ZIMBABWE HAPPY WITH US POSITION ON THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001048

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/11
TAGS: PREL MCAP MOPS PINR CG AO UG ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE HAPPY WITH US POSITION ON THE
CONGO, MYSTIFIED BY THE BELGIANS


CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) DURING A ONE-AND-A-HALF-HOUR-MEETING MARCH 16 IN
HARARE, VISITING MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CONGO
EXPERT DAVID HAMADZIRIPI SHARED HIS GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS
ON CERTAIN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONGO. ACCORDING
TO HAMADZIRIPI:

-- THE ZIMBABWEANS ARE PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH THE
U.S. ADMINISTRATION'S CURRENT STANCE ON THE CONGO. HE
CITED AS THE REASON FOR HIS HAPPINESS A RECENT
CONVERSATION WITH AMBASSADOR CUNNINGHAM IN NEW YORK
DURING WHICH THE LATTER REPORTEDLY SAID THAT THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION WAS PREPARED TO SUPPORT MONUC DEPLOYMENT;

-- THE FRENCH INFORMED PRESIDENT MUGABE DURING THE
LATTER'S RECENT TRIP TO PARIS THAT AMERICAN POSITION ON
THE CONGO HAD "MOVED CLOSER" TO THEIR OWN (NFI);
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-- ZIMBABWE IS MYSTIFIED BY BELGIUM'S RECENT,
AGGRESSIVE INSERTION OF ITSELF INTO THE CONGO PEACE
PROCESS. HE SURMISED THAT BELGIUM FEELS A
RESPONSIBILITY AS FORMER COLONIAL METROPOLE FOR THE
CONGO'S SECURITY, BUT UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY THAT BRUSSELS
HAS "OTHER INTERESTS" IN THE CONGO. THE ZIMBABWEANS SAW
THE BELGIANS AS BEING AMBIVALENT ABOUT JOSEPH KABILA,
CLOSE TO THE UNARMED OPPOSITION IN THE CONGO AND HAVING
LITTLE USE FOR ANY OF THE REBEL MOVEMENTS;

-- ZIMBABWE HAS NO QUARREL OR TENSIONS WITH THE
ANGOLANS OVER WHO HAS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE IN THE
CONGO, ALTHOUGH HE PROFESSED TO UNDERSTAND HOW SUCH AN
IMPRESSION MIGHT HAVE BEEN CREATED. HE CLAIMED THAT
PRESIDENT DOS SANTOS PERSONALLY SACKED FORMER ANGOLAN
ARMED FORCES CHIEF JOAO DE MATOS, WHOSE MAIN SIN WAS
ENTERING INTO AN EXCESSIVELY CLOSE EMBRACE WITH THE
UGANDANS. HAMADZIRIPI RECOUNTED HOW AT ONE SUMMIT IN
LUANDA THEN PRESIDENT LAURENT KABILA ASKED DOS SANTOS TO
PRACTICE TRANSPARENCY WITH RESPECT TO HIS DEALINGS WITH
OUTSIDERS AND EXPLAIN MATOS' INVITATION TO HIS UGANDAN
COUNTERPART TO VISIT LUANDA. THE ANGOLAN PRESIDENT, WHO
HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED ON THE INITIATIVE, REMAINED SILENT.
"JOAO DE MATOS BEHAVED AS IF HE WERE THE HEAD OF STATE
IN WAITING," THE ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT STATED, AND WHEN
THE ANGOLAN PRESIDENT WENT ON A VISIT TO THE FAR EAST IN
JANUARY HE MADE CERTAIN TO INCLUDE THE ALREADY FIRED
FORMER GENERAL IN HIS TRAVELING PARTY;

-- RWANDA'S CLAIM THAT IT IS IN THE CONGO BECAUSE IT
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HAS SECURITY CONCERNS IS A SHAM. THE ZIMBABWEANS ARE
SINCERELY READY TO WORK WITH THE RWANDANS ON IDENTIFYING
AND DEALING WITH GENOCIDAIRES. WHEN PATRICK MAZIMHAKA
AND RWANDA'S AMBASSADOR IN PRETORIA VISITED HARARE
RECENTLY TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS THEY MISSED AN
OPPORTUNITY BY NOT PUTTING THEIR CARDS ON THE TABLE;

