READOUT ON SADC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN HARARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001914 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ZI AO SUBJECT: READOUT ON SADC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN HARARE CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES AUBREY HOOKS FOR REASONS: 1.5(B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) MINISTERS MET IN HARARE ON JUNE 11 TO APPROVE A PROTOCOL THAT WILL RESTRUCTURE SADC'S ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 01914 171453Z AND SECURITY. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF "DISCREPANCIES" IN THE TEXT OF THE PROTOCOL, THE APPROVAL WAS DEFERRED UNTIL THE NEXT SADC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN MASERU, LESOTHO IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS, ACCORDING TO EDWIN MANGAZA, THE NEW UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA IN ZIMBABWE'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. MANGAZA WOULD NOT ELABORATE ON THE DISCREPANCIES OR THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PROTOCOL, BUT EMPHASIZED THAT THERE WERE NO SUBSTANTIVE DISAGREEMENTS AMONG THE PARTIES ABOUT FORMALIZING THE AGREEMENT. THE DATE FOR THE MASERU MEETING HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED YET, BUT MUST TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE JULY 9- 11 OAU SUMMIT, WHICH WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF THE SADC PROTOCOL, THE UNDER SECRETARY TOLD POLOFF. MANGAZA REPORTED THAT THE HARARE MEETING INCLUDED THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ZIMBABWE, LESOTHO, MOZAMBIQUE, AND NAMIBIA, THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF ANGOLA, THE HOME AFFAIRS MINISTERS OF ZAMBIA AND MALAWI, AND THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE OF SOUTH AFRICA. TANZANIA AND THE DRC WERE REPRESENTED BY THEIR LOCAL DIPLOMATS. ¶2. (U) IN REMARKS OPENING THE HARARE MEETING, PRESIDENT MUGABE URGED SADC TO TAKE CONCRETE MEASURES AGAINST ANGOLAN REBEL LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI, ACCORDING TO THE JUNE 12 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED "THE HERALD." THE PRESIDENT SAID THE REGIONAL BODY SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR THE UN TO CONCLUDE ITS INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SANCTIONS AGAINST UNITA. MUGABE ALSO IMPLORED THE UN TO MOVE SWIFTLY IN DEPLOYING MONUC IN THE DRC, THE ARTICLE STATED. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: IN A RESTRUCTURING ON THE AGENDA TO BE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 01914 171453Z FORMALIZED AT SADC'S AUGUST 2001 SUMMIT, THE ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE AND SECURITY WILL BE MADE SUBORDINATE TO THE SADC SUMMIT AND HEADS OF STATE. IF THE RESTRUCTURING IS APPROVED, IT WILL EVENTUALLY RELEASE THE STRANGLEHOLD THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE -- THE ORGAN'S CHAIRMAN -- HAS HAD ON SADC SECURITY ISSUES FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT IS UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT WHETHER THE NEW PROTOCOL WILL FORCE MUGABE TO GIVE UP HIS CHAIR THIS YEAR OR NEXT. HIS GRANDSTANDING AT THE OPENING OF THE SADC MEETING SUGGESTS HE MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN UP ON THE POSSIBILITY OF HOLDING SWAY OVER THE ORGAN FOR ANOTHER YEAR. WE WILL DEFER TO EMBASSY GABORONE, HOWEVER, ON WHAT THIS MAY MEAN FOR SADC. END COMMENT. HOOKS CONFIDENTIAL >