MUGABE DISCUSSES FUEL AND PAN-AFRICAN UNITY IN TRIPOLI

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004941 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 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04941 061416Z PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/05 TAGS: PREL EPET ECON ZI SUBJECT: MUGABE DISCUSSES FUEL AND PAN-AFRICAN UNITY IN TRIPOLI CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) IN A SEPTEMBER 5 CONVERSATION WITH THE AMBASSADOR, FORMER COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY MINISTER -- AND MUGABE CONFIDANT -- NATHAN SHAMUYARIRA PROVIDED A SHORT READOUT OF PRESIDENT MUGABE'S VISIT TO TRIPOLI THE WEEK OF AUGUST 28. ACCORDING TO SHAMUYARIRA (WHO WAS PART OF THE ZIMBABWEAN DELEGATION),MUGABE ASKED LIBYAN LEADER KHADAFY IN A PRIVATE MEETING TO HELP MEET ZIMBABWE'S CRITICAL FUEL NEEDS. KHADAFY REPORTEDLY AGREED TO SEND A TECHNICAL TEAM IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS TO DISCUSS WITH NOCZIM, ZIMBABWE'S NATIONAL OIL COMPANY, POSSIBLE PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE. ASKED WHETHER KHADAFY HAD AGREED TO EXTEND A LINE OF CREDIT TO THE GOZ FOR FUEL PURCHASES, SHAMUYARIRA ANSWERED YES, BUT ADDED THAT NO SPECIFIC TERMS HAD BEEN DISCUSSED. ¶2. (C) ACCORDING TO SHAMUYARIRA, MUGABE HAD TRAVELLED TO TRIPOLI ALONG WITH 12 OTHER HEADS OF STATE (AND OTHER LOWER-LEVEL OFFICIALS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES, PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN),TO PARTICIPATE AUGUST 30- SEPTEMBER 1 IN THE WORLD MATHABA, AN ORGANIZATION OF DEVELOPING NATIONS FORMED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BY KHADAFY. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04941 061416Z DISCUSSIONS, SHAMUYARIRA SAID, FOCUSED ON HOW BEST TO STRENGTHEN AFRICAN UNITY, INCLUDING FORMATION OF A PAN- AFRICAN PARLIAMENT TO REPLACE THE OAU. HE SAID THE DROC CONFLICT WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN ANY FORMAL SESSIONS, AS NEITHER PRESIDENT KABILA NOR RWANDAN PRESIDENT KAGAME WERE IN TRIPOLI. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: WE ARE VERY SKEPTICAL THAT KHADAFY COMMITTED LIBYA TO EXTEND A LINE OF CREDIT TO THE GOZ FOR FUEL IMPORTS. THIS IS ONLY THE MOST RECENT OF REPEATED GOZ REQUESTS FOR HELP ON ENERGY NEEDS AND OTHER MATTERS FROM LIBYA. AS IN THE PAST, WE SUSPECT THAT LIBYA IS WILLING TO PROVIDE FUEL TO ZIMBABWE ON COMMERCIAL, NOT PHILANTHROPIC, TERMS. WE DOUBT, HOWEVER, THAT THE GOZ WILL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SUFFICIENT PAYMENT GUARANTEES TO SATISFY THE VISITING LIBYAN TEAM. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL N >