ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER BRIEFS DIPLOMATIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001030

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/11
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER BRIEFS DIPLOMATIC
CORPS ON AFRICAN UNION, SADC, AND LAND REFORM

REFS: A) HARARE 1019, B) HARARE 1016
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CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: ON MARCH 14, ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER
STANISLAUS MUDENGE BRIEFED ZIMBABWE'S DIPLOMATIC CORPS
AND THE PRESS ON THE FUTURE OF THE PROPOSED AFRICAN
UNION, CHANGES MADE TO SADC STRUCTURES IN WINDHOEK ON
MARCH 9, AND THE STATUS OF LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE.
MUDENGE ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANOTHER JAB AT
THE UK. THE FOREIGN MINISTER'S STATEMENTS ON THE DRC
WERE REPORTED IN REF A. END SUMMARY.

AFRICAN UNION CLOSER TO FRUITION
--------------


2. (C) MUDENGE BRIEFED HEADS OF MISSION ON THE EARLY
MARCH OAU EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT HELD IN SIRTE, LIBYA.
MUCH OF THE SUMMIT WAS FOCUSED ON THE CREATION OF AN
AFRICAN UNION, WHICH WILL BE ALONG THE LINES OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION, THE MINISTER REPORTED. NEW STRUCTURES,
INCLUDING AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, A PAN-AFRICAN
PARLIAMENT, A HIGH COURT, AN AFRICAN CENTRAL BANK, AND A
VARIETY OF TECHNICAL COMMITTEES, WERE ALL AGREED UPON.
ALL 53 COUNTRIES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT HAVE SIGNED
THE ACT THAT CONSTITUTES THE UNION; 32 HAVE FORMALLY
RATIFIED THE ACT, AND ONLY FOUR MORE ARE NEEDED TO MAKE
THE UNION A REALITY, MUDENGE SAID. (NOTE: LIBYAN
AMBASSADOR MAHMOUD YOUSEF AZZABI LATER INTERJECTED TO
SAY THAT TWO MORE COUNTRIES HAD JUST RATIFIED THE ACT,
BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 34. END NOTE.)
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3. (C) THE UNION IS EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL BY NEXT
YEAR, MUDENGE CONTINUED. THE UNION'S HEADQUARTERS WILL
BE IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, BUT ITS OTHER INSTITUTIONS,
SUCH AS THE PARLIAMENT AND CENTRAL BANK, WILL LIKELY BE
HEADQUARTERED IN YET-TO-BE-DETERMINED CITIES. THE OAU
STRUCTURES WILL EVENTUALLY BE FOLDED INTO THE AFRICAN
UNION. MUDENGE NOTED THAT ZIMBABWE AND SOUTH AFRICA
HAVE ALREADY RATIFIED THE AFRICAN UNION ACT, AND ASSURED
THE DIPLOMATS PRESENT THAT THERE IS A "VIGOROUS
COMMITMENT BY AFRICA TO GO FORWARD" WITH THE UNION.

RESULTS OF SADC SUMMIT DOWNPLAYED
--------------


4. (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER TRIED TO DOWNPLAY THE
RESULTS OF THE SADC SUMMIT HELD IN WINDHOEK ON MARCH 9.
HE STATED THAT THE SUMMIT WAS FOCUSED ON "MODERNIZING"
SADC'S INSTITUTIONS, AS THE DECENTRALIZATION OF SOME
ORGANS HAD BECOME A PROBLEM. MUDENGE CLAIMED THE PRESS
WAS "CONFUSED" ABOUT THE DECISION MADE TO BRING THE
ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE AND SECURITY INTO THE FORMAL
SADC FRAMEWORK UNDER THE SADC CHAIRMAN. THE MINISTER
ASSERTED THAT THE DECISION TO ROTATE THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF
THE ORGAN WAS NOT NEW--THE CHAIRMANSHIP WAS SUPPOSED TO
BE ROTATED FROM THE ORGAN'S INCEPTION IN 1996, BUT THE
MEMBER STATES HAD SIMPLY DECIDED TO RENEW PRESIDENT
MUGABE'S MANDATE YEAR AFTER YEAR. ZIMBABWE "KNEW" THIS
COULD NOT GO ON INDEFINITELY. HOWEVER, MUDENGE
EMPHASIZED THAT MUGABE WAS NOT VOTED OUT OF THE
CHAIRMANSHIP AT THE SUMMIT AS SOME PRESS ARTICLES
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STATED. ALL THE HEADS OF STATE UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO
PUT OFF ELECTING A NEW CHAIRMAN UNTIL THE SIGNING OF THE
NEW SADC CHARTER IN AUGUST. ALL THE MEMBER STATES WERE
VERY HAPPY WITH THIS DECISION, THE FOREIGN MINISTER
CLAIMED.

