Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HARARE383
2006-03-28 13:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Harare
Cable title:
MFA OFFICIAL CRITICIZES GOZ FOR STATE OF U.S.
how-toVZCZCXRO4083 PP RUEHMR DE RUEHSB #0383 0871348 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 281348Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9814 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 1179 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0572 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 3589 RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1394 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000383
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR BRUCE NEULING
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
DEPARTMENT PASS TO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2016
TAGS: PREL ZI
SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIAL CRITICIZES GOZ FOR STATE OF U.S.
RELATIONS
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell, Reason 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000383
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR BRUCE NEULING
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
DEPARTMENT PASS TO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2016
TAGS: PREL ZI
SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIAL CRITICIZES GOZ FOR STATE OF U.S.
RELATIONS
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell, Reason 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) In a March 27 courtesy call on the Ambassador, the
outgoing MFA Head of Protocol and new DCM at the Zimbabwean
Embassy in Washington, Gideon Gapare, told the Ambassador
that the GOZ wanted dialogue with the U.S. The Ambassador
responded that the U.S. was also open to dialogue but that
the GOZ had to be prepared to make concrete reforms if
dialogue were to lead anywhere. He said he had made exactly
these points in an interview in The Standard, which had been
published the day before. In the interview, the Ambassador
added that he had lamented that he had to respond to the
government,s talk of bridge-building through the press, but
he had no choice given the GOZ decision to deny him access to
GOZ officials.
2. (C) Gapare said the professional diplomats at the MFA were
unhappy with the decision to limit the Ambassador,s access.
He attributed the state of affairs to Foreign Minister
Mumbengegwi, who he said had proven a disappointment. Far
from the professional diplomat they had expected from his
previous postings in London and Brussels, Mumbengegwi had
proven to be a hard liner who paid more attention to
Zimbabwe,s internal domestic politics than to maintaining
dialogue. Gapare also accused the Ministry of Information of
meddling in Zimbabwe,s foreign affairs and said their
influence at State House had been responsible for much of the
downturn in relations.
3. (C) The Ambassador noted that we had made an effort to
maintain a proper working relationship with the MFA and
encouraged Gapare to do what he could to ensure the GOZ
reciprocated. In that regard, he expressed disappointment at
the recent decision to deny a member of Senator Feingold's
staff a visa to visit Zimbabwe. Gapare agreed the visa
refusal had been a mistake and said he was working to get to
the bottom of it and prevent any recurrence. He said that in
concert with Ambassador Mapuranga to be able to deepen
dialogue in Washington. He also promised to try to restart
contact between the MFA and the Embassy at the working level
before his departure for Washington.
--------------
Comment
--------------
4. (C) In his previous assignment, Gapare has worked closely
with MFA Permanent Secretary Bimha, the senior career
diplomat at the MFA, and can be presumed to have been
speaking on Bimha,s behalf. We are encouraged therefore
that Gapare was so open about the dysfunction within the GOZ
in general and the MFA in particular on foreign policy
issues. We are also encouraged that he was able to get
permission to call on the Ambassador and choose to regard
this as a signal that Bimha and the MFA,s professionals want
to stabilize bilateral relations. We will know better by the
end of the week whether they can, as we continue to await
official GOZ reaction ) for that matter any GOZ reaction )
to the Ambassador,s interview.
DELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR BRUCE NEULING
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
DEPARTMENT PASS TO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2016
TAGS: PREL ZI
SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIAL CRITICIZES GOZ FOR STATE OF U.S.
RELATIONS
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell, Reason 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) In a March 27 courtesy call on the Ambassador, the
outgoing MFA Head of Protocol and new DCM at the Zimbabwean
Embassy in Washington, Gideon Gapare, told the Ambassador
that the GOZ wanted dialogue with the U.S. The Ambassador
responded that the U.S. was also open to dialogue but that
the GOZ had to be prepared to make concrete reforms if
dialogue were to lead anywhere. He said he had made exactly
these points in an interview in The Standard, which had been
published the day before. In the interview, the Ambassador
added that he had lamented that he had to respond to the
government,s talk of bridge-building through the press, but
he had no choice given the GOZ decision to deny him access to
GOZ officials.
2. (C) Gapare said the professional diplomats at the MFA were
unhappy with the decision to limit the Ambassador,s access.
He attributed the state of affairs to Foreign Minister
Mumbengegwi, who he said had proven a disappointment. Far
from the professional diplomat they had expected from his
previous postings in London and Brussels, Mumbengegwi had
proven to be a hard liner who paid more attention to
Zimbabwe,s internal domestic politics than to maintaining
dialogue. Gapare also accused the Ministry of Information of
meddling in Zimbabwe,s foreign affairs and said their
influence at State House had been responsible for much of the
downturn in relations.
3. (C) The Ambassador noted that we had made an effort to
maintain a proper working relationship with the MFA and
encouraged Gapare to do what he could to ensure the GOZ
reciprocated. In that regard, he expressed disappointment at
the recent decision to deny a member of Senator Feingold's
staff a visa to visit Zimbabwe. Gapare agreed the visa
refusal had been a mistake and said he was working to get to
the bottom of it and prevent any recurrence. He said that in
concert with Ambassador Mapuranga to be able to deepen
dialogue in Washington. He also promised to try to restart
contact between the MFA and the Embassy at the working level
before his departure for Washington.
--------------
Comment
--------------
4. (C) In his previous assignment, Gapare has worked closely
with MFA Permanent Secretary Bimha, the senior career
diplomat at the MFA, and can be presumed to have been
speaking on Bimha,s behalf. We are encouraged therefore
that Gapare was so open about the dysfunction within the GOZ
in general and the MFA in particular on foreign policy
issues. We are also encouraged that he was able to get
permission to call on the Ambassador and choose to regard
this as a signal that Bimha and the MFA,s professionals want
to stabilize bilateral relations. We will know better by the
end of the week whether they can, as we continue to await
official GOZ reaction ) for that matter any GOZ reaction )
to the Ambassador,s interview.
DELL