US embassy cable - 02HARARE1874

S E C R E T HARARE 001874 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2012 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE DEPORTS LIBYAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER 
 
Classified By: political section chief Matt Harrington. 
Reasons: 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (U) According to almost identical press reports in both 
the state-owned "Herald" and the independent "Daily News," 
the Zimbabwean government deported prominent Libyan resident 
Yousef Murgham on August 15 for engaging in (unspecified) 
activities that posed a threat to national security.  Murgham 
was escorted under the heavy guard of  Central Intelligence 
Organization (CIO) agents to Harare International Airport and 
placed aboard an Air Zimbabwe flight bound for Nairobi, and 
he was expected to catch connecting flights to Cairo and 
Tripoli.  CIO officers apparently prevented Murgham's wife 
from serving the escorts with a copy of a High Court order 
preventing the deportation.  The state-controlled daily 
described Murgham as a former intelligence officer at the 
Libyan embassy from 1986 until the early 1990's who still 
"was using the cover of contacts he made within the ruling 
ZANU-PF party and Government while a diplomat."  According to 
the same article, Murgham's relationship with the Libyan 
ambassador was "frosty."  His Zimbabwean wife, Jean, told 
journalists he had resigned from the Libyan government in 
1993 but had preferred to remain in Zimbabwe. 
 
2.  (S) Comment: Murgham's activities as an intelligence 
officer under non-official cover, and the internal GOZ 
machinations which preceded the deportation, have been 
well-documented in ORCA channels.  A relative of Libyan 
leader Khadafy, Murgham has been the primary architect of the 
close relationship between the Zimbabwean and Libyan 
governments, as well as of closer Libyan relations with much 
of southern Africa.  Khadafy's failure to stop in Zimbabwe 
during his recent road trip through the region, on his return 
from the African Union inauguration, was likely related to 
the Murgham uncertainty.  It is noteworthy that the GOZ has 
taken a step likely to irritate its benefactor in Tripoli, 
and we are interested to see whether the deportation has a 
deleterious impact on the warming Zimbabwe-Libya 
relationship.  More context is available in ORCA channels. 
End Comment. 
SULLIVAN