ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER CONVENES DIPLOMATIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001019 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/11 TAGS: PREL MOPS MCAP ZI CG SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER CONVENES DIPLOMATIC CORPS TO URGE INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT TO DRC PEACE CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 01019 141613Z REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) ON MARCH 14, ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER STANISLAUS MUDENGE CONVENED ZIMBABWE'S DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND THE PRESS TO MAKE A STATEMENT TO URGE GREATER INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE DRC DISENGAGEMENT PLANS. REPORTING ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE FEBRUARY 15 LUSAKA SUMMIT AND THE FEBRUARY 21 MINISTERIAL OF THE BELLIGERENTS AT UN HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK, MUDENGE URGED ALL GOVERNMENTS PRESENT TO USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL REMAINS COMMITTED TO FULLY DEPLOYING MONUC. MUDENGE CALLED MARCH 15 "D-DAY" FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE DISENGAGEMENT AND REDEPLOYMENT OF BELLIGERENT FORCES IN THE DRC. THE FOREIGN MINISTER OUTLINED THREE AREAS OF CONCERN THAT ZIMBABWE HAS WITH MONUC DEPLOYMENT: A) THE SIZE OF THE OBSERVER TEAM IS TOO SMALL. THE UNSC ORGINALLY AGREED TO DEPLOY A FORCE OF 5,037, THEN CUT IT BACK TO 3,000, THEN REAFFIRMED A COMMITMENT TO 5,037. THIS SENDS AN "UNFORTUNATE" MESSAGE OF A LACK OF COMMITMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE DRC SHOULD HAVE A FORCE OF 40,000 TO DO THE JOB PROPERLY, BUT CUTTING BACK THE PALTRY 5,000 FIGURE WOULD JEOPARDIZE THE ENTIRE MISSION, THE MINISTER CONTENDED. B) THE PERIOD ALLOWED FOR DEPLOYMENT IS TOO SHORT. BEGINNING MARCH 15, THE DRC WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR SECTORS, AND MONUC WILL HAVE ONLY 14 DAYS TO DEPLOY TO EACH ONE, A TOTAL OF 56 DAYS IN ALL. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 01019 141613Z DEPLOYMENT TO KATANGA (SECTOR 4) WILL BEGIN MARCH 15, MUDENGE EXPLAINED. THE FOREIGN MINISTER URGED THE UN TO ALLOW ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE THE DEPLOYMENT OF ALL THE OBSERVERS. C) RWANDA AND UGANDA ARE TRYING TO RENEGE ON COMMITMENTS MADE UNDER THE KAMPALA AGREEMENT OF APRIL 2000. SINCE THAT CONFERENCE, RWANDA AND UGANDA HAVE ADVANCED THEIR FORCES UP TO 500 KM. IN SOME AREAS. THEY WANT TO USE THEIR POSITIONS ON THE GROUND NOW AS THE POINT OF WITHDRAWAL, WHEN THEY SHOULD BE USING THE POINTS WHERE THEY WERE IN APRIL 2000. KIGALI AND KAMPALA ARE TRYING TO REINTERPRET THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT ALLOW THIS, MUDENGE REMARKED. ¶2. (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER DESCRIBED THE MONUC DEPLOYMENT AS "PHASE TWO" OF ENDING THE DRC WAR. "PHASE THREE" WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, HE OPINED, AND WILL COMPRISE DISARMING NON-STATE BELLIGERENTS AND WITHDRAWING ALL OF THE FOREIGN TROOPS IN THE DRC. MUDENGE CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT DRC BELLIGERENTS HAVE AGREED TO GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON DISENGAGEMENT, BUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST DO THE SAME IF THE PEACE PROCESS IS TO SUCCEED. ¶3. (C) MUDENGE'S SUBSEQUENT STATEMENTS ON PLANS FOR AN AFRICAN UNION, THE SADC SUMMIT ON MARCH 9, AND THE GOZ'S RESPONSE TO THE LETTER WRITTEN TO PRESIDENT MUGABE BY UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MALLOCH-BROWN, WILL FOLLOW SEPTEL. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 01019 141613Z ¶4. (C) COMMENT: MUDENGE DOES NOT OFTEN CONVENE THE ENTIRE DIPLOMATIC CORPS TO MAKE STATEMENTS. THAT HE CONVENED THE HEADS OF MISSION TO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER MONUC DEPLOYMENT AND TO PLEA FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP DEMONSTRATES THE GOZ'S GROWING SENSE OF URGENCY TO BRING PEACE TO THE DRC. IT IS EVER MORE EAGER TO BRING HOME ITS TROOPS, WHICH COMPRISE HALF ITS MILITARY, TO STOP THE RAPID DEPLETION OF ZIMBABWE'S SCARCE FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVES, TO CONTEND WITH POSSIBLE UNREST LEADING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SCHEDULED FOR EARLY 2002, AND TO REMOVE DRC INVOLVEMENT AS AN ISSUE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >