GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE ENCOURAGED BY LUSAKA

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000762 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV MCAP ZI CG SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE ENCOURAGED BY LUSAKA SUMMIT REFTEL: LUSAKA 724 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 00762 161016Z REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE IS VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE RESULTS OF THE SUMMIT HELD AMONG THE LUSAKA SIGNATORIES IN LUSAKA ON FEBRUARY 15 (REFTEL). BERNARD TAKAVARASHA, THE UNDERSECRETARY FOR AFRICA IN ZIMBABWE'S MFA, TOLD POLOFF FEBRUARY 16 THAT THE SUMMIT OUTCOME WAS "VERY POSITIVE" AND "BETTER THAN EXPECTED." TAKAVARASHA STATED THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT WAS THAT THE "PEOPLE OF THE CONGO" (GOVERNMENT AND REBEL FACTIONS) HAD AGREED TO START THE INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE. ZIMBABWE VIEWS THE DIALOGUE AS CRITICAL TO ANY MEANINGFUL PEACE SETTLEMENT IN DRC, THE MFA OFFICIAL NOTED. ONCE STARTED, THE DIALOGUE COULD SIDELINE THE EXTERNAL STATE ACTORS, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, TAKAVARASHA STATED. ¶2. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA'S FAILURE TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SUMMIT, THE UNDERSECRETARY SAID IT WAS REGRETTABLE, BUT HE DID NOT DWELL ON IT. HE NOTED THAT PRESIDENT MUSEVENI DID NOT ATTEND EITHER, BUT THAT HE HAD SENT REPRESENTATIVES WHO OFFERED APOLOGIES FOR THE UGANDAN PRESIDENT'S ABSENCE. POLOFF ASKED TAKAVARASHA TO COMMENT ON PRESIDENT MUGABE'S STATEMENT THAT ZIMBABWE WOULD WITHDRAW ITS FORCES ONLY AFTER UGANDA AND RWANDA DID, TO WHICH HE RESPONDED THAT THAT HAS BEEN ZIMBABWE'S POSITION ALL ALONG. THE MFA OFFICIAL JOKINGLY REMARKED THAT ZIMBABWE IS TOO POOR TO ESTABLISH PERMANENT BASES IN THE DRC AS THE MUCH WEALTHIER U.S. HAS DONE AROUND THE WORLD. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 00762 161016Z ¶3. (C) COMMENT: THE ZIMBABWEAN MFA OFFICIAL SEEMED GENUINELY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE LUSAKA SUMMIT, ALMOST TO THE POINT OF GIDDINESS, WHICH IS NOT AN MFA TRAIT. THE MFA'S COMMENTS UNDERSCORE ZIMBABWE'S DESIRE FOR THE RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE IN THE DRC SO THAT IT CAN BRING HOME AT LEAST SOME OF ITS TROOPS BEFORE NEXT YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >