ZIMBABWE SUPPORTS DRC "MINI-SUMMIT" ON MARGINS

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 >