OHCHR'S CONTINUED EFFORTS ON ZIMBABWE

C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000424

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC ZI
SUBJECT: OHCHR'S CONTINUED EFFORTS ON ZIMBABWE

REF: A. GENEVA 410


B. GENEVA 360

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Storella. Reasons: 1.4 (b/
d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) sees its principal challenge as being to
press Zimbabwe in public as hard as it can on human rights
without jeopardizing its ability to continue its works on the
ground there. Despite expressing reservations to the DCM in
a recent meeting that public statements critical of Harare
could block whatever limited work OHCHR is doing on the
ground in Zimbabwe, High Commissioner Arbour issued a May 28
statement condemning the murder of opposition activists.
OHCHR is planning to send a Pretoria-based mid-level officer
back to Zimbabwe on June 9 and a lower-level officer there on
June 14, and hopes to add more staff on the ground in future.
At the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Zimbabwe is expected
to come up for sharp criticism by several countries during a
June 6 plenary session, although prospects for anything
beyond that look bleak. END SUMMARY.

ARBOUR SPEAKS OUT
--------------


2. (C) On the margins of a May 26 meeting with High
Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on other issues
(ref a),the DCM noted the importance of strong public
statements of concern about developments in Zimbabwe. Arbour
said that her prio}QCmQ public statement
focusing on the murders of opposition activists. In her
statement, she expressed shock at the murders and condemned
both them and the continuing harassment of NGO workers, human
rights defenders and other members of civil society. She
urged the Zimbabwean authorities to investigate and prosecute
those responsible for those actions and take other steps to
create an atmosphere conducive to a free and fair
presidential election. She also noted the violence against
migrants and refugees in South Africa and welcomed the South
African government's recent steps to clamp down on xenophobic
violence.

OHCHR WORK ON THE GROUND
--------------


4. (C) As noted ref b, OHCHR had been encouraged by the work
of its staff members on the ground in Zimbabwe and hoped to
send them back. OHCHR Africa Unit head Scott Campbell told
us June 5 that he was hopeful of the return of those staffers
to Zimbabwe, despite some concerns that the Zimbabwe
government would refuse to permit it in response to Arbour's
latest statement. Current plans are for the head of OHCHR's
regional office in Pretoria to return to Harare on June 9 for
a short visit, with the Zimbabwe desk officer to follow on
June 14 for a longer stay. According to Campbell, OHCHR is
exploring the possibility of sending additional staff members
there as soon as possible, although no details have been
worked out. On June 6, Campbell told us that plans had not
changed despite the latest deterioration in the situation in
Zimbabwe, although OHCHR would keep a particularly close eye
on the treatment of its staff on the ground in light of the
incident involving U.S. and UK diplomats.


5. (C) During their previous stints in Zimbabwe, OHCHR
staffers had worked closely with the UNDP Resident
Coordinator, Campbell continued. This had resulted in joint
meetings with the Ministers of Defense and Justice, among
others, which had been of at least some benefit (ref b). The
staffers would continue their work with UNDP, which they
would also press to be more active on other fronts, Campbell
said.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ACTIVITY
--------------


6. (SBU) A number of countries have long sought to use the
Human Rights Council to highlight Zimbabwe's human rights
problems. At least a few, including Canada, Australia and
the EU, plan to raise Zimbabwe under the June 6 agenda item
on country situations (Item 4). A representative of the
International Commission of Jurists told us June 4 that his
NGO was seeking support for a Council resolution or at least
presidential statement on Zimbabwe. He reported that a few
African delegations had expressed qualified support but
acknowledged that South Africa was almost certain to block
the idea. In ICJ's view, the proposal should only be
advanced if it is done under the leadership of the Africa
Group.

COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) OHCHR is struggling to decide how best to respond to
the recent deterioration in Zimbabwe's human rights
situation. It recognizes the limits of what it can
accomplish, and is casting about for how to maximize its
effectiveness. It is likely to continue using a combination
of public statements and, to the extent the Zimbabwe
government permits, work on the ground.
TICHENOR