MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER SEKERAMAYI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003341



SIPDIS



STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AND AF/EPS

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY



E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/11

TAGS: PGOV, PINR, ZI

SUBJECT: MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER SEKERAMAYI





CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS

1.5 (B) AND (D).



1. (C) SUMMARY: ON NOVEMBER 7, AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED

BY THE DATT, PAID AN INITIAL COURTESY CALL ON DR. SYDNEY

T. SEKERAMAYI, MINISTER OF DEFENSE, REPUBLIC OF

ZIMBABWE. AFTER AN OPENING EXCHANGE OF PLEASANTRIES, A

CORDIAL, RELAXED, AND OPEN CONVERSATION ENSUED

ENCOMPASSING SEVERAL TOPICS: HUMANITARIAN DEMINING

PROGRAM, HIV/AIDS, THE LUSAKA ACCORDS, AND FUTURE

DISENGAGEMENT OF FORCES FROM THE DROC. ELOQUENT AND

KNOWLEDGEABLE ON DEFENSE ISSUES, SEKERAMAYI QUESTIONED

USG POLICY IN THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REGIONS.

CONCLUDING THE HOUR LONG SESSION WITH A COMPARISON OF

SAVIMBI AND KAGAME, THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE PROVED AN

ENGAGING INTERLOCUTOR- A WELCOME DEPARTURE FROM HIS

ANIMATED BUT LESS THAN SUBSTANTIVE PREDECESSOR, THE LATE

MOVEN MAHACHI.



2. (C) THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE OPENED THE EXCHANGE BY

NOTING THAT FROM ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE, THE GOZ AND

USG MAINTAINED GOOD RELATIONS AND HELD COMMON POSITIONS

REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT

COMMUNITY (SADC). SEKERAMAYI PLEDGED THAT HE WOULD

CONTINUE ALONG THOSE LINES AND AVOID A BREAKDOWN IN

COMMUNICATIONS. IN RESPONSE, THE AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED

HIS APPRECIATION FOR THE ORIENTATION BRIEFINGS AND TOURS

ORGANIZED BY THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES SHORTLY AFTER

HIS ARRIVAL.



3. (C) SEKERAMAYI NEXT LISTED THE VARIOUS INITIATIVES

AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CURRENTLY ONGOING. MOST

APPRECIATED WAS THE DEMINING PROGRAM THAT BOTH REDUCED

SUFFERING AND FREED LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. IT WAS

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THE "HUMAN FACTOR" THAT HE MOST UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE, AS A

PHYSICIAN, HE HAD WITNESSED THE PAIN, AGONY, AND TRAUMA

RESULTING FROM MINE DETONATIONS. THE MINISTER ALSO

EXPRESSED THE DESIRE THAT THE CLEARANCE PROCESS BE

COMPLETED QUICKLY INSTEAD OF HAVING TO "STAGGER" THE

EFFORT DUE TO RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS.



4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT, THE USG IS PREPARED

TO WORK WITH THE DEFENSE FORCES IN COMBATING HIV/AIDS.

THE MINISTER WAS VERY RECEPTIVE AND INDICATED THAT THIS

WAS AN AREA IN WHICH HE AND THE DEFENSE FORCES WELCOME

COOPERATION. MOREOVER, SEKERAMAYI NOTED, IT IS THE

CONSTRAINT ON RESOURCES THAT RETARDS THE SUCCESS OF THE

CURRENT HIV/AIDS PROGRAM. HE ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR

THAT THE APPROPRIATE DEFENSE FORCES OFFICERS WOULD SOON

CONFER WITH THE DATT REGARDING THIS INITIATIVE.



5. (C) NEXT, THE AMBASSADOR ELICITED MINISTER

SEKERAMAYI'S PERSPECTIVES ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN

THE DROC. THE MINISTER RESPONDED THAT, SINCE THE EARLY

1960'S, THE FORMER ZAIRE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED PEACE AND

THAT CONSEQUENTLY STRUCTURES AND INSTITUTIONS WERE NEVER

BUILT TO SUSTAIN STABILITY. RELATING EVENTS PRECEDING

THE DEPLOYMENT OF ZIMBABWEAN TROOPS, SEKERAMAYI NOTED

THAT PRESIDENT MUSEVENI ASKED ZIMBABWE TO ASSIST IN THE

REMOVAL OF MOBUTU. WHEN THAT EVENT OCCURRED, THE

MINISTER AND THE GOZ BEGAN TO SEE THE CONTRADICTIONS IN

THE MOTIVES OF BOTH THE UGANDANS AND RWANDANS. THE GOZ

WAS IMMEDIATELY SUSPICIOUS OF THE FOREIGN FORCES AND SAW

THAT THEY INTENDED TO BE AN OCCUPYING FORCE AND TO

COMMAND THE CONGOLESE ARMY BY USING FOREIGN OFFICERS.

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PAGE 04 HARARE 03341 01 OF 02 081156Z

WHEN THE LATE LAURENT KABILA ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE, THE

GOZ RESPONDED AND STOPPED THE ADVANCE TO NDJILI AIRPORT

IN KINSHASA. THE MINISTER BELIEVES THE GOZ SHOULD BE

COMMENDED FOR STOPPING THE CARNAGE IN THE DROC.



6. (C) SEKERAMAYI THEN ADDRESSED THE CONDITIONS FOR

ZIMBABWEAN WITHDRAWAL FROM THE DRC. ZIMBABWE, THE

MINISTER INSISTED, COULD NOT LEAVE A VACUUM IN THE DRC.

ONCE THE UN IS DEPLOYED, ZIMBABWE WILL LEAVE. THE

AMBASSADOR THEN ASKED WHETHER THE GOZ WITHDRAWAL IS

CONTINGENT UPON THE WITHDRAWAL OF UGANDA AND RWANDA.

THE GOZ, REPLIED THE MINISTER, IS COMMITTED TO THE

"FIFO" PRINCIPLE: FIRST IN; FIRST OUT. MOREOVER, ANY

POST-LUSAKA ACCORD ROLE FOR THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES

WILL BE DEFINED BY AGREEMENTS WITH THE HOST COUNTRY.



7. (C) THE AMBASSADOR THEN RAISED THE ISSUE OF

DEMOBILIZATION AND DISARMAMENT AND THE SCANT LIKELIHOOD

OF UN FORCES UNDERTAKING AND SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHING

THAT MISSION. ALTHOUGH GOOD NATURED AND NON

CONFRONTATIONAL, SEKERAMAYI NEVERTHELESS CHIDED THE

AMBASSADOR WITH, "DON'T BE DODGY. WHY NOT THE UN?"

OFFERING AS EXAMPLES THE EVENTS SURROUNDING BOSNIA AND

THE DAYTON ACCORDS, THE MINISTER POINTED OUT THAT THE UN

HAD TACKLED MUCH LARGER PROBLEMS. THE AMBASSADOR



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ACTION AF-00



INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 USNW-00 DINT-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 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00

PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00

TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00

SAS-00 SWCI-00 /008W

-------------- 3BA404 081156Z /38

R 081114Z NOV 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0238

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

SECDEF WASHDC

DIA WASHDC



C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003341



SIPDIS



STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AND AF/EPS

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY



E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/11

TAGS: PGOV, PINR, ZI

SUBJECT: MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER SEKERAMAYI



RESPONDED THAT NEITHER THE UN NOR NATO HAS ACTUALLY

DISARMED COMBATANTS BUT INSTEAD IMPLEMENTED THE DAYTON

ACCORD. THE EX-FAR INTERHAMWE WAS, HOWEVER, NOT A PARTY

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PAGE 02 HARARE 03341 02 OF 02 081156Z

TO THE LUSAKA ACCORD AND THOSE WHO HAD ARMED OR MADE USE

OF EX-FAR INTERHAMWE HAD TO LEAD UNDER DDR.



8. (C) CONCEDING THE POINT, MINISTER SEKERAMAYI

INSISTED THAT KEGAME AND KABILA MUST BEGIN A DIALOGUE.

THAT WILL BE THE ONLY WAY TO TRULY COMPLETE THE PEACE

PROCESS. ADDRESSING FUTURE SECURITY IN DRC, SEKERAMAYI

SAID THAT, HISTORICALLY, THE DRC NEVER HAD AN ARMY.

MOBUTU, HE SAID, "NEVER USED ZAIRIAN FORCES TO CONTAIN

CONFLICT BUT WOULD CALL ON THE BELGIANS, THE MOROCCANS,

THE FRENCH...ANYONE, BUT NEVER AN INDIGENOUS FORCE."

ACCORDING TO THE MINISTER, THERE IS A NEED TO PUT IN

PLACE A PROGRAM TO TRAIN A CAPABLE NATIONAL ARMY FOR THE

CONGOLESE PEOPLE.



9. (C) CONCLUDING THE SESSION IN SOMEWHAT A DRAMATIC

FASHION, DR. SEKERAMAYI OFFERED WHAT HE TERMED "FINAL

FOOD FOR THOUGHT". CALLING ON THE AMBASSADOR TO RECALL

HIS POSTING IN ANGOLA, SEKERAMAYI DREW THE COMPARISON OF

SAVIMBI'S RELUCTANCE TO TRAVEL TO LUANDA FOR MEETINGS

OVER ALLEDGED SECURITY CONCERNS. THIS, SAID THE

MINISTER, IS NO DIFFERENT THAN KAGAME, WHO NEEDED THE

DRC CONFLICT TO REMAIN IN POWER.



SULLIVAN



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