ZIMBABWE REPORTEDLY WANTS CUBANS DOCTORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003160 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM A/S TAFT, PRM/A, PRM/AAA, AF/S, AF/PD, WHA/CCA NAIROBI FOR REFCOORD AND INS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 03160 01 OF 02 121733Z ROME FOR INS LONDON FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/10 TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL ZI CU SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE REPORTEDLY WANTS CUBANS DOCTORS RELEASED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY FOR PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT REF: HARARE 3113 CLASSIFIED BY CONSUL THERESA A. HEBRON FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D. ¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUESTED MESSAGE; PLEASE SEE PARAGRAPH 8. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: UNHCR OFFICIALS ADU AND SALOMONS CONTINUED IN THEIR QUEST TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE CUBAN DOCTORS JUNE 12, AT ONE POINT TELLING THE INS OFFICER TO LEAVE THEM TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY. THEY HAD NO OBJECTION TO EMBOFFS SEEING THE CUBANS BUT SAID THEY WOULD NOT HELP THEM GAIN ACCESS. AT THE SAME TIME SALOMONS PROBED FOR PROPRIETARY INFORMATION ON WHAT THE DOCTORS TOLD INS OFFICER VARSANI ABOUT THEIR REFOULEMENT ORDEAL. THE UNHCR OFFICIALS TOLD US THAT THE DECISION TO RELEASE THE CUBANS NOW RESTED WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE, AND THAT THE ZIMBABWEANS WERE ASKING THAT THE CUBAN DEFECTORS BE RESETTLED IN A COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES, AS HAD BEEN THE PRACTICE IN SUCH CASES IN THE PAST. REGIONAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE BAJULAIYE MAY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 03160 01 OF 02 121733Z COME TO HARARE TO TAKE OVER THE CASE, BUT DOWNPLAYS HIS CHANCES OF ACHIEVING SUCCESS. MEANWHILE, SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CONTINUED TO OUCK THE AMBASSAOOR'S ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THEM, OR FEIGNEO IGNORANCE OF THE MERITS OF THE CASE WHEN REACHED. IF WE SEE NO PROGRESS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, POST ASKS THAT THE SECRETARY REQUEST UNHCR HEAD OGATA TO INTERVENE WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE TO SECURE THE CUBANS' RELEASE. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) ON JUNE 12 UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES ADU AND SALOMONS ADVISED INS OFFICER SANJEETA VARSANI THAT HER PRESENCE WOULD BE AN IMPEDIMENT TO ANY MEETINGS HELD WITH GOZ OFFICIALS CONCERNING THE CUBANS AND WOULD HINDER UNHCR'S IMPARTIALITY. SALOMONS, HOWEVER, ASKED VARSANI TO SHARE INS INTERVIEW NOTES FROM THE JUNE 9 REFUGEE INTERVIEW THAT SHE CONDUCTED WITH THE CUBANS, AS THIS INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNHCR IN THE MEETINGS WITH THE GOZ OFFICIALS. SALOMONS ALSO STATED THAT HE SPECIFICALLY WANTED INFORMATION REGARDING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CUBANS AFTER THEY WERE ABDUCTED FROM THE TEACHER'S HOME ON JUNE 2 AND WHAT SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIALS DID OR SAID WHEN THE CUBANS ARRIVED IN JOHANNESBURG. SALOMONS INDICATED THAT IF UNHCR COULD ESTABLISH THAT SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIALS ASSISTED THE GOZ IN THE ATTEMPTED REFOULEMENT OF THE CUBANS, THEN UNHCR STOOD A BETTER CHANCE AT SECURING THE CUBANS' RELEASE INTO THEIR CUSTODY TODAY JUNE 12. VARSANI DEMURRED AND SAID THAT SHE COULD NOT SHARE ANY INFORMATION WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF HER INS SUPERIORS. SALOMONS WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE CUBANS RELEASED MAY TAKE SEVERAL DAYS, AS THE FINAL DECISION RESTED WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE. HE ALSO ADDED CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 03160 01 OF 02 121733Z THAT IN THE PAST, WHEN HIGH PROFILE CUBANS DEFECT, CUBA TRIES TO SAVE FACE BY HAVING THEM RESETTLED IN ANY COUNTRY EXCEPT THE UNITED STATES. ¶4. (C) CONSUL RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM FORWARD MADZIYA (STRICTLY PROTECT),THE TEACHER WITH WHOM THE CUBANS HAD BEEN STAYING AFTER THEY REQUESTED ASYLUM. VARSANI WENT TO VISIT MADZIYA AT THE SCHOOL WHERE HE TEACHES IN GLEN NORAH, A HIGH-DENSITY AREA OUTSIDE OF HARARE. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT VARSANI HAD THE CUBANS' BEST INTERESTS IN MIND AND THAT SHE KNEW WHERE CORDOVA HAD HIDDEN THEIR PASSPORTS, MADZIYA TOOK VARSANI TO HIS HOME AND HANDED OVER THEIR PASSPORTS, TELEPHONE DIARIES, AND OTHER PERSONAL DOCUMENTS. ¶5. (C) ADU AND SALOMONS CONTINUE TO ARGUE THAT THE USG SHOULD KEEP ITS DISTANCE FROM THE CASE AND ALLOW THE CUBANS TO BE RESETTLED IN SOME OTHER COUNTRY, AS A "FACE-SAVING MEASURE" FOR THE GOZ. SALOMONS ALSO TOLD VARSANI THAT IF SHE ANO CONSUL WISHED TO VISIT THE CUBANS, THAT PERMISSION WOULO HAVE TO BE SECURED WITHOUT UNHCR ASSISTANCE. JAMES MCANULTY, POLITICAL REFUGEE COOROINATOR AMEMBASSY NAIROBI, SAIO THAT PREETA LAW OF CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ2226 PAGE 01 HARARE 03160 02 OF 02 121734Z ACTION PRM-01 INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 CA-02 CIAE-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 OIGO-02 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 INSE-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 VO-03 PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /015W -------------- 61E1B9 121734Z /49 O 121725Z JUN 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6298 INFO AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE USINT HAVANA IMMEDIATE COMMISSIONER USINS WASHDC IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY ROME USMISSION GENEVA C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003160 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM A/S TAFT, PRM/A, PRM/AAA, AF/S, AF/PD, WHA/CCA NAIROBI FOR REFCOORD AND INS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 03160 02 OF 02 121734Z ROME FOR INS LONDON FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/10 TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL ZI CU SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE REPORTEDLY WANTS CUBANS DOCTORS RELEASED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY FOR PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT THE UNHCR REGIONAL SERVICES CENTER NAIROBI ALSO MENTIONEO THE GOZ'S OSTENSIBLE OESIRE TO HAVE THE CUBANS RESETTLEO ANYWHERE BUT IN THE U.S. MCNAULTY THOUGHT THAT ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE IMPASSE WOULO BE TO ACKNOWLEOGE THAT THE CUBANS WOULO GO TO KENYA, WHILE GLOSSING OVER THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD ALSO TRAVEL ONWARO FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE U.S. HOWEVER, THIS MAY BE TOO TRANSPARENT A RUSE FOR THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT, AS WORO OF ONWARO PROCESSING HAS ALREAOY HIT THE PRESS IN THE STATES. ¶6. (C) OLUSEYI BAJULAIYE, UNHCR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, TOLO LUSAKA DCM WHITEHEAO JUNE 12 THAT HE MAY COME TO HARARE TO SORT THE PROBLEM OUT HIMSELF. BAJULAIYE REITERATED THAT THE CASE WAS ON MUGABE'S OESK FOR DECISION. ALTHOUGH A SKILLED OIPLOMAT, BAJULAIYE THINKS HE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF FAVOR WITH THE GOZ, BECAUSE OF STATEMENTS HE MAOE ABOUT POSSIBLE REFUGEE INFLUXES FROM ZIMBABWE DUE TO THE LAND CRISIS. ¶7. (C) MEANWHILE, AMBASSADOR MCDONALD SPOKE WITH THE INFLUENTIAL SECRETARY OF THE CABINET, CHARLES UTETE, WHO CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 03160 02 OF 02 121734Z WAS CORDIAL ENOUGH BUT PROFESSED IGNORANCE OF THE MERITS OF THE CASE. THE AMBASSADOR ALSO ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER DUMISO DABENGWA AND OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ALL OF WHOM PROVED UNAVAILABLE. ¶8. (C) ACTION REQUESTED: IF THE CUBAN DOCTORS ARE NOT RELEASED WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS POST RECOMMENDS THAT THE SECRETARY PLACE A CALL TO UNHCR HEAD OGATA TO REQUEST THAT OGATA SPEAK WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE TO SECURE THE DOCTORS' FREEDOM AND TRANSFER OF CUSTODY TO UNHCR. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >