LETTER FROM ZIMBABWEAN FM MUDENGE TO SECRETARY

1. (U) ON JUNE 19, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' UNDER
SECRETARY FOR EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS JONATHAN WUTAWUNASHE

SIPDIS
CONVOKED POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF TO DELIVER A LETTER FROM
FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE TO SECRETARY POWELL. THE SIGNED
ORIGINAL HAS BEEN POUCHED TO AF/S. THE TEXT OF THE LETTER
FOLLOWS BELOW:



2. (C) BEGIN TEXT:
18 JUNE, 2001

MR. SECRETARY

I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EFFORTS TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF
AFRICA BY VISITING SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THOSE
IN OUR SUB-REGION, SO EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE PRESENT U.S.
ADMINISTRATION. YOUR VISIT WOULD, OF COURSE, HAVE BEEN MOST
WELCOME, HAD YOUR SCHEDULE ALLOWED YOU TO VISIT ZIMBABWE
BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE ENABLED YOU TO FORM FIRST HAND
IMPRESSIONS OF THE CHARACTER OF OUR NATION, ITS HISTORICAL
EXPERIENCES AND ASPIRATIONS. IT WILL CERTAINLY BE MY
PLEASURE TO RECEIVE YOU SHOULD SUCH A VISIT BE IN PROSPECT.

SOUTHERN AFRICA WAS THE LAST FRONTIER IN THE EPIC STRUGGLE
FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE FROM THE BRUTAL
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SCOURGES OF COLONIALISM, DISPOSSESSION AND MARGINALISATION.
IT STILL BEARS THE SCARS OF THAT STRUGGLE, AND IN MANY WAYS
IT STILL HAS TO RESOLVE MANY UNFINISHED ASPECTS OF THAT
STRUGGLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE REALM OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC JUSTICE
FOR ALL ITS PEOPLE. BUT THERE IS STIFF RESISTANCE, BOTH
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, ESPECIALLY ON SUCH ISSUES AS LAND
REFORM IN ZIMBABWE. WE HAVE WITNESSED A VIGOROUS
DELIBERATE OBFUSCATION OF THIS STRUGGLE FOR EQUITY FROM
CERTAIN QUARTERS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE THROUGH THE
INTRODUCTION OF EXTRANEOUS ISSUES.

THOSE OPPOSED TO THE STRUGGLE HAVE RESORTED TO A CAMPAIGN
OF DISTORTION OF THE FACTS ON THE LAND REFORM PROGRAMME IN
ZIMBABWE, AND ARE BUSY CARICATURING OUR LEADERS WHO ARE
CHAMPIONING THAT CAUSE. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE DEMONISED
IMAGES OF OUR LEADERS, WHEN DISSEMINATED THROUGH SUCH A
POWERFUL CHANNEL AS THE GLOBAL MEDIA, HAVE TREMENDOUS
INFLUENCE IN THE SHAPING OF OPINIONS AT ALL LEVELS. TODAY,
ZIMBABWE FINDS ITSELF A SUBJECT OF SUCH MANIPULATION, WHERE
THE VICTIM IS TURNED INTO THE VILLAIN.

DURING THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE, PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE,
WHO LED THE FORCES THAT BROUGHT FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND THE
RULE OF LAW TO OUR COUNTRY AFTER YEARS OF ILLEGALITY AND
RACIST OPPRESSION, WAS THE TARGET OF SUCH A VICIOUS RACIST
SMEAR CAMPAIGN BY THE ADVERSARIES OF FREEDOM AND
INDEPENDENCE. THOSE SAME NEGATIVE FORCES HAVE NEVER
FORGIVEN HIM FOR HIS ROLE IN THE DEMISE OF THEIR HEGEMONY
AND HAVE NOW REGROUPED AND SEIZED ON HIS EFFORTS TO EFFECT
A FAIR AND JUST LAND REFORM TO ORCHESTRATE A VICIOUS AND
MALICIOUS CHARACTER ASSASSINATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO
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FRUSTRATE HIS EFFORTS TO CORRECT, ONCE AND FOR ALL, THE
GROTESQUE AND SKEWED LAND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN THIS
COUNTRY, WHERE ONE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION (THE WHITE
COMMUNITY) OWNS 70% OF THE ARABLE LAND. PERCEPTIONS ARE
BEING CREATED THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE, WHOSE MANDATE THE
PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY RENEWED IN
SUCCESSIVE ELECTIONS HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
CONSTITUTION OF OUR COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE FREE AND
FAIR BY ALL, IS "REFUSING TO GO". THE FACT THAT PRESIDENT
MUGABE IS SERVING A TERM OF OFFICE TO WHICH THE PEOPLE OF
ZIMBABWE ELECTED HIM, AND THAT THE SAME PEOPLE WILL, NEXT
YEAR, EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ELECT A
PRESIDENT OF THEIR CHOICE IS BEING CYNICALLY IGNORED.

IT IS IN THE LIGHT OF THESE OBSERVATIONS THAT WE REGRETTED
THE FACT THAT COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOU, MR. SECRETARY,
DURING YOUR RECENT VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA APPEARED NOT TO BE
ENRICHED WITH THIS ZIMBABWEAN PERSPECTIVE. IT OCCURS TO ME
NOW THAT PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SENSE OF SHOCKED
SURPRISE THAT WAS EXPERIENCED HERE AND ELSEWHERE WHEN WE,
AS THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT IN THIS COUNTRY, HEARD THOSE
COMMENTS, HAD WE SOUGHT AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH
THE INFORMATION ON THE REALITIES AND ASPIRATIONS OF
ZIMBABWE AND ITS PEOPLE AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, PRIOR TO YOUR
VISIT TO THE REGION, ESPECIALLY AS WE WERE AWARE THAT YOU
HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE ZIMBABWE IN YOUR ITINERARY
THIS TIME ROUND. SINCE ZIMBABWE IS COMMITTED TO
MAINTAINING A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE WITH YOUR COUNTRY, WE
HAVE NOT ALLOWED OUR DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THOSE COMMENTS TO

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 CPR-02
DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSC-01 SSO-00
SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 R-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W


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FC8129 221839Z /38
O 191504Z JUN 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9138
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001955

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CLASS BY ADDEED ON SECT 01)

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/11
TAGS: PREL OPDC ZI
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM ZIMBABWEAN FM MUDENGE TO SECRETARY
POWELL
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PAGE 02 HARARE 01955 02 OF 02 221838Z

AFFECT OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS AND I AM, THEREFORE, AT YOUR
DISPOSAL FOR AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND VIEWS ON THIS
AND OTHER TOPICS IN KEEPING WITH THE LONG-STANDING GOOD
RELATIONS BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND THE UNITED STATES.

PLEASE ACCEPT, MR. SECRETARY, THE ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST
CONSIDERATION.

/S/

I.S.G. MUDENGE
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE
COMMENT


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3. (C) THE SUBSTANCE OF FM MUDENGE'S LETTER -- PORTRAYING
ZIMBABWE AS A VICTIM OF EXTERNAL PREDATORS -- IS CONSISTENT
WITH THE REFRAIN THAT WE REGULARLY HEAR FROM SENIOR
ZIMBABWEAN OFFICIALS. THAT SAID, HOWEVER, WE CONSIDER IT A
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT MUDENGE HAS DECIDED TO REACH OUT
TO SECRETARY POWELL. TAKEN TOGETHER, THE MUDENGE LETTER,
PRESIDENT MUGABE'S RECENT WARM MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS
TO BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR ON HIS ELECTION
VICTORY, AND INDICATIONS THAT HARARE MIGHT HAVE MOVED
TOWARD ACCEPTING AN "INVESTIGATORY" MISSION OF THE
COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP (CMAG), SUGGEST THAT
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE MIGHT BE CHANGING TACTICS
SLIGHTLY IN ITS INTERACTIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY. WE ARE NOT CONVINCED, HOWEVER, THAT THE
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GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED TO MOVE BEYOND APPEARANCES AND LIP
SERVICE TO ADDRESS GENUINELY THE CRITICAL ISSUES OF
CONCERN TO ZIMBABWE'S NEIGHBORS AND THE BROADER
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. WE WOULD RECOMMEND A RESPONSE
FROM SECRETARY POWELL THAT WELCOMES MUDENGE'S INTEREST IN
MAINTAINING AN OPEN DIALOGUE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, BUT
WHICH EMPHASIZES OUR SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT INCREASING
LAWLESSNESS AND RAPID ECONOMIC DECLINE. SUCH A RESPONSE
MIGHT EMPHASIZE THAT THE USG EXPECTS THE UPCOMING
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO BE FREE AND FAIR, LAY OUT
PRECISELY WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT, AND MAKE CLEAR WHAT THE
CONSEQUENCES WILL BE FOR OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IF
THOSE STANDARDS ARE NOT ADHERED TO.

HOOKS

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