ZIMBABWE REMARKS ON WCAR PREPCOM MEETING IN DAKAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000502 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S, DRL/MLA, IO/ESA, L/HRR E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/11 TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE REMARKS ON WCAR PREPCOM MEETING IN DAKAR REF: STATE 7580 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 00502 241447Z REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) ON JANUARY 23, POST DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS TO ALFRED MUTIWAZUKA, THE PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (PAO) IN THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OFFICE OF ZIMBABWE'S MFA. IN A FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION WITH MUTIWAZUKA ON JANUARY 24, POLOFF LEARNED THAT ZIMBABWE IS SENDING JUSTICE MINISTER PATRICK CHINAMASA AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM ITS GENEVA MISSION TO REPRESENT IT AT THE WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM PREPCOM MEETING IN DAKAR. MUTIWAZUKA SAID THAT HE DID NOT YET HAVE ANY SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE TO OUR POINTS, AS ONE WAS STILL BEING DEVELOPED IN HIS OFFICE. HOWEVER, A LETTER WITH OUR POINTS ATTACHED WOULD BE SENT TO ZIMBABWE'S DAKAR MISSION BEFORE THE PREPCOM MEETING BEGINS JANUARY 27, THE PAO STATED. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: IT IS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT ZIMBABWE IS SENDING ITS JUSTICE MINISTER, RATHER THAN A SENIOR MFA OFFICIAL, TO THE SENEGAL MEETING. THIS SUGGESTS THAT ZIMBABWE MAY BE SYMPATHETIC TO THE DAKAR DRAFT'S CALL FOR REPARATIONS FOR THE SLAVE TRADE. SUCH A POLICY WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE'S RECENT PUBLIC RHETORIC AGAINST COLONIALISTS AND WHITES, WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN SPOUTED BY MINISTER CHINAMASA. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >