ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DEFER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003563 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM A/S TAFT, PRM/A, PRM/AAA, AF/S, AF/PD, WHA/CCA NAIROBI FOR REFCOORD AND INS ROME FOR INS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 03563 01 OF 02 291610Z LONDON FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/10 TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL ZI CU SUBJECT: ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DEFER RELEASE OF CUBAN DOCTORS REF: HARARE 3485 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D. ¶1. (C) IN INTRODUCING CONSUL TO DOMINIC BARTSCH, UNHCR SENIOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS OFFICER (THE UN OFFICER REPLACING ATTORNEY MICHIEL SALOMONS),UNHCR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OLUSEYI BAJULAIYE SAID THAT MOVEMENT ON THE RELEASE OF THE CUBAN DOCTORS HAD GROUND TO A HALT. HE TOLD US THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO PROGRESS EITHER BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE OR UNHCR IN FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE CASE OF CUBAN DOCTORS LEONEL CORDOVA RODRIGUEZ AND NORIS DEL CARMEN PENA MARTINEZ. BAJULAIYE SAID THAT ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD INFORMED HIM THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE IS "MUCH TOO BUSY" TO MAKE A DECISION REGARDING THE CUBANS. INDEED, WE CAN AVER THAT MUGABE HAS BEEN CONSUMED WITH DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH AND PUTTING TOGETHER A CABINET FOLLOWING THE RECENT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN WHICH HIS PARTY NARROWLY WON A MAJORITY. ¶2. (C) BAJULAIYE REPORTED TO CONSUL THAT THE LETTER HE HAD DRAFTED FOR MRS. OGATA TO SEND TO PRESIDENT MUGABE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 03563 01 OF 02 291610Z WAS STILL ON THE DESK OF THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES. HE OPINED THAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER MAY BE WAITING FOR THE RETURN TO GENEVA OF DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER SOREN JESSEN-PETERSEN, WITH WHOM SHE WOULD LIKE TO CONSULT PRIOR TO TAKING ANY ACTION. JESSEN- PETERSEN'S LETTER TO VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH MSIKA REMAINS UNANSWERED, ACCORDING TO THE REGIONAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE. BAJULAIYE ALSO REVEALED THAT DOCTORS CORDOVA AND PENA HAD WRITTEN LETTERS TO THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT IN WHICH THEY PLEADED FOR THE RIGHT TO BE RESETTLED IN ONE OF TWO COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ACCEPTED THEM AS REFUGEES. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED, HE WOULD RETURN TO LUSAKA ON SATURDAY, JULY 1, AND THAT BARTSCH WOULD BE LEAVING ON SUNDAY, JULY 2. THE CASE WOULD THEN PASS INTO THE HANDS OF LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE JOHN ADU, WHO WILL BE RETURNING AFTER A VACATION FROM LONDON ON JULY 2. ¶3. (C) CONSUL GAVE TWO TOILETRY KITS TO BAJULAIYE TO DELIVER TO THE CUBAN DOCTORS. SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE STAFF MEMBER G. GARRETT GRIBSBY BROUGHT THE KITS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO HAND THEM OVER PERSONALLY, HAVING BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO THE DOCTORS. THE REGIONAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED THAT HIS STAFF HAD DELIVERED THE KITS TO THE DESPONDENT CUBANS ON JUNE 29. A FRUSTRATED BAJULAIYE SAID THAT HE WOULD SPEAK ONE MORE TIME TO THE PERMANENT SECRETARIES OF THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND HOME AFFAIRS AS WELL AS THE CHIEF OF IMMIGRATION TO INFORM THEM OF HIS INTENTION TO RETURN TO LUSAKA BECAUSE OF LACK OF PROGRESS IN THE CASE. HE SUGGESTED THAT LEGAL INTERVENTION (NOT BY UNHCR) MAY BE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 03563 01 OF 02 291610Z A FINAL OPTION TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE CUBANS, AS IT WAS "ILLEGAL" FOR THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM IN JAIL WHEN THEY HAD COMMITTED NO CRIME IN ZIMBABWE. ¶4. (C) SWEDISH AMBASSADOR LENNARTH HJELMAKER TOLD DCM ON JUNE 29 THAT SWEDEN IS PREPARED TO HELP RESETTLE THE CUBANS, BUT AT PRESENT IS UNSURE OF WHAT HIS COUNTRY'S ROLE IN THE CASE SHOULD BE. THE SWEDES ARE OCCASIONALLY IN TOUCH WITH UNHCR IN HARARE, BUT HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM IN OVER A WEEK. THE SWEDISH AMBASSADOR SPECULATED THAT THE ZIMBABWEANS SUSPECT THAT SWEDEN IS MERELY AN ENTREPOT FROM WHICH THE CUBAN DOCTORS WILL PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE UNITED STATES. HE CONTINUED THAT HE HAD NOT DISCUSSED THE CASE WITH THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT. SWEDEN HAD BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF PRESIDENT MUGABE'S USE OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION IN THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGN, A REASON THE SWEDISH AMBASSADOR SPECULATED THE FORMER WOULD NOT WANT SWEDEN TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. CANADIAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER RON WILLSON TOLD DCM ON JUNE 29 THAT CANADA STANDS READY TO RECEIVE THE CUBANS, BUT REMARKED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAD NOT BEEN APPROACHED SINCE INITIAL DISCUSSIONS BY UNHCR IN THIS CONNECTION SOME THREE WEEKS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ2489 PAGE 01 HARARE 03563 02 OF 02 291610Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-01 DODE-00 DOEE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /011W -------------- 688402 291610Z /38 O 291614Z JUN 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6478 INFO USINT HAVANA PRIORITY COMMISSIONER USINS WASHDC PRIORITY AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY ROME USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY NAIROBI AMEMBASSY LONDON C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003563 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM A/S TAFT, PRM/A, PRM/AAA, AF/S, AF/PD, WHA/CCA NAIROBI FOR REFCOORD AND INS ROME FOR INS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 03563 02 OF 02 291610Z LONDON FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/10 TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL ZI CU SUBJECT: ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DEFER RELEASE OF CUBAN DOCTORS AGO. WILLSON REPORTED THAT CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO ZIMBABWE RODOLFO SARRACINO HAD ASKED CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER JAMES WALL SOME TIME AGO, "WHY DON'T YOU TAKE THEM?" MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >