SANT'EGIDIO ON UNITA PROPOSAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 004267 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR: EUR/WE (SDEAN); AF/S (DELISA, KUSNITZ) DEPT PASS TO NAMIBIA FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 133/01 E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV AO VT SUBJECT: SANT'EGIDIO ON UNITA PROPOSAL REFS: A) VATICAN 4030 B)STATE 136239 CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM GEORGE FROWICK REASONS E.O. 12958 (B), (D). CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 04267 131519Z ¶1. (C) A/DCM FOLLOWED UP REF B WITH DON MATTEO AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 9. DON MATTEO TOOK ON BOARD US VIEW THAT UNITA NEEDED TO DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT TO LUSAKA BEFORE MOVING FARTHER. HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT UNITA WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE AN UNQUALIFIED STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF LUSAKA, AND EVEN THOUGHT THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT KIDNAPPING (WHILE NOT ADMITTING THAT THEY HAD EVER ENGAGED IN IT). DON MATTEO CAUTIONED, HOWEVER, THAT UNITA WOULD NOT BE PUSHED TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE IT WOULD INSIST ON SOME RECIPROCAL MEASURES FROM THE GOA. THIS IS WHY MATTEO BELIEVES IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE A "SECRET" MEETING, ONCE UNITA MAKES THESE INITIAL DECLARATIONS, TO HASH OUT JUST HOW THE GOA AND UNITA WOULD RECOMMENCE LUSAKA PROVISIONS. ¶2. (C) MATTEO SAID THAT HE IS NO FAN OF UNITA, BUT THAT HE WANTED TO WORK WITH THEM ON THIS AND THAT GETTING SOMETHING GOING MIGHT TAKE TIME. HE PLEDGED TO CONTACT HIS UNITA INTERLOCUTORS (NOTE: HE SAID HE IS TALKING TO BOTH THE UNITA REP IN ROME AND THE ONE IN PARIS),AND TO GET BACK TO A/DCM WEEK OF 8/13. HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD WELCOME A VISIT BY OUTGOING U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NAMIBIA TO DISCUSS FURTHER. MERANTE CONFIDENTIAL > 2001VATICA04267 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL