S/E WOLPE BRIEFS MNANGAGWA ON LUANDA MEETINGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004311 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/10 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS CG ZI SUBJECT: S/E WOLPE BRIEFS MNANGAGWA ON LUANDA MEETINGS CLASSIFIED BY S/E HOWARD WOLPE FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D. ¶1. (C) ON AUGUST 3 SPECIAL ENVOY HOWARD WOLPE AND AF SPECIAL ASSISTANT JOHN PRENDERGAST MET BRIEFLY WITH ZIMBABWE'S SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA IN THE LATTER'S OFFICE. MNANGAGWA REMAINS PRESIDENT MUGABE'S ENVOY FOR SENSITIVE MISSIONS VIS-A-VIS THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. WOLPE REPORTED THAT HE HAD HAD VERY GOOD MEETINGS IN LUANDA, PARTICULARLY WITH VICE-MINISTER OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS MANUEL AUGUSTO, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04311 031205Z WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS THE EXPERT ON THE DETAIL OF LUSAKA ACCORDS AND BEING VERY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT DOS SANTOS. "ZIMBABWE AND ANGOLA ARE POINTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION," WOLPE STATED. HE REPORTED THAT THE ANGOLANS WANTED TO BRIDGE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN THEIR COUNTRY AND RWANDA AND UGANDA, AND THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS COMMITTED TO HELP THEM DO SO. ¶2. (C) RESPONDING TO WOLPE'S CONCERN THAT CONGOLESE PRESIDENT LAURENT KABILA WAS PLACING OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF THE PEACE PROCESS AND THAT ONLY TWO WEEKS REMAINED UNTIL THE UN SECURITY GENERAL HAD TO SUBMIT HIS REPORT ON THE CONGO TO EXPAND THE MONUC MANDATE, MNANGAGWA CHIMED IN THAT "THE DRC DELEGATION WAS WAY OFF THE MARK." THE SPEAKER SAID THAT HE HAD CHAIRED THE VICTORIA FALLS MEETING OF JULY 27 IN WHICH HE MADE PLAIN TO THE CONGOLESE CHIEF DELEGATE TO THE UPCOMING POLITICAL COMMITTEE MEETING THAT ZIMBABWE WAS COMMITTED TO THE LUSAKA PROCESS. THE CONGOLESE IN TURN OBDURATELY INSISTED THAT HE HAD "A MESSAGE" FROM PRESIDENT KABILA AND COULD NOT CHANGE HIS POSITION. MNANGAGWA NEVERTHELESS THOUGHT THAT SOME CONGOLESE MINISTERS HAD SENSE AND FELT ZIMBABWE'S POSITION WAS THE CORRECT ONE. OBSERVING THAT SOMETIMES THOSE MINISTERS DO NOT GIVE THEIR PRESIDENT THE BEST ADVICE, MNANGAGWA REPORTED THAT HE WOULD BE TRAVELING TO LUBUMBASHI, ACCOMPANIED BY MEMBERS OF THE ZIMBABWEAN MILITARY, TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT KABILA ON AUGUST 7. ¶3. (C) SPECIAL ASSISTANT PRENDERGAST INFORMED MNANGAGWA THAT UGANDA AND RWANDA HAD GIVEN THE USG ASSURANCES THAT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04311 031205Z THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE IF ZIMBABWE WERE WILLING TO APPLY NEEDED PRESSURE ON THE CONGOLESE, SUCH AS WITHDRAWING OR RE-DEPLOYING TROOPS. WOLPE NOTED THAT THE RWANDANS ALSO WOULD LIKE TO RE-DEPLOY TO THE KIVUS, BUT ARE CONCERNED THAT KABILA AND THE FAC WOULD SEEK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH A MOVE. IN RESPONSE THE SPEAKER INTERJECTED THAT "OUR INTERESTS ARE IDENTICAL." "WE NEED TO FORCE KABILA'S HAND IN IMPLEMENTING LUSAKA," HE ADDED, "HE WON'T DIFFER WITH US IF WE TELL HIM." THE SPECIAL ENVOY CONTINUED THAT THERE WERE TWO FLASH POINTS THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION: EQUATEUR AND IKELA, WHERE WE HAD UNCONFIRMED MOVEMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. MNANGAGWA SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY DEVELOPMENTS IN IKELA, BUT WOULD CHECK WITH THE COMMANDER OF THE DEFENSE FORCE. HE CONCURRED WITH WOLPE'S ASSESSMENT THAT ZIMBABWE WAS PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO BEING DRAGGED INTO RENEWED HOSTILITIES AS A RESULT OF KABILA'S MISPLACED TRIUMPHALISM. ¶4. (C) IN RESPONSE TO WOLPE'S AND PRENDERGAST'S QUESTIONS ON INTERNAL ZANU-PF DEBATES ON ZIMBABWE'S MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE CONGO, MNANGAGWA SAID THAT THE RULING PARTY HAD IN FACT DECIDED TO PULL OUT ZIMBABWEAN TROOPS FROM THE CONGO. IT IS NOW UP TO THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY DECISION, MNANGAGWA CONCLUDED. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >