UNHCR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ATTEMPTS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003231 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM A/S TAFT, PRM/A, PRM/AAA, AF/S, AF/PD, WHA/CCA CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 03231 01 OF 02 141750Z NAIROBI FOR REFCOORD AND INS ROME FOR INS LONDON FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/10 TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL ZI CU SUBJECT: UNHCR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ATTEMPTS TO BROKER A DEAL FOR THE CUBANS' RELEASE REF: HARARE 3164 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D. ¶1. (C) ON JUNE 14 LUSAKA-BASED UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OLUSEYI BAJULAIYE TOLD AMBASSADOR MCDONALD THAT HE HAD MET WITH A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS IN HARARE WITH RESPECT TO THE CASES OF CUBAN DOCTORS LEONEL CORDOVA RODRIGUEZ AND NORIS DEL CARMEN PENA MARTINEZ. HIS FIRST CALL WAS ON THE REFUGEE COMMISSIONER, MR. I. ¶T. MUKHARO, TO WHOM HE PROTESTED THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE CUBANS WERE BEING HELD. DOCTORS CORDOVA AND PENA HAVE NO MATTRESS AND RECEIVE ONLY ONE MEAL A DAY, ACCORDING TO MICHIEL SALOMONS, THE UNHCR LAWYER WHO HAD VISITED THEM EARLIER ON JUNE 14. THE CUBANS ARE SLEEPING ON BLANKETS ON A HARD, COLD, CEMENT FLOOR IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE WINTER. SALOMONS WAS ALLOWED ONLY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 03231 01 OF 02 141750Z TO LEAVE MONEY FOR FOOD AND TOILETRIES, BUT NO BLANKETS OR A MATTRESS. THE GOROMONZI POLICE EXPLAINED TO SALOMONS THAT PERSONS IN REMAND STATUS WERE PROHIBITED FROM SLEEPING ON A MATTRESS, AS IT COULD BE USED TO CONCEAL WEAPONS. ¶2. (C) BAJULAIYE REPORTED THAT HE HAD SCHEDULED A MEETING AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WITH LEGAL AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS HEAD, DR. ELITA SAKUPWANYA, WHO WAS CALLED AWAY TO BRIEF FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE ALMOST AS SOON AS THE MEETING BEGAN. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE ALSO SPOKE WITH THE CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO ZIMBABWE, RODOLFO SARRACINO, WHO ASSURED THE FORMER THAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAD NO OBJECTION TO THE DOCTORS LEAVING FOR A THIRD COUNTRY, POSSIBLY CANADA, AND THAT HE HAD SENT A DIPLOMATIC NOTE TO THAT EFFECT TO THE ZIMBABWEAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. BAJULAIYE SAID THAT THE ZIMBABWEANS FELT THEMSELVES BOXED, UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE FROM THE CUBANS, THE UNHCR AND THE USG. ASKED WHAT WAS THE STATUS OF THE CUBAN DOCTORS UNDER ZIMBABWEAN LAW, BAJULAIYE EXPLAINED THAT THE ZIMBABWEAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE HAD DECIDED ON JUNE 8 THAT IT "NEITHER RECOGNIZED NOR REJECTED" REFUGEE STATUS FOR THE CUBANS. ¶3. (C) THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE WANTED TO PRESENT THE ZIMBABWEANS WITH A DEAL. HE WANTED TO PROPOSE THAT THE GOZ HAND OVER CUSTODY OF THE CUBANS IMMEDIATELY TO UNHCR FOR RESETTLEMENT. THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY WOULD BE CANADA, ALTHOUGH CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER JAMES WALL HAD BEEN VERY CAUTIOUS IN A CONVERSATION WITH BAJULAIYE THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 14. THE CANADIAN DIPLOMAT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 03231 01 OF 02 141750Z EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THE CUBANS AND FOUND THE ZIMBABWEAN'S MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DECISION PUZZLING, AS WAS THEIR RELUCTANCE TO RELEASE THEM TO UNHCR. HE PROMISED BAJULAIYE HE WOULD CHECK WITH HIS HEADQUARTERS. HARARE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE JOHN ADU TOLD AMBASSADOR MCDONALD THAT ON JUNE 14 HE HAD MET WITH ZIMBABWEAN HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER DUMISO DABENGWA, WHO SAID HE WOULD NOT ALLOW DOCTORS CORDOVA AND PENA TO LEAVE UNTIL HE WAS SATISFIED THAT THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT APPROVED OF WHERE THEY WERE GOING. THE MINISTER DID NOT VOICE OBJECTION TO THAT DESTINATION BEING CANADA. BAJULAIYE THOUGHT THAT THE DECISION TO RELEASE THE CUBANS RESTED WITH THE PRESIDENT. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOULD USE THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO COMMUNICATE HIS DECISION TO THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS. ¶4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR TOLD BAJULAIYE THAT THE USG WOULD BE CONVOKING THE ZIMBABWEAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES TO EXPLAIN THE USG'S SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THIS MATTER AND THE TREATMENT OF THE CUBANS. HE ALSO TOLD THE UNHCR REPRESENTAT