SADC TROIKA SUMMIT: MDC TO REENGAGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000885 SIPDIS AF/S FOR B.WALCH DRL FOR N. WILETT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ASEC ZI SUBJECT: SADC TROIKA SUMMIT: MDC TO REENGAGE Classified By: Ambassador Charles Ray for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (U) After a one-day Summit of the Troika of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation in Maputo on November 5, the MDC agreed to suspend its disengagement from ZANU-PF. The Summit (as set out in a Communique) decided that: --the parties to the GPA (ZANU-PF, MDC-T, and MDC-M) should engage in dialogue within 15 to 30 days; --the dialogue should include all outstanding issues emanating from the implementation of the GPA and SADC Communique of January 27; --the Facilitator (South Africa) will evaluate progress and report back to the Organ. Additionally, the Summit urged the international community "to lift all forms of sanctions on Zimbabwe." ¶2. (C) Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara (MDC-M) gave us his impressions by phone from Maputo. He said the Troika, as well as South African President Jacob Zuma, was engaged and insistent that outstanding GPA issues be resolved. (NOTE: We understand Zuma will travel to Harare next week to represent the Facilitator. END NOTE.) Mutambara thought SADC had put its reputation on the line by directly calling for the resolution of outstanding issues and establishing a time line to do so. ¶3. (C) According to Mutambara, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai presented MDC-T's usual list of outstanding issues: Removal of Attorney General Tomana and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gono, appointment of Roy Bennett as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and appointments of MDC provincial governors. President Robert Mugabe presented what he termed ZANU-PF's outstanding issues: Removal of sanctions, MDC-T parallel government funded by the West, pirate radio stations, and Western calls for regime change. ¶4. (C) Mutambara opined that sanctions was the most problematic. Mugabe told the Troika that Tsvangirai had asked the U.S. and others to keep sanctions in place. While Tsvangirai obviously could not remove sanctions, Mutambara thought he would somehow have to satisfy Mugabe on this issue. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) While giving Tsvangirai and MDC-T a face-saving way to rejoin cabinet, the Maputo Summit kicked the can down the road. There are a couple of silver linings. It appears that Zuma will become directly engaged on Global Political Agreement (GPA) issues and wants a resolution. Secondly, ZANU-PF has been claiming that the MDC's outstanding issues are not in fact issues since they are not contained in the GPA, but were raised in the January SADC Communique. The Maputo Summit Communique states that "the parties should fully comply with the spirit and letter of the GPA and SADC Summit decisions of 27 January 2009." ¶6. (C) Tsvangirai privately has taken the position that targeted sanctions against individuals should remain in place as they represent a response to actions that have undermined democracy and the welfare of the Zimbabwean people. On the other hand, he believes that sanctions against a number of Qother hand, he believes that sanctions against a number of business entities should be removed as they are an impediment to efforts to revive the economy. Similarly, he believes that consideration should be given to repealing ZDERA as part of a process of reengaging with international financial HARARE 00000885 002 OF 002 institutions. In light of the Maputo SADC Communique calling on the international community to lift sanctions, and expected pressure from Zuma, we suspect that Tsvangirai will publicly have to support lifting of sanctions on entities, and possibly the repeal of ZDERA. RAY