-- THERE IS NO REAL RESENTMENT THAT JOSEPH KABILA HAD
NOT MADE AN EARLY VISIT TO HARARE, ALTHOUGH IN SOME
QUARTERS THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR HIM TO DO SO.
HAMADZIRIPI EXPLAINED THAT THE WAY THE LEADERSHIP HERE
SEES IT, KABILA SHOULD BE WORKING TO ESTABLISH THE
PERCEPTION THAT HE IS HIS OWN MAN, RATHER THAN BE SEEN
TO BE RUNNING TO THE ALLIES FOR EVERY LITTLE THING. THE
ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT DID SAY THAT KABILA HAS COME UNDER
PRESSURE AT HOME TO CUT BACK ON HIS TRAVEL ABROAD AS
THERE ARE PROBLEMS APLENTY AT HOME. HAMADZIRIPI ALSO
OBSERVED THAT IN KATANGA THE ZIMBABWEANS WERE
UNIVERSALLY WELCOMED WHEREAS IN KINSHASA THEY WERE LESS
GLADLY RECEIVED;

-- ZIMBABWE AND THE ALLIES WILL BEGIN WITHDRAWING FROM
THEIR POSITIONS PER THE KAMPALA AGREEMENTS AND HARARE

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 USNW-00 DINT-00
DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00
FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00
LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01
PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00
SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /009W
-------------- D2D6E4 161436Z /38
O 161433Z MAR 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8453
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY KIGALI
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LUANDA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

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PAGE 02 HARARE 01048 02 OF 02 161436Z
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001048

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/11
TAGS: PREL MCAP MOPS PINR CG AO UG ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE HAPPY WITH US POSITION ON THE
CONGO, MYSTIFIED BY THE BELGIANS

SUB-PLANS WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HE CLAIMED THAT ANY
SLOWNESS IN DEPLOYING WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMUNICATIONS
PROBLEMS. ZIMBABWE AND THE CONGOLESE ARMY (FAC) ARE
PREPARED NOT TO REOCCUPY PWETO IF IT WOULD HELP MONUC.
ZIMBABWEAN ARMY COMMANDER CONSTANTINE CHIWENGA WAS
CURRENTLY IN KINSHASA NEGOTIATING THE WITHDRAWAL
MODALITIES WITH THE UN;

-- BEGINNING POSSIBLY IN APRIL, ZIMBABWE WILL START
BRINGING HOME THE TROOPS IT SENT TO THE CONGO IN THE
IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF LAURENT KABILA'S ASSASSINATION
AND MORE. HE SAID THAT HIS COUNTRY'S MILITARY ASSESSED
THAT IN SPITE OF CLAIMS OF MASSIVE TROOP WITHDRAWALS,
UGANDA HAD ONLY BROUGHT HOME 569 MEN. "THEIRS IS A
GAME, A DANGEROUS GAME," THE ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT
AVERRED.


2. (C) COMMMENT: HAMADZIRIPI CONSISTENLY HAS BEEN OUR
MOST FRANK AND BEST-INFORMED INTERLOCUTOR WHO IS EASILY
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ACCESSIBLE. HE IS VERY CLOSE TO FOREIGN MINISTER
STANISLAUS MUDENGE AND THUS IS ABLE TO SPEAK
AUTHORITATIVELY ON ZIMBAWEAN DIPLOMATIC POSITIONS. HIS
POSTING TO KINSHASA IN OCTOBER 2000 HAS BEEN A REAL LOSS
TO US. OF COURSE, LIKE MOST CIVIL SERVANTS HERE, HE
DISPENSES REAL INFORMATION PARSIMONIOULSY, ALWAYS PORTRAYS
HIS GOVERNMENT'S POSITION IN THE MOST FAVORABLE LIGHT
AND SEEKS TO INFLUENCE AS MUCH AS TO INFORM. NEVERTHELESS,
WE FIND HIS ACCOUNT A CREDIBLE REFLECTION OF HIS GOVERNMENT'S
THINKING ON THE ISSUES DESCRIBED.

IRVING

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