Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09OTTAWA167
2009-03-05 20:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ottawa
Cable title:
CANADA UPHOLDS NEED FOR TOUGH ZIMBABWE BENCHMARKS
how-toVZCZCXRO1228 PP RUEHAG RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMR RUEHMT RUEHPA RUEHQU RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVC DE RUEHOT #0167 0642019 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 052019Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9175 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 1417 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0267
C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000167
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EAID ZI CA
SUBJECT: CANADA UPHOLDS NEED FOR TOUGH ZIMBABWE BENCHMARKS
REF: A. STATE 18601
B. 08 OTTAWA 1424
C. OTTAWA 134
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000167
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EAID ZI CA
SUBJECT: CANADA UPHOLDS NEED FOR TOUGH ZIMBABWE BENCHMARKS
REF: A. STATE 18601
B. 08 OTTAWA 1424
C. OTTAWA 134
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Ahead of the March 20 informal meeting in Washington
of like-minded countries on Zimbabwe, Canada believes the
previously agreed benchmarks on political reconciliation and
reform remain valid. Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT) Director for Eastern and Southern
Africa Lisa Stadelbauer told poloff on March 3 that Canada's
broad message in Washington will be that like-minded
countries should remain firm in telling Zimbabwe that it must
make further "demonstrable" progress towards those milestones
before the international community re-engages. She said that
Canada remains "optimistic" that the new government in Harare
will eventually meet the benchmarks, but is also "troubled"
by the lack of progress on "low cost" issues, including
loosening of media restrictions and the release of political
prisoners.
2. (C) Stadelbauer noted that she had recently returned from
"good, productive" talks in London with British counterparts,
and that Canada and the UK were in sync on the need for real
progress on benchmarks. She added that the food security
situation had grown even more precarious since the Ottawa
meeting (ref b),according to Canada's head of mission in
Zimbabwe.
3. (C) DFAIT Eastern and Southern Africa Deputy Director Jeff
Senior separately confirmed to poloff on March 5 that Canada
has a "high degree of interest" in the meeting in Washington.
It plans to send DFAIT's Director General (Assistant
Secretary equivalent) for Africa, as well as the Canadian
International Development Agency's (CIDA) Africa Director
General. He noted that Canada's head of mission will be
flying in from Harare for the meeting as well. Senior
expressed a hope to see the meeting agenda as soon as
possible in order to enable DFAIT to coordinate on a "whole
of government" basis to prepare Canada's interventions.
Senior and Stadelbauer both expressed a keen interest in
knowing who will lead the meeting from the U.S. side.
4. (C) Senior also lamented that CIDA showed no flexibility
on further Canadian aid to Zimbabwe, absent complete
compliance with the benchmarks. Senior said that DFAIT had
urged CIDA -- unsuccessfully -- to show a greater willingness
to "meet Tsvangirai half way" and to "offer carrots to
reformers" within the government. He predicted that Canada
would be unlikely to respond positively to any new or
potential aid requests. (Note: Zimbabwe is not on Canada's
latest list -- ref c -- of priority assistance targets, now
down to 20 globally. End note)
Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
BREESE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EAID ZI CA
SUBJECT: CANADA UPHOLDS NEED FOR TOUGH ZIMBABWE BENCHMARKS
REF: A. STATE 18601
B. 08 OTTAWA 1424
C. OTTAWA 134
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Ahead of the March 20 informal meeting in Washington
of like-minded countries on Zimbabwe, Canada believes the
previously agreed benchmarks on political reconciliation and
reform remain valid. Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT) Director for Eastern and Southern
Africa Lisa Stadelbauer told poloff on March 3 that Canada's
broad message in Washington will be that like-minded
countries should remain firm in telling Zimbabwe that it must
make further "demonstrable" progress towards those milestones
before the international community re-engages. She said that
Canada remains "optimistic" that the new government in Harare
will eventually meet the benchmarks, but is also "troubled"
by the lack of progress on "low cost" issues, including
loosening of media restrictions and the release of political
prisoners.
2. (C) Stadelbauer noted that she had recently returned from
"good, productive" talks in London with British counterparts,
and that Canada and the UK were in sync on the need for real
progress on benchmarks. She added that the food security
situation had grown even more precarious since the Ottawa
meeting (ref b),according to Canada's head of mission in
Zimbabwe.
3. (C) DFAIT Eastern and Southern Africa Deputy Director Jeff
Senior separately confirmed to poloff on March 5 that Canada
has a "high degree of interest" in the meeting in Washington.
It plans to send DFAIT's Director General (Assistant
Secretary equivalent) for Africa, as well as the Canadian
International Development Agency's (CIDA) Africa Director
General. He noted that Canada's head of mission will be
flying in from Harare for the meeting as well. Senior
expressed a hope to see the meeting agenda as soon as
possible in order to enable DFAIT to coordinate on a "whole
of government" basis to prepare Canada's interventions.
Senior and Stadelbauer both expressed a keen interest in
knowing who will lead the meeting from the U.S. side.
4. (C) Senior also lamented that CIDA showed no flexibility
on further Canadian aid to Zimbabwe, absent complete
compliance with the benchmarks. Senior said that DFAIT had
urged CIDA -- unsuccessfully -- to show a greater willingness
to "meet Tsvangirai half way" and to "offer carrots to
reformers" within the government. He predicted that Canada
would be unlikely to respond positively to any new or
potential aid requests. (Note: Zimbabwe is not on Canada's
latest list -- ref c -- of priority assistance targets, now
down to 20 globally. End note)
Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
BREESE