LAND REFORM IS PROCEEDING
--------------


5. (C) MUDENGE WENT ON TO SAY THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE HAD
ASKED HIM TO RESPOND TO THE UNDP'S LETTER URGING THE GOZ
TO BREAK THE IMPASSE ON LAND REFORM (REF B). MUDENGE
SAID HE COULD NOT DIVULGE THE DETAILS OF THE GOZ'S
RESPONSE, AS THEY WERE INTENDED FOR UNDP ADMINISTRATOR
MARK MALLOCH-BROWN. THE GOZ WILL FOLLOW THE LAWS OF
ZIMBABWE WHEN IT PURSUES ITS LAND REFORM PROGRAM, THE
MINISTER CONTENDED. "WE DO NOT REGARD THE ACTIVITIES OF
THE WAR VETERANS AS LEGAL, BUT ONLY AS A DEMONSTRATION
OF THEIR FRUSTRATION," HE SAID. ZIMBABWE WANTS TO AVOID
THE ENORMOUS BLOODSHED THAT WOULD OCCUR IF IT TRIED TO
EXPEL THE WAR VETS FROM THE OCCUPIED FARMS. OUR FAST-
TRACK LAND REFORM PROGRAM WILL "SHORTEN THE PERIOD OF

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00
DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 IRM-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00
SAS-00 /002W
-------------- D22A09 151450Z /38
P 151443Z MAR 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8440
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
OAU COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001030

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/11
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER BRIEFS DIPLOMATIC
CORPS ON AFRICAN UNION, SADC, AND LAND REFORM

AMBIGUITY," MUDENGE CLAIMED. THE GOZ HAS RESETTLED
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60,000 PEOPLE ON TWO MILLION HECTARES ALREADY. "GO SEE
FOR YOURSELVES WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE DONE WITH FEW
INPUTS," HE CHALLENGED. MUDENGE REMARKED THAT THEIR
CROPS "LOOK WONDERFUL," BUT ADMITTED THAT THE LIVING
CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE ARE NOT GOOD.

ANOTHER JAB AT THE BRITISH
--------------


6. (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER COULD NOT PASS UP AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANOTHER JAB AT THE BRITISH, WHOSE
HIGH COMMISSIONER WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE BRIEFING. IN
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR,
MUDENGE ACCUSED THE UK OF TRYING TO SCUTTLE THE EU'S
EFFORTS TO HELP ZIMBABWE OUT OF ITS TROUBLES. "HOW CAN
THEY CRITICIZE BELGIUM AND FRANCE FOR RECEIVING
PRESIDENT MUGABE?" HE ASKED. A PALL FELL OVER THE ROOM
AS MUDENGE CALLED THE BRITISH "RACISTS" IN FRONT OF THE
ENTIRE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND SAID THEIR ATTITUDE WOULD
EXACERBATE RACIAL DIVISIONS IN ZIMBABWE. MUDENGE'S RANT
WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE HEADLINE STORY IN THE MARCH 15
EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED "THE HERALD."

COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) MUDENGE'S ENTHUSIASTIC ENDORSEMENT OF THE LIBYA-
SPONSORED SUMMIT ON THE AFRICAN UNION SUGGESTS SOME KIND
OF QUID PRO QUO MAY BE AT WORK BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND
LIBYA. ALTHOUGH MANY IN THE GOZ UNDOUBTEDLY AGREE THAT
THE IDEA OF AN AFRICAN UNION HAS SOME APPEALING
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ELEMENTS, PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS BEEN TO LIBYA NUMEROUS
TIMES BEFORE TO SEEK RELIEF FOR HIS COUNTRY'S CHRONIC
FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND FUEL SHORTAGES. MUDENGE'S EFFORT
TO DOWNPLAY PRESIDENT MUGABE'S EFFECTIVE OUSTER FROM
SADC'S SECURITY ORGAN WAS AS TRANSPARENT AS IT WAS
EXPECTED. GOVERNMENT SPINMEISTERS HAVE WORKED HARD TO
PORTRAY SADC'S MOVE AS A REGULAR ROTATION OF THE
SECURITY ORGAN'S CHAIRMANSHIP, NOT AS A VOTE OF NO-
CONFIDENCE IN MUGABE'S HANDLING OF ZIMBABWE'S POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC CRISES. THERE WAS NOTHING NEW IN THE
FOREIGN MINISTER'S REMARKS ON LAND REFORM. ANY FEELINGS
OF GOODWILL HE MAY HAVE RESURRECTED IN BRINGING TOGETHER
THE RESIDENT MISSION HEADS WERE SWEPT AWAY BY HIS
UNDIPLOMATIC DIATRIBE AGAINST THE BRITISH. MUDENGE'S
UNEVEN DIPLOMACY IS CHARACTERISTIC OF GOZ ACTIONS IN
GENERAL: ONE STEP FORWARD FOLLOWED BY TWO STEPS BACK.
END COMMENT.

IRVING

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