GUIDANCE FOR UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON ZIMBABWE JULY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 081253 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM ZI XA ZU SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON ZIMBABWE JULY 29 ¶1. This is an action request. USUN may draw from the talking points in para 2 during the July 29 UNSC consultations on the situation in Zimbabwe and briefing by UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios. USUN should also draw on these points in speaking to the press after the meeting. ¶2. Begin talking points: -- I would like to thank Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios for his briefing on the situation in Zimbabwe. We continue to be concerned about the welfare of the Zimbabwean people as a result of ongoing government-sanctioned violence and government restrictions on humanitarian operations. With that in mind, I would like to make four points. -- First, the United States hopes that the talks that began last week in South Africa between Zimbabwe Africa National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) result in a new government that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people as expressed on March 29. Should that occur, the U.S. stands ready to provide a substantial assistance package, development aid, and further help through international financial institutions. While we continue to support the South African-led Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediation we also believe that a strong UN and AU role during the negotiations is critical. Assistant Secretary General Menkerios has demonstrated the ability to contribute positively to the ZANU-PF/MDC mediation, and we encourage the UN to select him as its representative to the negotiations in Pretoria. We hope that he can return to South Africa immediately, to continue to play an active role in those negotiations and help the parties reach an agreement on a solution to the political crisis in Zimbabwe. -- Second, we continue to be concerned with the ongoing state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe. Targeted attacks by the Mugabe regime against MDC officials and their families continue, and pockets of violence still exist in northern and eastern provinces. Many MDC parliamentarians have been arbitrarily arrested or detained and others have been forced into hiding in a deliberate attempt by the Mugabe regime to impede the opposition's ability to function effectively. --While perpetrators of violence enjoy impunity, tens of thousands of displaced Zimbabweans are afraid to return home for fear of reprisal; and others have no homes to return to as a result of ZANU-PF destruction. Additionally, Zimbabweans continue to struggle to survive in a ruined economy. With inflation at over 2 million percent, a record high, many residents and businesses have resorted to the barter system. Unemployment is the norm. Compounding the problem is the government's ongoing ban on NGO activities, which prevents desperately needed aid from reaching millions of people at risk following a poor harvest. -- Third, both the European Union and the U.S. have recently announced expanded, targeted sanctions. Last week the U.S. signed a new Executive Order that expands our sanctions against those who have and continue to support violence and oppose democracy in Zimbabwe and against state-controlled entities from which they profit. These new sanctions build upon existing sanctions placed on more than a hundred individuals in the inner circle of the Mugabe regime who have contributed to the undermining of democratic processes and institutions in Zimbabwe. The U.S. is also expanding travel restrictions on immediate family members of responsible government officials, so that no one connected to Mugabe's regime will have the privilege of traveling to the U.S. while millions of Zimbabweans suffer as a result of their actions. These are targeted sanctions that focus on the regime and its supporters, not on the people of Zimbabwe or the broader economy. -- Fourth, as part of our commitment to help the people of Zimbabwe in their time of greatest need, we have provided over $120 million in food aid and other support inside Zimbabwe. In addition, we will be providing $2.5 million in U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance for refugees and asylum seekers in neighboring countries. -- The political commitment of the entire international STATE 00081253 002 OF 002 community will be needed to help Zimbabweans move to a more secure and democratic future. We thank UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios for keeping the Council informed of developments in Zimbabwe. RICE