AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL: MUGABE STILL BITTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006993 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR AMBASSADOR CARSON PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCALL, AA/AFR V. DERRYCK AND AFR/SA C. PALMA PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 06993 270838Z E.O. 12958: DECL: (12-13-2010) TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID EAGR ZI US SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL: MUGABE STILL BITTER ABOUT BRITISH BUT SAYS HE WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON MALLOCH-BROWN INITIATIVE REF: HARARE 6981 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE RECEIVED ME DECEMBER 13 FOR A ONE HALF-HOUR FAREWELL CALL. WHILE THE ATMOSPHERICS OF THE MEETING WERE GOOD AND LIGHT, I DID MANAGE TO INTERRUPT THE START OF A TIRADE AGAINST THE BRITISH BY ADVANCING THE ARGUMENT THAT MUGABE SHOULD TO GIVE UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH-BROWN'S INITIATIVE A CHANCE AND TO REMAIN OPEN TO IT (REF). I SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE UNDP AGREE ON THREE OR FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES AND MOVE FORWARD ON A TRANSPARENT, ORDERLY AND SUSTAINABLE LAND REFORM PROGRAM. THE PRESIDENT COUNTERED, "WHAT CAN MALLOCH-BROWN DO, THE POOR MAN?" I STRESSED THAT THE UNDP ADMINISTRATOR HAD SPEARHEADED AN EFFORT THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY A NUMBER OF DONORS, WHICH REPRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEIZED FROM WHICH HE, MUGABE, COULD ACCRUE DOMESTIC POLITICAL ADVANTAGE. MUGABE'S SOMEWHAT WAN RESPONSE WAS, "WE WILL TRY." ¶2. (C) I ALSO ALERTED THE PRESIDENT TO ZIMBABWE'S POTENTIAL 620(Q) VIOLATION STATUS FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 06993 270838Z MONEY OWED TO USAID: USD 210,000. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IF THE DEBT WAS NOT SETTLED BY THE DROP-DEAD DATE, DECEMBER 30, WE WOULD BE UNABLE, ACCORDING TO U.S. LAW, TO PROVIDE BILATERAL ASSISTANCE. MUGABE SAID HE WOULD RAISE THE MATTER WITH FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MINISTER SIMBA MAKONI WHOM HE WOULD SEE SOON. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >