APRIL 24 HARARE UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002203 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S SUSAN E. RICE, PDAS POWELL, DAS SCHNEIDMAN, AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER, DESK OFFICER GURNEY, SA/INS FOR STEVE KRAFT NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA GAYLE SMITH DEPT ALSO PLEASE PASS AID E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/24/10 TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI SUBJECT: APRIL 24 HARARE UPDATE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 02203 241200Z REF: HARARE 2201 SUBJECT: LATE WEEKEND ZIMBABWE SITUATION CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 (B), (D) ¶1. (U) AS OF THE MORNING OF APRIL 24 HARARE IS QUIET. THE WEEKEND BOMBING IN THE CITY CENTER (REFTEL) RAISED FEARS AMONG CITY DWELLERS, BUT THE GENERALLY LESSENING TENSION ON THE FARMS APPEARS TO HAVE MORE THAN OFFSET THIS AS ZIMBABWE PREPARES TO RETURN TO WORK TOMORROW AFTER A FOUR-DAY EASTER HOLIDAY. THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE VIOLENCE IN HARARE SINCE THE BOMBING. ¶2. (U) THE BOTTOM LINE FROM THE RURAL AREAS IS THAT THE SITUATION IS GENERALLY CALMER THAN IT WAS LAST WEEK. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT CAVEATS: NEW FARM OCCUPATIONS CONTINUE, AT LEAST ONE COMMERCIAL FARMER AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING IS BARRICADED IN HIS HOME, AND BLACK FARM WORKERS ARE SUFFERING SIGNIFICANTLY FROM BEATINGS AND INTIMIDATION. ¶3. (U) THE PICTURE WE GET FROM OUR PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION IS GOOD BUT MIXED. CLEARLY DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY ARE REPORTING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TENSION. THE BEST NEWS IS THAT THE FARMERS EAST OF HARARE, WHO HAD EVACUATED THE AREA AFTER THE KILLING OF THE FIRST COMMERCIAL FARMER, WILL ALL HAVE RETURNED TO THEIR FARMS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 02203 241200Z BY THE END OF TODAY. ALSO ON A POSITIVE NOTE, THE POLICE ARE BEGINNING TO PLAY A HELPFUL ROLE, EVEN ON THE FARMS WHERE THE OCCUPATIONS ARE CONTINUING. ¶4. (C) THE WORST NEWS IS THAT THE BEATINGS OF FARM WORKERS CONTINUE. ACCORDING TO ONE OF OUR SOURCES, THE BEATINGS TAKE PLACE AT NIGHT AND APPEAR POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. THE VICTIMS ARE BEING TOLD TO TURN IN THEIR MEMBERSHIP CARDS FOR THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE, THE MAIN POLITICAL OPPOSITION PARTY. THEY ALSO ARE BEING TOLD THAT THE OWNER OF THE FARM ON WHICH THEY WORK WILL REFUND TO THEM THEIR MDC MEMBERSHIP FEE. THESE STORIES SOUND PLAUSIBLE TO US, AS THE ENTIRE FARM OCCUPATION SCHEME APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A MEANS OF POLITICAL INTIMIDATION FROM THE BEGINNING. ¶5. (U) ALSO ON THE BAD NEWS FRONT, ONE OPERATOR OF A LARGE COMMERCIAL FARM NORTH OF HARARE IS BARRICADED INSIDE HIS HOME. SOURCES SAY A LARGE CROWD--ESTIMATES RANGE FROM SEVERAL HUNDRED UPWARDS TO A THOUSAND-- CONVERGED ON HIS ESTATE YESTERDAY. NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN ONGOING, HOWEVER, AND SOURCES WITH WHOM WE SPOKE SAY IT APPEARS THE SITUATION WILL BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >