UNHCR: PRESIDENT MUGABE TO MAKE DECISION ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003263 SIPDIS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 03263 151829Z DEPT FOR PRM A/S TAFT, PRM/A, PRM/AAA, AF/S, AF/PD, WHA/CCA NAIROBI FOR REFCOORD AND INS ROME FOR INS LONDON FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/10 TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL ZI CU SUBJECT: UNHCR: PRESIDENT MUGABE TO MAKE DECISION ON RELEASE OF CUBAN DOCTORS REF: A) HARARE 3231 (NOTAL),B) STATE 113556 (NOTAL) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D. ¶1. (C) ON JUNE 15 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. THE REGIONAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO DELIVER A MATTRESS AND MAGAZINES TO THE CUBANS, BUT WAS BARRED FROM DOING SO. HE SAID THE CUBAN DOCTORS ARE IN A VERY STRESSED EMOTIONAL STATE, PARTICULARLY DOCTOR PENA. THE TWO HAD BEEN FED ONLY ONE MEAL A DAY BY THE ZIMBABWEANS, PER THE POLICE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 03263 151829Z REGULATIONS FOR PRISONERS IN REMAND STATUS, AND HAD BEEN USING WHAT LITTLE MONEY THEY HAD TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR MEAGER DIET. BAJULAIYE SAID HE PROTESTED THEIR TREATMENT STRENUOUSLY TO THE ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DR. NGONI CHIDEYA. AMBASSADOR MCDONALD REQUESTED THAT BAJULAIYE PUT HIS COMPLAINTS IN WRITING TO THE GOZ AND THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES SAID THAT HE WOULD DO SO. THE CUBANS HAVE THREATENED TO GO ON A HUNGER STRIKE TO PROTEST THE INHUMANE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY ARE BEING KEPT, ACCORDING TO BAJULAIYE. ¶2. (C) UNHCR ATTORNEY MICHIEL SALOMONS SAID THAT THE BIG NEWS WAS THAT DR. CHIDEYA AND VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH MSIKA WOULD BE BRIEFING PRESIDENT MUGABE THE EVENING OF JUNE 15 ON THE CASE AND THAT MUGABE WAS LIKELY TO MAKE A DECISION ON IT THAT NIGHT. BAJULAIYE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND VICE PRESIDENT MSIKA WERE BOTH INCLINED TO RECOMMEND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE CUBANS TO THE UNHCR. IF THE DECISION WAS A NEGATIVE ONE, THEN BAJULAIYE WOULD CONTACT UNCHR HEAD OGATA TO TELEPHONE OR WRITE TO PRESIDENT MUGABE. ¶3. (C) SALOMONS ALSO INFORMED US THAT HE HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE DUTCH COUNSEL TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, PETER VAN KRIEKEN, TO PROPOSE THAT THE NETHERLANDS ACCEPT THE CUBANS IN LIEU OF CANADA. BAJULAIYE REPORTED THAT THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN OTTAWA HAD REPORTED REAL RELUCTANCE BY CANADA TO TAKE ON THE CASE, AS IT HAD BEEN BURNED IN A CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 03263 151829Z SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE PAST (NFI). THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR IN HARARE THOUGHT THAT THE PROPOSAL WAS A GOOD ONE AND PROMISED TO CONTACT HER GOVERNMENT WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION. VAN KRIEKEN THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM TO ACCEPT THE CUBANS FOR A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS, ASSUMING THE USG HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT. ¶4. (C) SALOMONS ASKED THAT THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE NETHERLANDS APPROACH THE DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTRY AND ASSURE IT THAT THE USG VIEWED FAVORABLY THE CUBANS REQUESTING TEMPORARY ASYLUM OR EMERGENCY RESETTLEMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS. IF THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT RELEASES THE CUBANS TO THE CUSTODY OF THE UNHCR, THE PLAN WOULD BE TO MOVE THE PAIR OUT OF ZIMBABWE ON JUNE 16 TO NAIROBI, AND FROM NAIROBI ONWARD TO THE NETHERLANDS. ¶5. (C) ACTION REQUESTED: WE WOULD APPRECIATE DEPARTMENT REQUESTING AN APPROACH TO THE NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT ALONG THE LINES PROPOSED BY SALOMONS. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >