EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AJELLO HAS POSITIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004145 SIPDIS LUSAKA PLEASE PASS TO S/E HOWARD WOLPE NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR PFLAUMER PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/10 TAGS: PREL MOPS CG ZI SUBJECT: EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AJELLO HAS POSITIVE MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE REF: HARARE 4064 (NOTAL) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING REASONS 1.5 B/D. ¶1. (C) BRITISH DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER IAN HAY- CAMPBELL SHARED HIS REPORT ON EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ALDO AJELLO'S VISIT TO HARARE ON JULY 25-26, WHICH WE REPRODUCE HERE IN FULL. ¶2. (C) BEGIN TEXT. THE EU PRESIDENCY (FRANCE) ARRANGED A BRIEFING FOR EU MISSIONS BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AJELLO ON JULY 26. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04145 271028Z AJELLO HAD BEEN IN HARARE FROM JULY 25-26 DURING WHICH TIME HE HAD MET PRESIDENT MUGABE, FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE AND MONUC OFFICIALS. AJELLO SAID MUGABE LARGELY SHARED HIS ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT SITUATION. THE MEETING HAD TAKEN PLACE IN A GOOD ATMOSPHERE. KABILA APPEARED TO BE LOOKING TO A MILITARY SOLUTION IN THE DRC. MUGABE AGREED THAT THIS WOULD BE A "NO WIN" STRATEGY AND THAT THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT HAD TO BE RESPECTED. MUGABE WAS INCLINED TO DISCOUNT YERODIA'S RECENT REMARKS ABOUT LUSAKA. AJELLO HAD RAISED THE PROBLEMS OF THE MASIRE MISSION AND THE IDEA OF ATTACHING FRANCOPHONE MEMBERS TO THE TEAM AS A WAY OF MOVING THE PROCESS FORWARD. MUGABE APPEARED TO ACCEPT THIS. THE TWO ALSO DISCUSSED THE PLAN FOR THE NON CONGOLESE BELLIGERENTS TO MEET. AJELLO THOUGHT THE PROSPECTS FAIR FOR THIS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE FORTHCOMING SADC SUMMIT IN WINDHOEK. IF AGREEMENT WAS REACHED, IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SET UP SUCH A MEETING QUITE QUICKLY. MUGABE HAD EXPRESSED THE USUAL DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE SLOWNESS OF MONUC DEPLOYMENT. THIS SUBJECT HAD BEEN RAISED MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVELY BY MUDENGE IN THEIR MEETING, MUDENGE ACCUSING THE UN OF EFFECTIVELY UNDERMINING LUSAKA BY NOT YET DEPLOYING AND THEREBY BEARING THE RESPONSIBILITY. HE WAS NOT RECEPTIVE TO AJELLO'S EXPLANATIONS OF THE DIFFICULTIES PUT IN MONUC'S WAY BY THE DRC. WITH THE MONUC OFFICERS, AJELLO HAD HEARD OF THE SLOWNESS OF UGANDAN DISENGAGEMENT FROM KISANGANI, ATTRIBUTABLE, IN PART, TO A LACK OF LOGISTICS. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 04145 271028Z AJELLO WAS ENCOURAGED BY MUGABE'S SIMILAR APPRECIATION OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DRC. HE ALSO CONFIRMED WHAT DHC HAD LEARNED EARLIER IN THE DAY FROM DAVID HAMADZIRIPI, MFA UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA, THAT FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE WAS HAVING A MEETING AT VICTORIA FALLS WITH HIS CONGOLESE COUNTERPARTS ON JULY 27 BEFORE FLYING ON TO LUSAKA FOR A MEETING OF THE POLITICAL COMMITTEE. THE CONGOLESE HAD TOLD MUDENGE THEY WOULD ACCOMPANY HIM TO LUSAKA IN THE SAME AIRCRAFT. END TEXT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >