EMBASSY ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF PEACE

UNCLAS HARARE 003437 SIPDIS INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEPT FOR AF/S (DELISI, SCHLACHTER),AF/RA (SWANN),AF/PD (SANDERS, ROBERTSON COX) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO ZI SUBJECT: EMBASSY ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF PEACE CORPS PROGRAM IN ZIMBABWE ¶1. ON NOVEMBER 15, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE DELIVERY OF A DIPLOMATIC NOTE TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE EMBASSY ANNOUNCED THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF THE PEACE CORPS PROGRAM IN ZIMBABWE. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THAT ANNOUNCEMENT. THE LANGUAGE IN THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT FOLLOWED VERY CLOSELY THAT OF THE DIPLOMATIC NOTE. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT OF PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE, AND WITH GREAT REGRET, THE U.S. EMBASSY ANNOUNCES THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF THE PEACE CORPS PROGRAM IN ZIMBABWE. THE EMBASSY REGRETS THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE WORK PERMITS FOR VOLUNTEER TEACHERS, AS STIPULATED IN THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE PEACE CORPS, FOLLOWING A THREE-MONTH TRAINING PERIOD IN ZIMBABWE FOR THE VOLUNTEERS IN QUESTION. BECAUSE OF THE LONG LEAD-TIME NEEDED FOR SELECTION AND TRAINING OF QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS TO FILL THE SPECIALIZED POSITIONS, THE EMBASSY REQUIRES ASSURANCES THAT THE TRAINEES SELECTED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK. ABSENT SUCH ASSURANCES, THE EMBASSY BELIEVES IT IS PRUDENT TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND PEACE CORPS OPERATIONS IN ZIMBABWE. THE EMBASSY AND THE PEACE CORPS HOPE TO CONSULT FURTHER WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AT A MUTUALLY AGREED FUTURE DATE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RESUMING WHAT HAS BEEN A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES. END TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT. SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >