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
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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.
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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.
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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

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