US embassy cable - 02VATICAN57

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI); AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2006 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, AN, VT 
SUBJECT: SANT'EGIDIO/UNITA TALKING PEACE 
 
REF: 01VATICAN 4030 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE MERANTE, REASON E.O. 12958 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C)  IN AN ASIDE TO POLOFF BEFORE A 12/20/01 MEETING WITH 
S/E DANFORTH TO DISCUSS SUDAN PEACE INITIATIVES (REPORTED 
SEPTEL), SANT'EGIDIO SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR AND AFRICA HAND DON 
MATTEO ZUPPI RELATED HIS RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH UNITA 
LEADER SAVIMBI AND LOCAL UNITA REP.  ZUPPI, A FLUENT 
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PORTUGUESE SPEAKER WITH LONG EXPERIENCE IN AFRICA, HAS BEEN 
ACTIVELY PRESSING UNITA CONTACTS TO OFFER A MEANINGFUL 
CEASEFIRE SINCE BEFORE HIS APPEAL FOR USG SUPPORT (REPORTED 
REFTEL) SOME MONTHS AGO.  HE TOLD POLOFF THAT SAVIMBI HAD 
INDICATED TO HIM DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION TWO WEEKS BEFORE 
CHRISTMAS THAT UNITA, AS A CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURE, WOULD 
OFFER A UNILATERAL THREE-MONTH CEASEFIRE STARTING AROUND 
CHRISTMAS.  ACCORDING TO ZUPPI, SAVIMBI ONLY NEEDED TO 
CONSULT WITH HIS "GENERALS" BEFORE ANNOUNCING IT. 
 
2.  (C)  ZUPPI SAID HE LATER SPOKE WITH THE UNITA 
REPRESENTATIVE IN ROME, WHO TOLD HIM THAT IN A PRE-CHRISTMAS 
TELEVISION INTERVIEW ANGOLAN PRESIDENT CHISSANO HAD MADE 
SCATHING REMARKS ABOUT DRIVING THE UNITA REBELS INTO THE SEA, 
THUS MAKING SAVIMBI'S OFFER HARDER TO CARRY OUT.  ZUPPI 
SPECULATED THAT BOTH CHISSANO AND SAVIMBI WERE MORE 
"PRIMITIVE" THAN HAD BEEN HIS INTERLOCUTORS IN MOZAMBIQUE, 
AND THAT THEIR RHETORIC FREQUENTLY HAMPERS MOVEMENT TOWARD A 
PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT.  NEVERTHELESS, MATTEO AVERRED, WITH A 
LITTLE PUSH FROM OUTSIDE HE BELIEVED THE ANGOLANS COULD 
DUPLICATE THE MOZAMBIQUE EXPERIENCE (I.E. AN OFF-SITE 
DIALOGUE LEADING TO A PEACE AGREEMENT, MEDIATED BY 
SANT'EGIDIO). 
 
3.  (C)  QUERIED ABOUT THE ANGOLAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS' RECENT 
CALLS FOR A PEACE DIALOGUE, ZUPPI RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE 
WELL MEANING BUT EQUALLY UNSOPHISTICATED, AND WEAK.  HE NOTED 
THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER BEYOND THEIR APPEAL; 
WHAT THEY NEEDED WAS AN ACTION PLAN. 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  AFTER REFTEL CONVERSATION, WE WERE 
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PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT DON MATTEO HAD SPOKEN 
DIRECTLY WITH SAVIMBI ABOUT A UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE.  WE ASKED 
WHETHER THE THREE- MONTH TIMEFRAME MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO 
AMBITIOUS; ZUPPI APPEARED TO US PATIENT, BUT FIRM IN HIS 
INTENT TO KEEP PROBING SAVIMBI FOR WHAT HE CALLED A 
MEANINGFUL GESTURE.  WE LEAVE IT TO THOSE MORE FULLY 
KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF THE PARTIES TO 
DECIDE WHETHER THESE CONVERSATIONS POINT TO THE POSSIBILITY 
OF A BREAKTHROUGH -- ALTHOUGH WE HASTEN TO ADD IT HAS BEEN 
MORE THAN A WEEK SINCE CHRISTMAS AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY 
REPORT OF AN ANGOLA CEASEFIRE. 
MERANTE 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002VATICA00057 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL