US embassy cable - 02HARARE1032

UNCLAS HARARE 001032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR 
JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION DROC PEACE TALKS; HARARE 
 
 
1.   Under headline "DRC dialogue, the Sun City 
   Agreement holds," the independent weekly "The Zimbabwe 
   Mirror" dedicated its April 26 editorial to urging DRC 
   talks facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire, to "persuade 
   RCD-Goma (Rally for Congolese Democracy)" to accept 
   the partial peace settlement reached at Sun City in 
   South Africa, in order to promote peace in the 
   Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Excerpts: 
 
2.   ". . .The hope for lasting peace in the DRC was 
   rekindled by the UN announcement on 24 April that 
   the UN Security Council supports the partial 
   agreement between the Kinshasa government of Joseph 
   Kabila and one rebel group, the MLC (Congolese 
   Liberation Movement) 
   . . .The Kabila government has announced that they 
   are happy with a partial deal that they say is 
   better than no deal at all.  To all positive 
   thinking people, the political cup of the DRC is 
   now half full, and not half empty. . .  Another 
   disturbing signal coming from Sun City is the 
   unfortunate position taken by the talks' 
   facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire.  Masire was 
   reported to have decided to side with RCD-Goma in 
   refusing to accept the partial deal. . .  It is 
   baffling to see the mediator of a potentially 
   explosive situation such as that of the DRC, siding 
   with the groups that are calling for a return to 
   war. . .  Any positive move, no matter how small, 
   should be clutched and guarded jealously.  And, the 
   deal between the Kabila government and the MLC is 
   not a small deal at all. 
 
   "It seems as if by refusing to accept that deal, 
   the facilitators had missed one of the highlights 
   of the Congolese Internal Dialogue.  We therefore 
   congratulate the UN for the timely statement 
   released by the President of the Security Council. 
   . .in support of the DRC partial agreement.  This 
   is the first time that the UN has acted swiftly and 
   timely since the DRC conflict started in 1998.  It 
   could be another sign that Africa is back on the 
   'world' agenda!  It is our hope that Sir Ketumile 
   Masire would now persuade RCD-Goma to join the 
   transitional government in order to promote peace 
   not only in the DRC, but in the whole of Southern 
   Africa." 
 
SULLIVAN