UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ANGELO SHARES HIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 006281 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AND AFR/SA - CPALMA, NNEWMAN NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USTR - ROSA WHITAKER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 06281 01 OF 02 071536Z E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/10 TAGS: PGOV EAGR ZI SUBJECT: UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ANGELO SHARES HIS VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD. REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR MCDONALD, ACCOMPANIED BY LABOFF, PAID A CALL NOVEMBER 6 ON RECENTLY ARRIVED UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE (RES REP) VICTOR ANGELO TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE. THE RES REP TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT WHILE THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS IN THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY IN HARARE WHO WANT TO TAKE A WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE REGARDING THE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE, HE THINKS THAT A MORE PROACTIVE RESPONSE IS CALLED FOR TO PREVENT A MAJOR CRISIS. THE AMBASSADOR WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREED WITH THE RES REP AND THEY DECIDED TO SET-UP A NUMBER OF MEETINGS AIMED AT BRINGING TOGETHER THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ)/ZANU-PF, THE OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTY MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC),AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS WORKING TOGETHER ON A WAY FORWARD. RES REP ANGELO INFORMED THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL (SG) WAS PLANNING ON SENDING A REPRESENTATIVE TO HARARE ON NOVEMBER 17 TO ALSO TRY AND BREAK THE ICE HERE, BUT THIS TRIP HINGES ON PRESIDENT MUGABE AGREEING TO SEE THE SG'S REP. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD PAID A VISIT TO THE UNITED CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 06281 01 OF 02 071536Z NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (UNDP) RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE (RES REP) IN HARARE, VICTOR ANGELO, ON NOVEMBER 6 TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE AND WHAT COULD BE DONE TO LOWER TENSIONS. THE AMBASSADOR STATED THAT HE WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE SITUATION HAD TAKEN A TURN FOR THE WORSE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS WITH NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDING FOOD RIOTS, THE MDC'S FILING OF AN IMPEACHMENT MOTION AGAINST MUGABE, AND AN UPSWING IN VIOLENCE ON OCCUPIED COMMERCIAL FARMS. AMBASSADOR MCDONALD TOLD RES REP ANGELO THAT HE WAS WORRIED THAT TENSIONS ARE REACHING A BOILING POINT, AND THAT THE EMBASSY AND THE UNDP NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER IN GETTING THE GOZ AND OPPOSITION TALKING. �0A; ¶3. (C) RES REP ANGELO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE SHARED HIS CONCERNS AND PERCEPTIONS. ANGELO STATED THAT WHILE THERE ARE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HARARE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY WHO BELIEVE THAT A WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE IS APPROPRIATE, HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS PRUDENT. HE ALSO AGREED THAT EVENTS COULD GET OUT OF HAND IN ZIMBABWE BEFORE LONG. HE WAS ESPECIALLY WORRIED THAT THE UNDP SECURITY OFFICER WHO IS THE LIAISON WITH THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE (ZRP) HAD INFORMED HIM THAT ZRP RIOT UNITS HAD BEGUN RANGE TRAINING WITH LIVE AMMUNITION, A PRACTICE NOT SEEN BEFORE. THE CLEAR IMPLICATION IS THAT THE ZRP WOULD USE LIVE AMMUNITION IN ANY FURTHER CIVIL DISTURBANCES. ¶4. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD AND RES REP ANGELO AGREED TO ARRANGE THE FOLLOWING MEETINGS TO EXPLORE WAYS TO CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 06281 01 OF 02 071536Z INCREASE THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE GOZ, THE MDC, AND OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY STAKEHOLDERS. - A MEETING AMONG THE AMBASSADOR, THE RES REP, AND THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR. WILLARD CHIWEWE. MR. CHIWEWE IS A CONDUIT TO PRESIDENT MUGABE. THIS MEETING COULD BE USED TO UNOFFICIALLY GAUGE IF A WILLINGNESS EXISTS ON THE PART OF PRESIDENT MUGABE TO TRY AND DEFUSE TENSIONS AND BEGIN DIALOGUE WITH THE OPPOSITION MDC, AS WELL AS TO RELAY THE AMBASSADOR'S AND RES REP'S WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST IN EFFORTS TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE. - A MEETING AMONG THE AMBASSADOR, RES REP, AND CHIEFS OF MISSION OF THE OTHER MAJOR DONORS AND KEY PLAYERS IN ZIMBABWE. AUSTRALIA, DENMARK, THE EUROPEAN UNION, FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN, NIGERIA, NORWAY, SWEDEN, TANZANIA, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM WILL BE INVITED. THE PURPOSE WILL BE TO BRAINSTORM ON WAYS TO LOWER TENSIONS AND GET DIALOGUE STARTED. - A MEETING AMONG THE AMBASSADOR, THE RES REP, AND THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU). THE PURPOSE WILL BE TO ENCOURAGE THE CFU TO REACH OUT TO THE GOZ AND GET BOTH SIDES TALKING AGAIN. ¶5. (C) RES REP ANGELO INFORMED THE AMBASSADOR THAT UN CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ8000 PAGE 01 HARARE 06281 02 OF 02 071536Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 INL-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 R-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /009W -------------- 9BF8EC 071537Z /38 P 071535Z NOV 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7576 INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AMEMBASSY NAIROBI C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 006281 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AND AFR/SA - CPALMA, NNEWMAN NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USTR - ROSA WHITAKER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 06281 02 OF 02 071536Z E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/10 TAGS: PGOV EAGR ZI SUBJECT: UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ANGELO SHARES HIS VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN IS PLANNING ON SENDING TO SIPDIS HARARE AS HIS SPECIAL ENVOY UNDP HEAD MARK MALLOCH-BROWN ON NOVEMBER 17 - 19 IF, AND ONLY IF, A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE CAN BE ARRANGED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS VISIT WILL BE TO TRY TO LOWER TENSIONS, AND ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: WITH TENSIONS CLEARLY ESCALATING IN ZIMBABWE, POST WILL EXPLORE ALL REASONABLE AVENUES TO GET THE GOZ TALKING WITH THE OPPOSITION MDC AND OTHER CIVIL SOCIET Y STAKEHOLDERS TO TRY AND LOWER THE TEMPERATURE IN HARARE. END COMMENT. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >