MUGABE OFF TO BELGIUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000873 SIPDIS LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR WILLIAMS BRUSSELS FOR MCKINLEY AND HINSON-JONES E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI CG BE SUBJECT: MUGABE OFF TO BELGIUM REF: HARARE 522 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 00873 010810Z ¶1. (C) ACCORDING TO BELGIUM EMBASSY FIRST SECRETARY ALEXIS DE CROMBRUGGHE, PRESIDENT MUGABE W7LL TRAVEL TO BELGIUM ON OR ABOUT MARCH 5. THE TRIP HAS ITS GENESIS IN BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LOUIS MICHEL'S JANUARY INVITATION TO FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE TO COME TO BELGIUM TO DISCUSS THE CONGO. MUDENGE'S RESPONSE, CROMBRUGGHE JOKED, WAS, "COULDN'T I BRING THE PRESIDENT WITH ME?" MICHEL COULD HARDLY REFUSE, THE BELGIUM DIPLOMAT CONCLUDED. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: WE SEE MUGABE'S TRIP AS AN EFFORT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPENING LEFT BY THE ASSASSINATION OF LAURENT KABILA TO ACHIEVE PEACE IN THE CONGO AND A RECOGNITION OF BELGIUM'S INCREASING IMPORTANCE AS A PLAYER IN THE PEACE PROCESS. WE ALSO SUSPECT THAT MUGABE MAY TRY TO USE HIS VISIT TO BRUSSELS TO BURNISH HIS IMAGE AS A STATESMAN AND PEACEMAKER AND APPEAL TO THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT FOR ASSISTANCE IN SECURING WESTERN GOODWILL FOR HIS DOMESTIC AGENDA. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >