GUIDANCE FOR DECEMBER 15 UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 130459 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM ZI XA ZU KDEM SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR DECEMBER 15 UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON ZIMBABWE ¶1. (U) This is an action request. USUN should draw from the talking points in para 2 during the UN Security Council consultations on Zimbabwe December 15. USUN should also address the press after the UNSC briefing to summarize the key points from the U.S. statement. ¶2. (U) Begin points: On behalf of the United States, I would like to thank (Assistant Secretary General Political Affairs Haile Menkerios) for his briefings. Today I would like to make five points. First, it is long past time for Robert Mugabe to go. Across the continent, African voices are bravely speaking out to say it is time for him to step down. These leaders share the desire of ordinary Zimbabweans for a return to peace, democracy and prosperity. We urge others from the region to step up and join the growing chorus of voices calling for an end to Mugabe,s tyranny. Second, we urge the international community to re-double its efforts to provide resources to address the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe are suffering terribly. Cholera deaths are on the rise. People are dying in their homes, as hospitals are closed and no medicine is available. The situation in Zimbabwe has become a threat to the health and security of other people in the region. At least four million people in Zimbabwe are food insecure, dependent on foreign assistance food to get by; that figure could rise to five million by January. Life expectancy in Zimbabwe has dropped to 34 years. We look forward to the proposed visit by the UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs to Zimbabwe to focus attention on the crisis and develop plans for additional assistance. Third, we are deeply concerned with the increase of human rights abuses committed by the Mugabe regime. At least 19 Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) activists have been abducted. Some are believed dead and the whereabouts of the others remain unknown. Police and military forces continue to violently break up peaceful demonstrations in recent months. Fourth, Zimbabwe,s Central Bank has fueled hyperinflation by uncontrollable printing of money and decimating the economy in the process. Virtually all industry has been wiped out, and little or no agricultural planting is taking place. Millions of Zimbabweans have left the country in a desperate attempt to survive and to support their families. Additionally, we encourage participants in the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme to redouble their efforts to intercept illicit diamond shipments from Zimbabwe, the proceeds of which may contribute to the heightening political turmoil and humanitarian crisis. Fifth, it is clear the Mugabe regime has failed to act in good faith to implement the September 15 agreement and accept the will of the people as reflected in the March elections. The regime - through both direct action and neglect - has decimated the country and set it back a generation or more. It is deplorable the Mugabe regime failed to allow the visit of the respected members of the Elders Group. Refusal of the visit is indicative of the lengths to which the regime will go to prevent the international community from documenting abuses, corruption and mismanagement. The international community, including African nations, has expressed grave concern over the humanitarian situation, and has criticized the Mugabe regime for failing to negotiate with the opposition in good faith. We hope others will speak up and work toward a resolution of the political impasse, and humanitarian crisis, and the investigation of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. We appreciate regional negotiations to resolve this crisis. However, the U.S. believes this approach has failed not for want of effort on the part of Southern African Development Community (SADC),but lack of good faith and obfuscation by Mugabe. We call on the SADC and the African Union to increase their efforts to address the humanitarian and STATE 00130459 002 OF 002 political crisis in Zimbabwe, and support an increased role of the UNSC to help resolve the crisis. The United States will continue to work with our partners around the world to halt the violence and stem the humanitarian disaster the Mugabe regime is inflicting on its people. We stand ready to help rebuild Zimbabwe once a legitimate government accountable to the will of its people has been formed and is working to restore peace and stability to Zimbabweans. RICE