ZIMBABWE VIEWS ON DRC PEACE PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006032 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS USUN FOR HOLBROOKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/10 TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS ZI CG SA SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE VIEWS ON DRC PEACE PROCESS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 06032 251621Z REFTEL: SECSTATE 200297 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) POLOFF SPOKE TO CONGO DESK OFFICER MAXWELL CHIKOROWONDO IN ZIMBABWE'S MFA ON OCTOBER 18 ABOUT ZIMBABWE'S VIEWS ON RECENT EVENTS REGARDING THE DRC. HE STATED THAT THE OCTOBER 14-15 MAPUTO SUMMIT GAVE NEW MOMENTUM TO THE LUSAKA PEACE PROCESS. REAFFIRMING THE KAMPALA DISENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT REACHED IN APRIL, THE STATE PLAYERS AT MAPUTO AGREED TO PULL BACK THEIR RESPECTIVE FORCES 15 KM TO CREATE A 30 KM BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN THEM; RWANDA UNDERSCORED ITS INTENTION TO PULL BACK 200 KM. SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT MBEKI APPARENTLY SAID AT THE MEETING THAT THE DRC REBEL GROUPS WOULD BE EXPECTED TO COMPLY WITH THE PULLBACK, TO WHICH THEY ALREADY AGREED AT KAMPALA EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE STATE DEFENSE CHIEFS ACCOMPANIED THEIR HEADS-OF-STATE TO MAPUTO, AND AGREED TO MEET AGAIN SOON TO ENSURE THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE MILITARIES IMPLEMENTED THE AGREEMENT ON THE GROUND. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE RECENT REPORTS OF NEW CLASHES IN THE DRC, CHIKOROWONDO STRESSED THAT ZIMBABWEAN FORCES WERE NOT/NOT INVOLVED AND THAT NO CLASHES HAD OCCURRED IN KATANGA OR KASAI AS REPORTED IN THE PRESS. ¶2. (C) ON OCTOBER 23, POLOFF LEARNED FROM CHIKOROWONDO THAT THE STATE DEFENSE CHIEFS, AS AGREED IN MAPUTO, MET OVER THE OCTOBER 21-22 WEEKEND TO HAMMER OUT AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. THE DESK OFFICER DID NOT KNOW CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 06032 251621Z EXACTLY WHAT ZIMBABWE DEFENSE MINISTER MAHACHI HAD WORKED OUT AT THE MEETING, BUT HE HAD SEEN NO SIGNS OF NEW ZIMBABWEAN TROOP MOVEMENTS ON THE GROUND. HE DID SAY, HOWEVER, THAT MAHACHI AND THE OTHER DEFENSE CHIEFS ARE DUE TO REPORT THEIR ACTIONS OCTOBER 28-29 TO ANOTHER HEADS-OF-STATE MEETING IN MAPUTO INVOLVING ZIMBABWE, RWANDA, SOUTH AFRICA, AND THE DRC. CHIKOROWONDO BELIEVED THAT THE MAPUTO MEETINGS WOULD GIVE NEW LIFE TO THE PEACE PROCESS. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: ZIMBABWE'S MFA REMAINS EVER-HOPEFUL THAT A LASTING PEACE WILL SOON COME TO THE DRC. SEVERAL REPORTS DO INDICATE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCE UNITS WERE INVOLVED IN THE RECENT FIGHTING IN LOWER EQUATEUR, AND THAT CLASHES DID OCCUR IN KATANGA AND KASAI, ALBEIT NOT INVOLVING ZIMBABWEAN FORCES. AS OF LATE, THE DRC HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM THE HEADLINES IN ZIMBABWE, AND WE SUSPECT THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS NOT GIVEN IT HIS FULL ATTENTION DUE TO THE DISTRACTION OF DOMESTIC POLITICS. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >