ZIMBABWE OPENS AN EMBASSY IN TRIPOLI

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006229 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS BRUSSELS FOR HINSON-JONES CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 06229 061304Z E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/00 TAGS: PREL PINR ZI LY SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE OPENS AN EMBASSY IN TRIPOLI CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) . ¶1. (C) EGYPTIAN EMBASSY COUNSELLOR (DCM) KADRI ABDEL- MOTTALEB TOLD DCM NOVEMBER 4 THAT ZIMBABWE HAS OPENED AN EMBASSY IN TRIPOLI. THE AMBASSADOR, JOHN MVUNDURA, LEFT IN EARLY OCTOBER TO ASSUME CHARGE. THE REMAINING 2-3 MEMBERS OF THE EMBASSY STAFF FLEW TO TRIPOLI VIA CAIRO TWO WEEKS LATER, CITING LACK OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE AS THE CAUSE OF DELAY IN THEIR TRAVEL. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: IT IS CLEAR TO US THAT, EVEN IN AN ERA OF EXTREMELY SCARCE FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND TIGHT BUDGETS, WITH DIPLOMATS ABROAD GOING UNPAID FOR MONTHS AT A TIME OR FINDING THEMSELVES STRANDED AT THE END OF THEIR TOURS, ZIMBABWE VALUES ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH COLONEL QADHAFI OVER OTHER, MORE PRESSING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DEMANDS. WE SUSPECT THE LIBYAN HEAD OF STATE EITHER GIFTED OR LOANED THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT THE FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTIES WHERE ITS CHANCERY AND AMBASSADOR ARE HOUSED. END COMMENT. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >