C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004753

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AF/EPS, EB/IFD/ODF, EB/TPP/ODC
TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE, AND HOFFMAN BARAK
USDOC FOR 2037/ERIC HENDERSON
STATE PASS USTR/RWHITTAKER
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/05
TAGS: PGOV PREL CG AO BY UG WA ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE SUPPORTS DRC "MINI-SUMMIT" ON MARGINS
CONFIDENTIAL


PAGE 02 HARARE 04753 281218Z
OF MILLENIUM SUMMIT

REF: A) STATE 164098 B) HARARE 4749

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD, REASON 1.5 (B), (D)


1. (C) PER REF A INSTRUCTION, POLOFF SPOKE ON AUGUST 28
WITH MFA UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA DAVID HAMADZIRIPI TO
SOLICIT THE GOZ'S VIEWS ON A POSSIBLE DRC "MINI-SUMMIT"
ON THE MARGINS OF THE MILLENIUM SUMMIT. HAMADZIRIPI WAS
UNAWARE OF PRESIDENT CHILUBA'S CURRENT EFFORTS BUT SAID
THE GOZ WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF SUCH A MEETING. THE
MILLENIUM SUMMIT WOULD PROVIDE A GOOD OCCASION FOR THE
APPROPRIATE HEADS OF STATE TO CONSULT AND DETERMINE HOW
BEST TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD.


2. (C) HAMADZIRIPI SAID THE GOZ HAD RECEIVED NOTHING
OFFICIAL FROM THE DRC ON ITS ANNOUNCED SUSPENSION OF
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LUSAKA ACCORDS. HIS UNDERSTANDING
FROM MEDIA REPORTS, HOWEVER, IS THAT THE DRC HAS NOT
SUSPENDED LUSAKA BUT, RATHER, EXPRESSED ITS VIEW THAT
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS MAY REQUIRE A "REVISION" OF THE
AGREEMENTS. HAMADZIRIPI NOTED THAT ARTICLE 26, CHAPTER 3
OF THE LUSAKA ACCORDS DOES ALLOW REVISIONS, BUT IT WAS
NOT YET CLEAR PRECISELY WHAT CHANGES THE DRC WAS SEEKING.
IN THE MEANTIME, AS FAR AS THE GOZ IS CONCERNED, "LUSAKA
REMAINS VERY MUCH ALIVE."


3. (C) ASKED ABOUT THE DRC'S INITIATIVES WITH REGARD TO
A QUADRIPARTITE SUMMIT OF DROC, RWANDA, UGANDA, AND
BURUNDI UNDER OAU AUSPICES, HAMADZIRIPI SAID THE GOZ
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 HARARE 04753 281218Z
WELCOMED ANY MEETING INTENDED TO CONTRIBUTE TO
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LUSAKA ACCORDS. HAMADZIRIPI WAS
MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT KABILA'S APPARENT WILLINGNESS
TO ACCOMMODATE THE UN MONUC PHASE II DEPLOYMENT. IT WAS
NOT YET CLEAR, HE SAID, THAT ALL OF KABILA'S AND THE UN'S
OBJECTIONS HAD BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED SO THAT THE
DEPLOYMENT COULD MOVE FORWARD.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) HAMADZIRIPI'S MORE CAUTIOUS ASSESSMENT ON THE
MONUC DEPLOYMENT DIFFERED FROM THAT PROVIDED ON AUGUST 25
BY FORMER INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE MINISTER NATHAN
SHAMUYARIRA, WHO CONVEYED TO US IN REF B MUGABE'S
UNDERSTANDING THAT KABILA WAS WILLING TO ALLOW THE
DEPLOYMENT TO GO FORWARD. THE DIVERGENCE IN THEIR
UNDERSTANDINGS OF WHAT KABILA PLANS TO DO NEXT IS, IN OUR
VIEW, NOT SURPRISING, GIVEN THE OFTEN CONFLICTING SIGNALS
COMING OUT OF KINSHASA.


5. DAVID HAMADZIRIPI IS THE MFA'S MOST SENIOR OFFICIAL
REGULARLY AND ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON DRC-RELATED ISSUES, AND
HE IS A FREQUENT AND RELIABLE MISSION CONTACT. MFA
CURRENTLY HAS NO DEPUTY MINISTER AND WE HAD HOPED TO
DELIVER REF A INSTRUCTION TO THE RECENTLY-APPOINTED MFA
PERMANENT SECRETARY -- WILLARD CHIWEWE -- BUT HE
APPARENTLY IS NOT YET FULLY ON BOARD. THE AMBASSADOR
EXPECTS TO MEET SHORTLY WITH CHIWEWE, WHO MOST RECENTLY
SERVED AS PERMANENT SECRETARY AT THE INFORMATION
MINISTRY.
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 HARARE 04753 281218Z
MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

>