US embassy cable - 03HARARE1369

UNCLAS HARARE 001369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION AU SUMMIT; HARARE 
 
  1.   Under headline "AU must make a stand" the independent 
      daily "The Daily News" dedicated its July 3 editorial to 
      urge the African Union (AU) - meeting in Maputo, 
      Mozambique, next week for its second summit - to "publicly 
      and firmly denounce Harare" for human rights abuses, the 
      erosion of the rule of law and bad governance in Zimbabwe. 
      Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "The AU will next week have another chance to put its 
      high ideals to the test by boldly condemning Harare's naked 
      abuse of power and flouting of internationally accepted 
      norms of good governance. . .Next week's Mozambican summit 
      coincides with the first visit to the continent of American 
      President George Bush, who has not minced his words in 
      condemning the blatant repression of its people by a 
      government that is determined to hold on to power at all 
      costs.  It would be a shameful act on the part of Africa's 
      leaders if they failed to take a stand on the basic issues 
      that have been highlighted by those bodies that have been 
      voluble in their criticism of the rights abuses in 
      Zimbabwe. . .They are especially crucial for the AU, which 
      has adopted as its economic program the New Partnership for 
      Africa's development (NEPAD), which is anchored in the 
      observance by African governments of the rule of law and 
      good governance to reverse the continent's economic 
      decline, endemic poverty and costly civil wars.  African 
      leaders will best serve their own cause and the cause of 
      democracy in Zimbabwe if they publicly and firmly denounce 
      Harare for failing to live up to the principles espoused by 
      the AU and NEPAD. . .If the AU fails to vigorously meet the 
      challenge presented by Zimbabwe, it will merely become 
      another albatross around the continent's neck." 
 
SULLIVAN