MBEKI TO CONVENE MEETING OF EXTERNAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 005602 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS USUN FOR HOLBROOKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/10 TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS ZI CG SA SUBJECT: MBEKI TO CONVENE MEETING OF EXTERNAL SIGNATORIES ON DROC PEACE PROCESS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 05602 031242Z REFS: A) STATE 186856, B) HARARE 5584 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) AMBASSADOR REACHED FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER STANISLAUS MUDENGE BY PHONE ON OCTOBER 2 TO FOLLOW UP ON REF A DEMARCHE. MUDENGE HAD BEEN UNAVAILABLE WHEN DEMARCHE WAS DELIVERED TO MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY WILLARD CHIWEWE SEPTEMBER 29 (REF B). AMBASSADOR URGED MUDENGE TO USE ZIMBABWE'S INFLUENCE WITH KABILA TO PERMIT THE FULL MOVEMENT OF MONUC FORCES IN THE DROC AND TO ABIDE BY THE LUSAKA ACCORDS. MUDENGE REPORTED THAT SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT MBEKI WILL CONVENE SHORTLY A MEETING OF THE HEADS OF STATE OF THE EXTERNAL SIGNATORY COUNTRIES TO ASSESS THE CURRENT STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LUSAKA ACCORDS AND TO URGE KABILA TO ABIDE BY LUSAKA AND IMPLEMENT THE PEACE PROCESS. THE MEETING WAS ORIGINALLY TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE SEPTEMBER 30- OCTOBER 1 WEEKEND, BUT MBEKI POSTPONED IT. MUDENGE REPORTED THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF SUCH A MEETING. AMBASSADOR CONVEYED U.S. SUPPORT FOR DISCUSSIONS THAT WOULD FURTHER THE PEACE PROCESS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE LUSAKA AGREEMENTS. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: MUDENGE HAS BEEN LARGELY INACCESSIBLE SINCE RETURNING FROM WASHINGTON LAST MONTH AS HIS WIFE HAS BEEN QUITE ILL. MUDENGE DID NOT STATE THE NATURE OF HER ILLNESS, BUT SAID THAT SHE WOULD REMAIN IN HARARE FOR TREATMENT. ALTHOUGH THE MFA HAS FOR SOME TIME BEEN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 05602 031242Z RATHER DYSFUNCTIONAL, MUDENGE'S RECENT UNAVAILABILITY, THE LACK OF A DEPUTY MINISTER AND AN EXPERIENCED PERMANENT SECRETARY HAS RENDERED THE MFA PARTICULARLY INEFFECTIVE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO APPROACH OTHER SENIOR INTERLOCUTORS IN GOVERNMENT TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR ZIMBABWE TO DO EVERYTHING IT CAN TO ENSURE THAT LUSAKA SUCCEEDS. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >