITICISM OF ZIMBABWE'S ABUJA AGREEMENT PERFORMANCE
STRIPS BARE A MAJOR DEFENCE PLANK OF THE GOZ. COUPLED
WITH RISING FOOD SHORTAGES AND OTHER PROBLEMS, MORE
VOICES IN THE GOZ AND ZUNU-PF ARE LIKELY TO QUESTION
WHETHER MUGABE AND ZANU-PF CAN TOUGH IT OUT IN ISOLATION
FROM THE NON-QADDAFI WORLD.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
>
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