SENIOR ZIMBABWEAN OFFICIAL ETENDS A PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006086 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONOON FOR GURNEY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2010 TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI SUBJECT: SENIOR ZIMBABWEAN OFFICIAL ETENDS A PEACE FEELER TO THE BRITISH REF: HARARE 6082 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCOONALD FORREASONS 1.5. (B) ANO (D) . ¶1. (C) BRITISH DEUTY HIQH COMMISSIONER IAN HAY- CAMPBELL INFORMEDDCM OCTOBER 26 THAT MINISTRY OF FOREIQN AFFAIRS ERMANENT SECRETARY WILLARD CHIWEWE HAD SUMMONED RITISH HIQH COMMISSIONER PETER LONQWORTH SUDDENLYON OCTOBER 16. LONQWORTH ASSUMED THE SUBJECT OFTHEIR CONVERSATION WOULD BE AN ARTICLE THAT HAD PPEARED THAT DAY IN THE GOVERNMENT-INFLUENCED NESPAPER, "THE HERALD," QUOTINQ FROM AN OLD INTERVIE WITH PETER HAIN, THE BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE OR AFRICA, WHO WAS VOICED HIS OPINION ON THE LAN QUESTION IN ZIMBABWE. INSTEAD, A JOVIAL CHIWEW RECEIVED LONQWORTH CORDIALLY, ENQAQED THE LATTE IN QOOD NATURED BANTER, TOLD AND ELICITED STORIS AND, AFTER NEARLY TWO HOURS, FINALLY CAME TO HI POINT: HE ASKED WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO NORMALIZERELATIONS WITH BRITAIN. LONQWORTH REPORTEDLY ANWERED, "THAT'S EASY," AND TICKED OFF A THREE-ITE LIST: RESTORATION OF THE RULE OF LAW ON THE OCCPIED FARMS, A RETURN TO THE PRINCIPLES AGREED UPON AT THE 1998 DONORS' CONFERENCE ON LAND, AND SERIOUS STEPS ON THE PART OF THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE COUNTRY'S CURRENT MACROECONOMIC INSTABILITY. ACCORDING TO HAY-CAMPBELL, UPON HEARINQ THE ANSWER CHIWEWE "MADE A FACE," BUT PRESUMABLY REPORTED THE HIQH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 06086 271101Z COMMISSIONER'S ANSWER TO HIS SUPERIORS. ¶2. (C) THE BRITISH DEPUTY HIQH COMMISSIONER ALSO REPORTED THAT ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS EARLIER THE DEAN OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, THE PALESTINIAN REPRESENTATIVE, AMBASSADOR ALI HALIMEH, HAD APPROACHED LONQWORTH AT A BARBECUE AT THE LATTER RESIDENCE AND ASKED WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR THE BRITISH TO PATCH UP THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ZIMBABWE. LONGWORTH TOLD THE DEAN, WHO IS KNOWN TO BE VERY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT MUQABE, EXACTLY WHAT HE TOLD CHIWEWE. ALTHOUQH HAY-CAMPBELL WOULD NOT QO SO FAR AS TO SAY THE INITIATIVE HAD COME FROM MUQABE HIMSELF, HE INFERRED THAT THERE WAS CONCERN AT THE HIQHEST LEVELS OF THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT THAT SOMETHINQ HAD TO BE DONE TO RESTORE THEIR TIES WITH BRITAIN. ¶3. (C) IN A RELATED DEVELOPMENT, GERMAN DCM WERNER KOEHLER TOLD DCM OCTOBER 26 THAT HIS AMBASSADOR, FRITZ FLIMM, HAD MET THAT DAY WITH THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT, EMMERSON MNANQAQWA, TO REQISTER HIS GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN ABOUT THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO APPLY THE RULE OF LAW ON OCCUPIED COMMERCIAL FARMS. THE NORMALLY PLACID MNANGAGWA LAUNCHED INTO A VIGOROUS LECTURE QUOTING THE PARTY LINE CHAPTER AND VERSE. THE SENIOR GERMAN DIPLOMAT LEFT WITH THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT THE IMPEACHMENT MOTION FILED ON OCTOBER 25 HAD TOUCHED A RAW NERVE. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: IT'S A SIGN THAT THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT PERCEIVES THAT IT'S UP AGAINST THE WALL WHEN IT REACHES OUT TO THE BRITISH TO HELP END ITS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 06086 271101Z INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY REJECTS THE ADVICE OF THE ENVOY OF A PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO BE ACCEPTED IN DECENT SOCIETY AGAIN. IN A FIT OF PIQUE, PRESIDENT MUGABE THREATENED TO WITHDRAW HIS NATIONAL RECONCILIATION POLICY AND IN SO DOING LOST HIS LAST SHRED OF INTERNATIONAL CREDIBILITY. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE ZANU-PF-LED GOVERNMENT WILL DEAL WITH ITS CURRENT PREDICAMENT THROUGH ITS TRIED AND TESTED METHOD: VIOLENCE. END COMMENT. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >