DROC FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS HARARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 004849 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS USUN FOR HOLBROOKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/10 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04849 01 OF 02 311700Z TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS ZI CG SUBJECT: DROC FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS HARARE CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: DROC FOREIGN MINISTER YERODIA PAID A BRIEF VISIT TO ZIMBABWE ON AUGUST 29 TO ASSUAGE HARARE'S CONCERNS AFTER PRESIDENT KABILA SAID HE WOULD SEEK TO REVISE THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT. AMBASSADOR MCDONALD OBTAINED A READOUT ON YERODIA'S VISIT FOM NEW MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY AND THE UNDERSECRTARY FOR AFRICA. BOTH ITERATED THAT THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT IS STILL ON TRACK. THE UNDERSECRETARY SID ZIMBABWE IS OPEN TO HEARING ANY PROPOSALS TO EVISE THE AGREEMENT, BUT IT HAS NOT FORMED A POSTION ON KABILA'S DESIRE THAT UGANDA, RWANDA, ANDBURUNDI SHOULD BE NAMED AS AGGRESSORS. HOWEVER, ANY REVISION PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE A HINDRANCE TOTHE MONUC PHASE II DEPLOYMENT, ACCORDING TO THE IMBABWEAN MFA. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) AFTER AN AGUST 29 MEETING IN HARARE WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE,DROC FOREIGN MINISTER YERODIA TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE LUSAKA PROCESS WAS STILL ON TRACK BUT SHOULDBE REVISED TO NAME RWANDA, UGANDA, AND BURUNDI A AGGRESSORS. CURRENT FACILITATOR MASIRE WAS A "OMPLICATOR" AND COULD NOT BE TRUSTED. IN HIS PULIC COMMENTS, YERODIA SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH THE DROC DID NOT THINK A FACILITATOR WAS NECESSARY, IT HAD PROPOSED POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES IN AN EFFORT TO B FORTHCOMING, INCLUDING KENNETH KAUNDA, FREDERIKDE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04849 01 OF 02 311700Z KLERK, AND CYRIL RAMAPHOSA. ZIMBABWEAN FOREIN MINISTER MUDENGE TOLD JOURNALISTS THAT THE LUSAKA ACCORDS HAD NOT BEEN "WRITTEN IN STONE," AND SID THE DROC'S DESIRE TO REVISE THE LUSAKA ACCORD WOULD BE CONSIDERED. ¶3. (C) IN AN AUGUST 30MEETING ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC WITH MFA PERMSEC WILARD CHIWEWE, THE AMBASSADOR ASKED FOR A READOUT OF YERODIA'S VISIT. CHIWEWE NOTED THAT HE HAD ATENDED PRESIDENT MUGABE'S MEETING WITH YERODIA, AD HAD NOT COME AWAY WITH THE SENSE THAT THE CONGLESE GOVERNMENT WAS AN OBSTACLE TO FORWARD MOVEMNT ON LUSAKA. MASIRE HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE PHASE II MONUC DEPLOYMENT MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT KABILA'S CONCERNS ABOUT WHEE THE TROOPS WILL BE DEPLOYED. THE AMBASSADOR AKED WHETHER YERODIA HAD INSISTED THAT LUSAKA BE EVISED. THE USG, HE SAID, IS STRONGLY CONCERNED THAT OPENING UP THE LUSAKA ACCORDS TO REVISION WOUD BE A SERIOUS SETBACK TO THE PEACE PROCESS. TH ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT, CHIWEWE REPLIED, BELIEVE WE HAVE COME THIS FAR BECAUSE OF LUSAKA. ANY REQUEST FOR REVISION, HE SAID, WOULD REQUIRE A STRONG JUSTIFICATION, BUT THE DROC GOVERNMENT HAD NOT YET ENGAGED IN THE FORMAL AMENDMENT PROCESS PERMITTED UNDER ARTICLE 26. ALL INDICATIONS, CHIWEWE THOUGHT, ARE THAT LUSAKA IS ON COURSE, PROVIDED THAT MONUC II DEPLOYS QUICKLY. ¶4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR AND POLOFFS MET SEPARATELY ON AUGUST 31 WITH MFA UNDERSECRETARY FOR AFRICA DAVID HAMADZIRIPI ABOUT YERODIA'S DISCUSSIONS HERE. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 04849 01 OF 02 311700Z HAMADZIRIPI SAID THE MEETING WAS INTENDED TO BE A CONSULTATION AMONG THE ALLIES TO ENSURE THEY WERE ON THE SAME TRACK AND TO DISCUSS ACCELERATING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LUSAKA AGREEMENTS. DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, HOWEVER, ANGOLA WAS UNABLE TO SEND ANYONE AND NAMIBIA WAS REPRESENTED BY ITS AMBASSADOR HERE. ¶5. (C) YERODIA, HAMADZIRIPI SAID, HAD AGREED THAT LUSAKA REMAINS VALID, BUT BELIEVED THERE WAS A NEED TO REVIEW THE AGREEMENTS NOW THAT RWANDA, BURUNDI, AND UGANDA HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS AGGRESSOR NATIONS IN UNSCR 1304, AND BECAUSE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL REBEL SIGNATORIES HAVE NOW WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONFLICT. HAMADZIRIPI INDICATED THAT ZIMBABWE IS OPEN TO REVIEWING ANY PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENTS, AS PERMITTED BY ARTICLE 26, BUT HAD NOT YET TAKEN A POSITION ON THE SUBSTANCE OF POSSIBLE CHANGES. HAMADZIRIPI DID NOT SEE A FORMAL REVIEW OF LUSAKA AS AN OBSTACLE TO THE MONUC PHASE II DEPLOYMENT. PARTICIPANTS IN THE DISCUSSIONS WELCOMED RWANDA'S PROPOSAL TO WITHDRAW 200 KM, AND DEFENSE MINISTERS OF DROC'S ALLIES PLAN TO MEET SOON TO DISCUSS THE MODALITIES OF DISENGAGEMENT. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6198 PAGE 01 HARARE 04849 02 OF 02 311700Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /010W -------------- 804B1C 311700Z /38 O 311659Z AUG 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6981 INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY RWANDA COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY PARIS NSC WASHDC USMISSION USUN NEW YORK C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 004849 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS USUN FOR HOLBROOKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/10 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04849 02 OF 02 311700Z TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS ZI CG SUBJECT: DROC FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS HARARE ¶6. (C) ACCORDING TO HAMADZIRIPI, MASIRE'S ROLE AS PEACE FACILITATOR DID NOT COME UP IN THE PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS. THIS IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE FOR ZIMBABWE, HE POINTED OUT, BECAUSE THE GOZ WANTS TO IMPLEMENT LUSAKA BUT DOES NOT WANT TO OFFEND BOTSWANA BY UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPING THE WELL-RESPECTED MASIRE. PRESIDENT KABILA IS ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED TO MASIRE, SO ZIMBABWE MUST HELP COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN THAT DOES NOT DENIGRATE MASIRE. THE GOZ, HAMADZIRIPI RECALLED, HAD ACCEPTED THE NAMIBIAN PROPOSAL THAT TWO EMINENT PERSONS BE ASKED TO WORK WITH MASIRE. DESPITE THE OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL BY THE DROC AND OTHERS, HAMADZIRIPI WAS CONFIDENT A WAY OUT COULD BE FOUND, AS THE DROC IS COMMITTED TO THE FACILITATION PROCESS. ¶7. (C) EVINCING A BIT OF FRUSTRATION, HAMADZIRIPI SAID THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION HAD WORKED HARD TO KEEP THE LUSAKA PROCESS ALIVE, AND HE CRITICIZED THE UN FOR "LETTING US DOWN." THE AMBASSADOR REMINDED HAMADZIRIPI THAT PRESIDENT KABILA BORE MOST OF THE BLAME FOR THE SLOW PACE OF PROGRESS, AND SAID MONUC II COULD NOT PROCEED UNTIL KABILA PROVIDES THE NECESSARY SECURITY GUARANTEES AND ALLOWS DEPLOYMENT IN AREAS HIS GOVERNMENT CONTROLS. HAMADZIRIPI ACKNOWLEDGED THE POINT, AND SAID THE GOZ WOULD DO ALL IT COULD TO ENSURE THE CONDITIONS WERE RIGHT FOR THE PHASE II DEPLOYMENT. ZIMBABWE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE DROC, HAMADZIRIPI INSISTED, WAS MOTIVATED GENUINELY BY THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04849 02 OF 02 311700Z PRINCIPLE OF PROTECTING A NATION'S SOVEREIGN BORDERS, NOT BY ECONOMIC INTERESTS, AND THE GOZ WOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: HAMADZIRIPI IS THE MOST SENIOR MFA OFFICIAL ENGAGED ON A DAILY BASIS ON DROC POLICY, AND SO IS MUCH MORE THOROUGHLY BRIEFED ON DROC THAN CHIWEWE, WHO ASSUMED HIS CURRENT POSITION ONLY ON AUGUST 28. HAMADZIRIPI, HOWEVER, IS SOMETIMES OVERLY OPTIMISTIC AND FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ZIMBABWE'S CLEAR ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN THE DROC. LIKE THE REST OF THE MFA, HE DID NOT APPEAR PHASED BY KABILA'S LATEST WRANGLINGS, AND REMAINED HOPEFUL AFTER YERODIA'S VISIT THAT THE DROC WOULD STICK TO LUSAKA AND THAT THE MONUC DEPLOYMENT WOULD GO FORWARD. DESPITE ZIMBABWE'S CONTINUING AND INTENSIFYING DIFFICULTIES WITH KABILA, HE IS STILL KEY TO ENDING THE GOZ'S MILITARY ENTANGLEMENT THERE. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >