UN SPECIAL ENVOY MORJANE SPEAKS AT SADC

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000882 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/11 TAGS: PREL MOPS MCAP ZI CG SUBJECT: UN SPECIAL ENVOY MORJANE SPEAKS AT SADC PEACEKEEPING CENTER IN ZIMBABWE CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 00882 020725Z REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) ON MARCH 1, UNSG SPECIAL ENJOY MORJANE DELIVERED A SPEECH ON THE DRC TO THE SADC REGIONAL PEACEKEEPING TRAINING CENTER (RPTC) IN HARARE. MORJANE'S VISIT WAS ARRANGED BY UNITAR-GENEVA AND SPONSORED BY THE RPTC. THE RPTC'S MANAGING DIRECTOR, PETER VOETMANN, PROVIDED A READOUT TO POLOFF ON MORJANE'S SPEECH, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY A NUMBER OF ZIMBABWE MILITARY OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ZIMBABWEAN MINISTRIES OF DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS. ¶2. (C) ACCORDING TO VOETMANN, MORJANE WAS VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE DRC PEACE PROCESS AND PROGRESS BEING MADE IN MONUC DEPLOYMENT. MORJANE OUTLINED OBSTACLES TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS, PARTICULARLY POOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND DENSELY FORESTED TERRAIN IN THE CONGO. MORJANE CALLED FOR THE USE OF SMALLER, COMPANY-SIZED UNITS OPERATING MORE INDEPENDENTLY THAN NORMAL MILITARY UNITS. AN ARMORED INFANTRY BATTALION SIMPLY WOULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE IN THE CONGOLESE ENVIRONMENT, THE ENVOY ARGUED. HE ALSO STATED THAT MORE SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS HELICOPTERS, WOULD BE NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE MONITORING. ¶3. (C) MORJANE ALSO FLOATED THE IDEA THAT THE SADC ALLIES SHOULD CONSIDER "CHANGING THEIR BERETS TO BLUE" IN THE DRC. HOWEVER, THE CONSENT OF ALL THE LUSAKA PARTIES WOULD BE NECESSARY, INCLUDING PEOPLE ON ALL LEVELS, FROM THE SOLDIERS ON UP. THE ENVOY STATED THAT MORE ROBUST RULES OF ENGAGEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE DEVISED CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 00882 020725Z AS WELL, ACCORDING TO VOETMANN. VOETMANN COMMENTED THAT MORJANE'S IDEA WOULD REQUIRE A "SUBSTANTIAL" COMMITMENT FROM THE UN, HOWEVER. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: MORJANE'S PROPOSAL TO CONVERT SADC TROOPS ALREADY IN THE DRC TO UN PEACEKEEPERS IS AN INTERESTING IDEA THAT PROBABLY HAS NOT RECEIVED WIDE CONSIDERATION HERE. AS VOETMANN SAID, HOWEVER, IT WOULD REQUIRE A MAJOR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT THAT NEITHER THE UN NOR THE BELLIGERENTS MAY BE PREPARED TO MAKE YET. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >