Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02HARARE2181
2002-09-30 09:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Harare
Cable title:  

LOCAL AUSTRALIAN TAKE ON ABUJA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE

Tags:  PGOV PREL ZI 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002181 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL ZI
SUBJECT: LOCAL AUSTRALIAN TAKE ON ABUJA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE

REF: A. (A) CANBERRA 2038


B. (B) LONDON 6903

C. (C) ABUJA 2766

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002181

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL ZI
SUBJECT: LOCAL AUSTRALIAN TAKE ON ABUJA MEETING ON ZIMBABWE

REF: A. (A) CANBERRA 2038


B. (B) LONDON 6903

C. (C) ABUJA 2766

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


1. (C) AUSTRALIAn High Commissioner to Harare Jonathan Brown
gave us a readout of the Abuja meeting, which he attended.
His account was largely consistent with reftel accounts so we
will only report that which provides additional elaboration
or contrast. Brown said that the three presidents had agreed
that there were no positive developments in Zimbabwe since
the Marlborough House decision of six months ago and no GOZ
effort to meet the concerns expressed by the Troika six
months ago. He also cited the "weak" position taken by
President Mbeki as determinative, noting that Prime Minister
Howard had met with President Obassanjo before the meeting
and had heard some willingness to go along with suspension of
Zimbabwe. But following his separate meeting with Mbeki,
Obassanjo did not buck Mbeki's wish to let six more months
pass. Brown said that Obassanjo conveyed to Howard that
Mugabe had called Mbeki in advance of the meeting and gave
him a major dose of invective re the upcoming Abuja meeting.
Obassanjo also conveyed from his own conversation with Mugabe
that Mugabe had expressed satisfaction that the land reform
exercise was almost completed and that he would step down for
a new election if the MDC were to win its court case. While
the AUSTRALIAns had done much prior coordination with the
South African Foreign Ministry, they were not present in
Abuja and Mbeki's personal advisers were clearly pre-eminent.

2.(C) HC Brown described allegations that Mugabe was
improperly invited as a canard. The draft letter of
invitation had been showed to Mbeki and Obassanjo in advance
for their approval and they had agreed to the date of its
delivery. It was delivered under cover of a diplomatic note
in early September according to standard practice.


3. (C) Brown said that the next step would be Troika action
to renew Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth six
months hence. In the absence of Troika action to extend
suspension, the current suspension would lapse. Brown said
that UK PM Blair had indicated to PM Howard his intention to
write SADC Presidents reminding them of the importance of
acting on Zimbabwe for NEPAD to succeed.


4. (C) Re the assertion in para eleven of ref c that all
farmers have been left with one farm, this is always said by
the GOZ, but patently untrue in many hundreds of cases.
Parliamentary Speaker Mnangagwa recently acknowledged to the
Ambassador that while a few provinces had largely abided by
that standard, rampant disregard for that criteria had been
the rule in the rich Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central
and Mashonaland East provinces among others,
,
SULLIVAN