C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 HARARE 002206

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/10
TAGS: PGOV CG PREL PHUM PINS CG ZI EAGR EAID
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: WOLPE/MUGABE TETE-A-TETE


DEPT FOR P U/S PICKERING, A/S SUSAN RICE
USUN FOR AMBASSADOR RICHARD HOLBROOKE
NSC FOR GAYLE SMITH SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD, FOR REASONS 1.5
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 HARARE 02206 01 OF 06 241301Z
(B) AND (D).

REFS: A) HARARE 2205, B) HARARE 2202


1. (U) THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE
PARAGRAPHS FOUR AND TWENTY EIGHT.

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SUMMARY
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2. (C) IN A FORTY FIVE MINUTE TETE-A-TETE ZIMBABWEAN
PRESIDENT MUGABE AND I HAD A CORDIAL BUT FRANK EXCHANGE
ON ZIMBABWE'S DOMESTIC POLITICAL CRISIS. I TOLD THE
ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT, WHOM I HAVE KNOWN SINCE THE
1970'S, THAT THERE WAS A GROWING AND WIDELY HELD
PERCEPTION, EVEN AMONG HIS COUNTRY'S LONGEST AND
STRONGEST SUPPORTERS, THAT THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT HAD
ABANDONED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW; WAS
COMPLICIT IN RECENT ACTS OF LAWLESSNESS AND VIOLENCE;
AND WAS CONTRIBUTING TO A CLIMATE OF INCREASED RACIAL
POLARIZATION AND DANGEROUS POLITICAL TENSION. I TOLD
MUGABE THAT RECENT EVENTS WERE THREATENING TO IMPERIL
ZIMBABWE'S FUTURE AND HIS OWN PERSONAL LEGACY.


3. (C) THE ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT LISTENED CLOSELY AND
APPEARED TO WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK THROUGH A
NUMBER OF HIS IMMEDIATE PREOCCUPATIONS:

--HE WAS KEENLY AWARE OF THE IMMEDIATE DANGERS, HAD
PUBLICLY CONDEMNED THE VIOLENCE THAT HAD OCCURRED, AND
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PAGE 03 HARARE 02206 01 OF 06 241301Z
WAS WORKING TO DEFUSE THE CRISIS.

--HIS GOVERNMENT HAD NOT ABANDONED THE RULE OF LAW, BUT
FEARED THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY POLICE OR ARMY EFFORT TO
FORCIBLY REMOVE THE WAR VETERANS WHO HAD OCCUPIED THE
COMMERCIAL FARMS.

--HE FELT THAT THE BRITISH HAD YET TO HOLD UP THEIR PART
OF THE BARGAIN STRUCK AT LANCASTER HOUSE, AND HAD NO
MORAL BASIS TO COMPLAIN NOW ABOUT ZIMBABWE'S INSISTENCE
THAT LONG-DELAYED LAND REFORM BE IMPLEMENTED WITH OR
WITHOUT COMPENSATION TO THE WHITE COMMERCIAL FARMERS.
AFTER ALL, IT WAS THE AFRICANS WHO HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN
FORCIBLY SEPARATED FROM THEIR TRADITIONAL LANDS BY THE
WHITE SETTLERS.

--THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT APPEARED IMPLACABLY AND
UNREASONABLY HOSTILE TO HIM AND HIS GOVERNMENT. AS FAR
AS THE LAND ISSUE WAS CONCERNED, HE HAD BEEN
PARTICULARLY DISAPPOINTED AT THE FAILURE OF THE NEW
LABOR GOVERNMENT TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE CONSTRUCTIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF A COMMISSION APPOINTED BY
CONSERVATIVE PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR.

--WHILE HE STILL HOPED FOR A NEGOTIATED SOLUTION TO THE
LAND QUESTION, HE WAS DETERMINED TO ADDRESS THIS
HISTORICAL INJUSTICE ONCE AND FOR ALL.

--HE HAD YET TO HAVE A REAL MEETING OR EXCHANGE WITH
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR AND, MORE GENERALLY, FELT SLIGHTED
BY THE NEW LABOR GOVERNMENT.
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PAGE 04 HARARE 02206 01 OF 06 241301Z

--A ZIMBABWEAN DELEGATION WAS TRAVELLING NEXT WEEK TO
LONDON IN AN ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE
DIALOGUE WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

--MANY OF ZIMBABWE'S WHITE FARMERS HAD NEVER RECONCILED
THEMSELVES TO A BLACK-LED ZIMBABWE. THERE WERE,
HOWEVER, SOME NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE
PROGRESSIVE COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION PRESIDENT HAD
FAILED IN HIS EFFORTS TO PERSUADE HIS COLLEAGUES TO
NEGOTIATE A BINDING SETTLEMENT THAT WOULD DEFINITIVELY
RESOLVE THE LAND ISSUE.

--HE WELCOMED THE WILLINGNESS OF THE USG GOVERNMENT TO
BE OF ASSISTANCE, BOTH IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF ZIMBABWE'S
LAND REFORM PROGRAM AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
BRITISH.


4. (C) PARAGRAPH 28 BELOW CONTAINS AN ACTION REQUEST
THAT, IN ADVANCE OF NEXT WEEK'S UK/GOZ MEETING IN
LONDON, THIS REPORT OF MY MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE
BE SHARED WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AND THAT
UNDERSECRETARY PICKERING SPEAK DIRECTLY TO FOREIGN
MINISTER COOK. END SUMMARY.