PRESSING AFRICANS TO SUPPORT UN HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 033268 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017 TAGS: UNHCR PHUM PREL ZI SUBJECT: PRESSING AFRICANS TO SUPPORT UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ACTION ON ZIMBABWE REF: GENEVA 633 (NOTAL) Classified By: DRL DAS Erica Barks-Ruggles. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Summary: The United States believes the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) should respond to the extremely brutal attacks -- which resulted in at least one death -- by Zimbabwean authorities against opposition members during and after a peaceful prayer meeting on March 11. Posts are instructed to demarche host governments at an appropriately senior level, and President Konare as African Union President or his senior staff, in support of a response to these abuses by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). In addition, posts are requested to deploy as soon as possible a robust public diplomacy strategy, to encourage local media to run pieces on the situation in Zimbabwe and the Human Rights Council's role in addressing it (but without associating these pieces with the U.S. efforts). For Pretoria Only: Ambassador should approach Aziz Pahad personally on this issue. End Summary. Background -------------- ¶2. (U) Democratic opponents of the Mugabe regime gathered peacefully in a Harare suburb for a prayer meeting on March 11, and were brutally attacked by government security forces. At least one person was killed, and others - including children - were wounded. Over a hundred people were arrested. Among others, Morgan Tsvangirai - a leader of the Movement for Democratic Change - was severely beaten after being detained. The full extent of Tsvangirai's injuries has not been confirmed, but he suffered serious injuries, including a skull fracture, for which he is now being treated in intensive care. Many of those who were arrested and assaulted by the police on March 11 remain in the hospital. The High Court ordered medical attention for those who had been beaten while in custody of Zimbabwe's authorities only after the High Court ordered they be brought before the court on March 13. ¶3. (U) The funeral for the slain opposition activist Gift Tandare will be held on Monday, March 19. Morgan Tsvangirai said he intends to participate in the event if he is physically able to do so. The U.S. has called on the Government of Zimbabwe to exercise restraint at the funeral and to respect the democratic rights of the people of Zimbabwe to assemble and express their views peacefully. ¶4. (U) The United States has strongly condemned the disgraceful abuse and mistreatment the detainees received at the hands of the police and has called on the Government of Zimbabwe to investigate and prosecute those responsible for this outrage. Secretary-General Ban, UK Foreign Secretary Beckett, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Arbour, EU officials and others have joined in this international call for the respect of human rights in Zimbabwe. U.S. officials continue to monitor the situation carefully and will work to insist that the victims receive proper medical treatment and legal counsel. ¶5. (U) The USG believes strongly that the Human Rights Council (HRC),the UN's premier human rights body, has a responsibility to act when confronted by egregious human rights violations, notably as gross violations are emerging. The Council is currently in session in Geneva, which facilitates its taking action on Zimbabwe now. Individual HRC members (e.g., the UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia) have issued individual statements on the situation in Zimbabwe already, but a response from the HRC as a whole is warranted. British Foreign Secretary Beckett, in particular, has also called on the HRC to "look into the situation in Zimbabwe urgently." ¶6. (C) There are several alternatives for HRC action on Zimbabwe. These include: a statement by the President of the Council (which would require the consensus of all 47 members),a Special Session (which would require 16 sponsors on the HRC),and a resolution (a majority of 24 needed to pass). The U.S. and UK Delegations in Geneva have coordinated closely and believe that a resolution is the best option for action, since the unanimity required for a Presidential Statement would likely water it down beyond use. However, posts should not/not share with host government at this time the ultimate objective of a resolution by the HRC on Zimbabwe. (This is particularly important given that our mission in Geneva is also working to build support among sub-Saharan HRC African members for a nearly concurrent resolution on Sudan, opposed by the Africa Group's Arab members.) To achieve a resolution, given the history of African solidarity to oppose UN resolutions on Zimbabwe, we will seek to build support over the co ming few days with key partners and particularly with the Africans. Once we have laid the groundwork with demarches, outreach in Geneva, and strategic calls from Washington as needed, the UK - working with our delegation -- plans to unveil a draft resolution in Geneva on/about March 22 (as the tabling deadline for draft resolutions is March 23). ¶7. (U) (Note: The United States chose not to run for membership on the Human Rights Council in its initial year, 2006-7, due to concerns that the body and its membership would not represent enough of an improvement over the deeply discredited body it replaced, the Commission on Human Rights. The HRC's record in its first year has been a major disappointment, with the body issuing eight resolutions condemning Israel, taking only weak action on Sudan, and addressing no other country-specific issues. For these reasons, the U.S. recently announced we will not run for membership in the HRC's second year, 2007-8, either, but has committed publicly to remaining as an active observer there. End Note) End Background. Objectives -------------- ¶8. (U) Posts are requested to contact UK embassy and coordinate on these demarches, delivering them jointly where appropriate and helpful. Posts should: -- Raise the seriousness of the security situation in Zimbabwe, emphasizing that further instability or violence in Zimbabwe has the potential to spill over to neighboring countries. -- Express serious concern about the brutality of the attacks, noting that we are not seeking to politicize the situation, but that threats, physical beatings and arbitrary detention of citizens engaging in peaceful activities must stop. -- Urge host governments, in their national capacity, to condemn the barbaric events in Zimbabwe. -- Indicate that the Human Rights Council was created specifically to address urgent situations such as this, and that it has a responsibility to address such atrocities. -- Note that that a failure by the HRC to address this urgent and pressing human rights matter would raise further doubts about the body's credibility, particularly when viewed with its deeply disappointing record to date. The Council must take action on Zimbabwe - both to protect the rights of the people of Zimbabwe and to protect its own future. -- (For all action addressees except Kenya and Mozambique, which are not HRC members) Ask host government to send instructions to their missions in Geneva to support some sort of HRC action -- preferably by consensus -- to address this situation during the current HRC session (which runs through March 30). Missions should also be instructed to be in close contact with the U.S. and UK delegations in Geneva to coordinate. REPORTING DEADLINE -------------- ¶9. Embassy should report results of efforts by cable to DRL/MLGA Julieta Noyes and IO/RHS Doug Rohn by OOB Wednesday, March 21. RICE