UNSC APRIL 29 VISIT: MUGABE LINKS ZIMBABWE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001041

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2012
TAGS: PREL ZI CG
SUBJECT: UNSC APRIL 29 VISIT: MUGABE LINKS ZIMBABWE
WITHDRAWAL TO UN PEACEKEEPERS AND OBJECTS TO US MESSAGE ON
ZIMBABWE

REF: STATE 79332

Classified By: JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5B/D


1. (C) Summary: The UNSC delegation met with President Mugabe
April 29 for about 70 minutes. Mugabe linked withdrawal of
all Zimbabwean forces to insertion of a large number of UN
peace enforcers with a robust mandate. He dismissed Mbeki's
DRC proposal as stripping President Kabila's authority.
Mugabe said he hoped that the Congolese could come up with a
solution, but if they did not,then Lusaka signatories should
reconvene to discuss the matter. Following discussion of DRC
issues, Ambassador Williamson spoke in his national capacity
and delivered reftel talking points verbatim. Mugabe reacted
strongly for some ten minutes, stating that Westerners had no
business lecturing Africans, that Africans and blacks had
accepted the election outcome and that he had accepted the US
election result, although he believed Gore had won. Mugabe
said that the US intervention had "ruined" the meeting. The
Chinese Permrep then intervened to disassociate himself from
the American statement and to note that his Government
accepted the election's legitimacy. End Summary


2. (c) The UNSC delegation headed by French Permrep Levitte
and including US Ambassador Williamson and Mr.Imbrie met for
about 70 minutes with President Mugabe on the evening of
April 29. Mugabe supported President Kabila and claimed that
President Mbeki's proposal for shared power would have made
Kabila a eunuch. While he claimed to quote President Kagame
as saying that the RCD-Goma existed as his "tool", Mugabe was
not especially critical of Rwanda. To UK worries that the
Kabila-Bemba agreement could lead to partition of the Congo,
Mugabe did not share those concerns and felt certain that
Kabila could deal with "negative forces." Mugabe hoped that
the Congolese parties could find a solution, but if they
could not, then the Lusaka signatories would meet again to
discuss the matter. Mugabe also mentioned the possibility of
joint border patrols made up of Rwandan and Congolese forces
to address Rwandan security concerns.


3. (c) Mugabe claimed that Zimbabwe had already withdrawn a
large percentage of its forces and would be prepared to
withdraw all its forces. But he said it would be necessary
to insert UN peacekeepers -- "peace enforcers" -- with a
robust mandate and in substantial numbers compared to the
3,000 or so that could secure peace in a small country like
Zimbabwe.


4. (c) At the conclusion of the discussion on the DRC,
Ambassador Williamson said that he wished to make several
separate points on behalf of his government and delivered the
talking points provided reftel. Mugabe responded for ten
minutes in a tone of controlled fury, making many of his
usual points: that he believed Gore had won the US elections,
but he accepted Bush as President; that blacks were treated
worse in the US; that Zimbabwean farmers had supported the
opposition, while the GOZ was on the side of the people; that
the West refused to accept re-distribution of land; that the
West had no business lecturing Africa; that Africa and blacks
had accepted the Zimbabwean election results; and that even
if the US makes Zimbabwe poor, the people are ready to
withstand the pressure. Mugabe said that the American
intervention had ruined the atmosphere of the discussion on
the DRC. The Chinese permrep then spoke to disassociate his
government from the American position, stating that China
accepted the election's legitimacy.


5. (u) Press coverage of visit focused mostly on Mugabe's
call for UN peacekeeping presence in DRC.


6. (u) This message was not cleared by Ambassador Williamson
prior to the dele