US embassy cable - 02HARARE2181

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2007 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT: LOCAL AUSTRALIAN TAKE ON ABUJA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE 
 
REF: A. (A) CANBERRA 2038 
 
     B. (B) LONDON 6903 
     C. (C) ABUJA 2766 
 
Classified By: JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5B/D 
 
1. (C) Australian High Commissioner to Harare Jonathan Brown 
gave us a readout of the Abuja meeting, which he attended. 
His account was largely consistent with reftel accounts so we 
will only report that which provides additional elaboration 
or contrast. Brown said that the three presidents had agreed 
that there were no positive developments in Zimbabwe since 
the Marlborough House decision of six months ago and no GOZ 
effort to meet the concerns expressed by the Troika six 
months ago.  He also cited the "weak" position taken by 
President Mbeki as determinative, noting that Prime Minister 
Howard had met with President Obassanjo before the meeting 
and had heard some willingness to go along with suspension of 
Zimbabwe.  But following his separate meeting with Mbeki, 
Obassanjo did not buck Mbeki's wish to let six more months 
pass.  Brown said that Obassanjo conveyed to Howard that 
Mugabe had called Mbeki in advance of the meeting and gave 
him a major dose of invective re the upcoming Abuja meeting. 
Obassanjo also conveyed from his own conversation with Mugabe 
that Mugabe had expressed satisfaction that the land reform 
exercise was almost completed and that he would step down for 
a new election if the MDC were to win its court  case. While 
the Australians had done much prior coordination with the 
South African Foreign Ministry, they were not present in 
Abuja and Mbeki's personal advisers were clearly pre-eminent. 
 
2.(C) HC Brown described allegations that Mugabe was 
improperly invited as a canard.  The draft letter of 
invitation had been showed to Mbeki and Obassanjo in advance 
for their approval and they had agreed to the date of its 
delivery.  It was delivered under cover of a diplomatic note 
in early September according to standard practice. 
 
3. (C) Brown said that the next step would be Troika action 
to renew Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth six 
months hence. In the absence of Troika action to extend 
suspension, the current suspension would lapse.  Brown said 
that UK PM Blair had indicated to PM Howard his intention to 
write SADC Presidents reminding them of the importance of 
acting on Zimbabwe for NEPAD to succeed. 
 
4. (C) Re the assertion in para eleven of ref c that all 
farmers have been left with one farm, this is always said by 
the GOZ, but patently untrue in many hundreds of cases. 
Parliamentary Speaker Mnangagwa recently acknowledged to the 
Ambassador that while a few provinces had largely abided by 
that standard, rampant disregard for that criteria had been 
the rule in the rich Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central 
and Mashonaland East provinces among others, 
    , 
SULLIVAN