OPPOSITION HEADQUARTERS RAIDED AGAIN

UNCLAS HARARE 000533 SENSITIVE SIPDIS AF/S FOR S. HILL ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI SUBJECT: OPPOSITION HEADQUARTERS RAIDED AGAIN REF: HARARE 522 ¶1. (SBU) On June 23, MDC opposition headquarters, located in a downtown Harare building known as Harvest House, was raided by police, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) were seized for the second time since the March 29 national election (reftel). Acting on reports from local sources that a raid had taken place, poloffs arrived at Harvest House shortly after the incident and, along with a SADC observer mission team who poloffs had informed of the raid, were briefed by MDC staffers. The MDC staff member in charge of assisting about 2,600 IDPs who had taken shelter in Harvest House in the past two months (reftel) informed the diplomats and SADC observers that on the morning of June 23 they had been tipped off that there would be a raid on the headquarters during the day. As a result, staff informed the IDPs, and those who could left the building for the day, leaving behind about 30 persons who were too ill, injured or elderly to escape. ¶2. (SBU) At approximately 12:15 p.m., 10 individuals claiming to be "City Health" officials arrived on the premises and demanded to "inspect" the property. Junior MDC staff opened the door (without checking with senior staff on upper levels) and let them in. Some of the Harvest House staff recognized the "health officials" as Central Intelligence officers. The CIO were immediately followed into Harvest House by an estimated 50 armed police officers in riot gear. MDC staff reported that police had cordoned off the street on which Harvest House is located and that "many" more police were stationed outside. The police, who did not offer a warrant or other justification for the intrusion, proceeded to force all the remaining IDPs onto a bus. (NOTE: No MDC staff were taken, nor were any high-level MDC officials present. END NOTE.) Police proceeded to take pictures of the areas where IDPs had been staying and where their belongings remained, and questioned staff as to the whereabouts of the others. Later in the day, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights reported that the IDPs who were taken from Harvest House were not in Harare Central Prison as previously expected, and they may have been taken outside of Harare and left in a rural area, as has occurred in previous cases where police have detained IDPs. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: Given the fragile condition of those IDPs who were seized and the further displacement of those who fled Harvest House this morning, there is reason to be seriously concerned about the health and safety of all 2,600. The motivation for the raid is unknown, but it was likely to continue the campaign of intimidation and instability for the MDC and its supporters. As noted SADC observers were present; we also saw several members of the Pan African Parliament at Harvest House investigating the incident. END COMMENT. McGee