RWANDA AND UGANDA TO BE INVITED TO THE WINDHOEK SADC SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004318 SIPDIS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04318 031538Z NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR PFLAUMER PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2010 TAGS: PREL MOPS CG SF RW UG ZI SUBJECT: RWANDA AND UGANDA TO BE INVITED TO THE WINDHOEK SADC SUMMIT CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) ON AUGUST 3 MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA DAVID HAMADZIRIPI TOLD S/E HOWARD SIPDIS WOLPE THAT, IN THE COURSE OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI AND PRESIDENT MUGABE THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE IDEA OF INVITING RWANDA AND UGANDA FOR MEETINGS ON THE MARGINS OF THE SADC SUMMIT IN WINDHOEK EMERGED. MUGABE REPORTEDLY WAS RECEPTIVE TO THE INITIATIVE, THE ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT STATED. S/E WOLPE WELCOMED THE DEVELOPMENT, NOTING THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD CONFIDENCE BUILDING STEP. ¶2. (C) SOUTH AFRICAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER VICTOR MDITSHWA TOLD CHARGE LATER IN THE DAY THAT MBEKI PRESSED MUGABE TO SPEED UP THE LUSAKA PEACE PROCESS. MDITSHWA ALSO EMPHASIZED THAT THE CONGO CONFLICT WILL HAVE A PROMINENT POSITION ON THE SADC SUMMIT AGENDA. IN THIS CONNECTION, MBEKI TOLD THE ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT THAT HE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04318 031538Z HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH RWANDAN PRESIDENT KAGAME AND UGANDAN PRESIDENT MUSEVENI ON THE SUBJECT OF THEIR ATTENDANCE IN WINDHOEK FOR THE SUMMIT. THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER DID NOT CONFIRM THAT AN INVITATION HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO THEM, HOWEVER. ¶3. (U) S/E WOLPE DID NOT CLEAR THIS MESSAGE PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >