DEMARCHE DELIVERED: KP CHAIR EXPLAINS HIS ZIMBABWE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 WINDHOEK 000315

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EEB/ESC BRAD BROOKS-RUBIN; AF/S PHAEDRA GWYN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD ECON PHUM ASEC ZI WA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: KP CHAIR EXPLAINS HIS ZIMBABWE
TRIP

REF: A. STATE 91834

B. HARARE 263

C. WINDHOEK 85

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DENNISE MATHIEU for 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Ambassador Mathieu delivered demarche (reftel A) to
Kimberley Process Chair Bernhard Esau September 2. Esau, who
is also Namibia's Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy,
characterized his mid August trip to Zimbabwe as a bilateral
mission, not as an official KP Chair visit. The trip
resulted in the Zimbabwean government's (GOZ) submission of
an action plan to bring Zimbabwe into compliance with the KP,
claimed Esau. The KP Chair acknowledged that he had not
briefed KP members before his trip, but defended his
impromptu visit stating that campaigning for upcoming
national elections in Namibia would have precluded a later
trip to Zimbabwe. Namibian Diamond Commissioner Kennedy
Hamutenya, also in attendance, argued that alarming reports
from Marange required the KP Chair's urgent action. Esau
asserted that he never suggested nor publicly stated that the
KP had chosen not to pursue suspension of Zimbabwe, despite
press reports to the contrary. The KP Chair is optimistic
his efforts will lead to a solution to the Zimbabwe problem
at the upcoming KP Plenary Session, scheduled for November
2-6 in the coastal Namibian city of Swakopmund. End Summary

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Demarche Delivered
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2. (SBU) On September 2, Ambassador Mathieu delivered reftel
A demarche to Namibia's Minister of Mines and Energy Bernhard
Esau who currently serves as the Chair of the Kimberley
Process. Namibian Diamond Commissioner Kennedy Hamutenya and
KPSC Coordinator Cecile Mbundu also attended. Econoff served
as note taker.

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A Bilateral Visit
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3. (C) Esau characterized his trip to Zimbabwe during the
week of August 17 as a bilateral visit designed to capitalize
on Namibia's special relationship with the Zimbabwean
government (GOZ). The Ambassador responded that few KP
observers likely recognized that the visit was a bilateral
mission, and pointed out that his remarks quoted in the
Zimbabwean press had been attributed to him as the KP Chair.
Emphasizing that Zimbabwe has posed a problem for the KP
since 2004, Esau explained that the Namibian government (GRN)
has a unique ability to influence the GOZ that other KP
members simply do not have. Israel, the next KP Chair, would
have a more difficult time trying to find a solution since it
lacked Namibia's special relationship with Zimbabwe, Diamond
Commissioner Hamutenya remarked.

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An Urgent Response Was Needed
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3. (C) Esau stated that, after the August 4 conference call
with the Working Group on Monitoring (WGM),he felt compelled
to try to push the GOZ to begin responding to the initial
recommendations that emerged from the July Review Mission to
Zimbabwe. He asserted that the upcoming Namibian national
elections in November prompted him to travel to Zimbabwe
without prior consultations. Esau, who is also a member of
parliament for the ruling SWAOP party, noted that he would be
busy campaigning starting the weekend of September 5.


4. (C) The Diamond Commissioner added that the WGM moves
very slowly, often taking months to deliberate, but "alarming
reports" from Zimbabwe forced the Chair to act quickly.
Sources had sent the KP chair reports that the
demilitarization of Marange had resulted in a huge influx of
people to the area, prompting fears of a resumption of
illicit diamond mining, explained Hamutenya. Furthermore,
the Chair had received allegations that witnesses who had
provided information to the July Review Mission team were
suffering from intimidation. At least one case - the
ransacking of a local chief's house - proved unfounded,

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according to Hamutenya.

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Misconstrued by the Press
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5. (C) The Chair acknowledged that he had not briefed KP
members prior to his trip to Zimbabwe, but stressed that the
press had played a major role in his visit being
misunderstood. He claimed that he was "shocked" by how
Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper reported his statements regarding
the KP's views and deliberations on Zimbabwe. Esau
explained that is remarks to the press in Harare were "guided
by the statements of the Working Group on Monitoring" and
that he never suggested that Zimbabwe's suspension from the
KP was off the table. Hamutenya noted that the KP Chair and
his team were in Angola and were basically incommunicado when
the story hit the internet, thereby delaying the KP Chair's
response.


6. (C) Pointing to a document that he did not share, Esau
indicated that he had a written statement nearly ready that
would resolve any misperceptions surrounding his visit to
Zimbabwe. Responding to the Ambassador's urging, Esau
committed to circulate and coordinate the statement with WGM
members prior to his posting it on the KP website. (Note:
Shortly after the meeting, the KP Chair issued a statement
clarifying his visit to Zimbabwe. The statement taken almost
verbatim from text proposed and drafted by the Working Group
on Monitoring has been posted on the KP website. End Note).

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Making Progress?
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7. (C) As a result of his trip, Esau explained, the GOZ
offered a timetable and action plan to respond to the Review
Mission's recommendations to bring Zimbabwe into KP
compliance. The Ambassador encouraged the Chair to share the
plan with members of the WGM so they could evaluate it.
Asked how the Chair would respond if the plan did not fully
satisfy the WGM, Esau explained that it was just a starting
point, a first draft in which to begin negotiations.

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Plenary Date Set
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8. (C) The KP Chair acknowledged that his team was behind in
its planning for the KP plenary session, but revealed that it
would take place November 2-6 in Swakopmund, with invitations
to be sent in the coming days. Esau boasted that the
organization of the meeting would be "very good" and hoped it
would yield a solution to the Zimbabwe problem. Esau also
indicated he would work to see Mozambique and other non-KP
countries join the plenary.

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Regional Task Force
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9. (C) The KP Chair also remarked that he had discussed the
formation of a Regional Task Force with GOZ officials. The
Review Mission included creation of a Regional Task Force as
one of its recommendations in its July interim update report.
He noted that the Task Force, to be comprised of senior
officials from Southern African Development Community (SADC)
countries, would provide administrative oversight of a
compliance monitoring team that would be based in Marange.

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Comment
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10. (C) Esau's trip to Zimbabwe was likely his attempt to
try to reconcile two competing obligations, his
responsibilities as the KP Chair, and the GRN's policy of
non-interference (and historical support) for the GOZ. We
expect Esau to try to position Zimbabwe in the most favorable
position possible and try to resolve issues regarding
suspension prior to the end of his tenure as Chair.


11. (C) Following numerous emails and letters from WGM
members, as well as Ambassador Mathieu's demarche, Esau
appears to have understood that his lack of coordination and

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consultation has raised serious concerns about his
chairmanship amongst the KP membership. He also seems to
understand that delivering a well executed plenary session
may be an opportunity to redeem himself, but whether he can
adequately focus on the plenary with Namibia's national
elections following just three weeks later (November 27-28)
remains to be seen. End Comment.
MATHIEU