US embassy cable - 05HARARE1418

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001418 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF FOR DAS T. WOODS 
AF/S FOR B. NEULING 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, ZI, U.S.-Zimbabwe Bilateral Relations 
SUBJECT: THE INCIDENT THAT WASN'T 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d 
 
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Summary 
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1. (SBU) While on a nature walk the afternoon of October 10 
(Columbus Day) the Ambassador inadvertently stumbled into a 
poorly marked military installation in the midst of Harare,s 
Public Botanical Garden.  The soldiers on duty, who were 
unfamiliar with diplomatic credentials, briefly detained the 
Ambassador while seeking guidance from their superiors.  The 
Ambassador notified post of the situation and we succeeded in 
contacting the MFA.  However, the military resolved the 
matter before the MFA was able to locate the appropriate 
military authority.  Both the Commander of the Presidential 
Guard Battalion and the MFA were profusely apologetic, with 
senior officials expressing relief that a diplomatic incident 
had been averted.  We considered the incident closed. 
 
2. (SBU) However, on Wednesday, October 12, the MFA sent a 
protest note, which accused the Ambassador of a deliberate 
provocation.  The note was then leaked to the press and 
formed the basis for a number of articles both locally and 
internationally, including a highly critical piece in the 
GOZ-controlled Herald.  The article quoted Mugabe,s press 
spokesman, whom we believe to have been behind the GOZ 
decision to create an incident after all.  U.S. press 
guidance, deployed Friday, October 14, helped to defuse the 
situation and formed the basis for an article in the 
independent Standard newspaper, which set the record straight 
over the weekend.  End Summary. 
 
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A Walk in the Park 
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3. (SBU) The weather in Harare during the southern African 
spring is even more beautiful than normal: sunny days with a 
few puffs of clouds, warm temperatures moderated by a cooling 
breeze.  And nature responds accordingly with an astonishing 
display of flowering trees, bushes and plants ) the most 
famous of which are the purple blossoms of the jacaranda 
trees.  On Monday, October 10 ) Columbus Day ) the 
jacarandas were in full bloom.  The Ambassador took advantage 
of the Columbus Day holiday to go for a walk in Harare,s 
Public Botanical Gardens, located near the center of the 
city, minutes from downtown, and take a few photographs to 
send home. 
 
4. (SBU) In the midst of this public park is a poorly marked 
and poorly protected Zimbabwean military installation: three 
antiaircraft guns there to supposedly protect President 
Mugabe,s official residence ) State House, about a mile 
from the Botanical Gardens.  Visitors to the park stumble 
into the installation with great regularity.  On that 
afternoon, it was the Ambassador,s turn.  The signs denoting 
the presence of a security zone ) broken and faded ) seemed 
to warn visitors away from the city,s water works, which are 
also located in the park behind a chain link fence.  By 
staying outside the marked area and following what appeared 
to be the trail back toward the parking lot, the Ambassador, 
like many before him, was led straight into the unmarked and 
unfenced anti-aircraft battery. 
 
5. (SBU) The two guards who initially intercepted him told 
the Ambassador that this as a common mistake but before they 
had a chance to shoo him away ) as they had done with 
another Embassy officer a few weeks before ) a more senior 
guard arrived and taking charge decided, probably because of 
the camera, to detain the Ambassador.  The Ambassador 
identified himself and presented his diplomatic credentials, 
which stumped all of the guards.  A Lieutenant was called, 
who decided to take the Ambassador to the Presidential Guards 
Headquarters to sort out what was to be done.  Almost 
immediately after arrival at the headquarters, a Lt. Colonel 
appeared and offered his Commander,s apologies for the 
inconvenience and the Ambassador departed. 
 
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The Aftermath: First Apologies, Then Recriminations 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
6. (SBU) Later that evening, the MFA Head of Protocol, 
Ambassador Gapare, whom we had contacted for assistance, 
called the Ambassador to apologize, explaining that the 
Zimbabwean military were unfamiliar with diplomatic 
identification.  The MFA,s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador 
Bimha, called the Ambassador the next day with further 
apologies for the detention.  Both individuals expressed 
relief to the DCM at a reception for Spain,s National day on 
October 12 that a diplomatic incident had been avoided.  The 
Ambassador had left that morning to help inaugurate the new 
Embassy in Luanda, which had been started on his watch, or 
doubtless both would have once more apologized to him in 
person. 
 
7. (SBU) However, the next day, the Embassy received a 
diplomatic note from the MFA that was very different in tone, 
accusing the Ambassador of deliberately trespassing on a 
secure installation in an attempt to provoke a diplomatic 
incident.  The Embassy apprised the Ambassador while in 
Luanda about the note and began working on a reply to await 
his return.  That evening, the PAO got wind that the note had 
been leaked to the press and that the official Herald 
newspaper was preparing a critical article for publication 
the next day.  The news was also picked up that evening 
internationally, by AP and CNN among others. 
 
8. (SBU) Fortunately, the Embassy and the Department had 
guidance ready for Friday morning presenting our side of the 
story.  Since Thursday, there has been only one additional 
article locally, printed in the Standard on Saturday, which 
used our guidance as its basis and did much to set the record 
straight.  There have been no further critical articles in 
the government-controlled press and the issue appears to have 
been defused by the restrained U.S. response, as we had 
hoped. 
 
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Comment 
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9. (C) As near as we can tell it was the President,s office 
that decided to create an incident, in the process overruling 
the MFA.  President Mugabe,s Press Spokesman, George 
Charamba, was quoted in the Herald article criticizing the 
Ambassador and appears to have been the source of the leaked 
diplomatic note (if not its author).  Charamba has taken on 
the more odious of former Information Minister Jonathon 
Moyo,s duties, including the dissemination of propaganda, 
and clearly saw an opportunity to distract the public,s 
attention from the regime,s current woes.  Thus, the ominous 
references in the Herald article to the risk of being shot, 
etc.  (In fact, the soldiers who initially stopped the 
Ambassador were unarmed at the time and courteous throughout, 
asking many questions about the U.S. and the Ambassador,s 
impression of life in Zimbabwe.)  Having succeeded in 
stirring things up a bit, Charamba and the rest of the GOZ 
appear satisfied.  There have been no further articles or 
communication with the GOZ on this topic.  We believe the 
&controversy8 has already blown itself out. 
DELL