ZIMBABWE -- ENGAGING INDONESIA ON UNSC RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001337 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, AF, AF/S, IO, IO/UNP (GOLDENBERG),IO/PSC (CLARK) NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2018 TAGS: PREL UNSC ID ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE -- ENGAGING INDONESIA ON UNSC RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 74375 ¶B. JAKARTA 1322 Classified By: DCM John A. Heffern, reasons 1.4 (b+d) ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: On July 11, the DCM delivered reftel demarche to Secretary General Imron Cotan, the number-two official at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Cotan did not say how Indonesia would vote but repeated well-known GOI views questioning the resolution. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) On July 11, the DCM delivered Ref A demarche urging Indonesia to support the draft UNSCR on Zimbabwe to DEPLU Secretary General Imron Cotan. The DCM underscored that there had been no meaningful dialogue between the GOZ and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). A strong resolution could press the Mugabe regime to negotiate seriously. The DCM noted that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had written to UN SYG Ban Ki-moon on July 9 and expressed support for the draft resolution. Cotan said that Indonesia wanted to see the situation resolved peacefully and was reluctant to take any action that might upset ongoing negotiations between the GOZ and the opposition. He admitted, however, that he was unaware of Tsvangiri's letter to SYG Ban. ¶4. (C) Cotan also questioned whether the situation in Zimbabwe was a threat to regional security and therefore an appropriate target for a resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The DCM responded that the situation in Zimbabwe did constitute a threat to the security of the southern Africa region. He noted that the violence directed at opposition supporters had forced Zimbabweans to flee to neighboring countries, several of which had expressed concern about the destabilizing influence of the situation. He noted that one of the UNSC's two African members--Burkina Faso--had expressed support for the resolution. Cotan said that the GOI would consider USG views as it decided how to vote on the Zimbabwe resolution. ¶5. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Cotan was unaware of the letter from Tsvangirai to SYG Ban and was interested in the matter. Mission recommends that the letter be raised directly with the Indonesian Mission in New York. END ACTION REQUEST. HUME