VZCZCXRO9232
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHTO #0616/01 1841221
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021221Z JUL 08  ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9066
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0189
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000616 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y ( TELEGRAM RECEIVED WITH MISSING PARAGRAPHS) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2018 
TAGS: PHUM PREL SMIG PREF PGOV MZ ZM
SUBJECT: NUMBER OF ZIMBABWEAN POLITICAL REFUGEES ON THE RISE 
 
MAPUTO 00000616  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Todd Chapman for Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Poloffs recently met with the UNHCR 
representative in Maputo to discuss the Zimbabwe political 
situation's affect on Mozambique and subsequently visited the 
Mozambique/Zimbabwe border towns of Machipanda, Manica, and 
Chimoio on June 26-27 to gauge the situation on the ground 
prior to the elections.  While the atmosphere appeared to be 
"business as usual" on the surface, visits with local 
government officials, Mozambican NGOs, and multilateral 
organizations revealed that a growing number of Zimbabweans 
are entering Mozambique and requesting asylum to escape 
political violence.  In addition, sources highlighted claims 
that elements of Zimbabwean police intelligence were entering 
Mozambique to round up MDC supporters.  With Mugabe "winning" 
the runoff and already sworn in for another term, the stream 
of Zimbabweans entering Mozambique is expected to continue. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) UNHCR representative in Maputo Victoria Akyeampong 
told poloff June 24 that cooperation with the Mozambican 
government (GRM) concerning the Zimbabwe crisis has been 
"difficult."  Despite an increase in the number of 
Zimbabweans entering Mozambique, the GRM continues to treat 
them as "normal SADC traffic."  According to Akyeampong, the 
GRM refugee agency INAR has, on several occasions, refused to 
respond to UNHCR's request to initiate a process that would 
culminate with Zimbabweans in Mozambique being granted 
refugee status.  The UNHCR recently secured an arrangement 
whereby the UNHCR will identify camps in the three provinces 
bordering Zimbabwe (Manica, Tete, and Gaza) providing 
assistance and temporary protection to Zimbabweans, making 
them immune from deportation even if their documents expire. 
UNHCR has already identified possible camp sites in Gaza and 
is looking a site in Manica and Tete.  The arrangement was 
reached on the condition that UNHCR's involvement is solely 
on the basis of a first-of-its-kind case study and not as a 
refugee situation. 
 
¶3. (C) Akyeampong noted that while previously most 
Zimbabweans coming to Mozambique were seeking food and a 
better economic situation, the pattern has changed since the 
first round of elections in March to mostly include MDC 
sympathizers who have no intention of returning to Zimbabwe 
while Mugabe remains in power.  She estimated that there are 
approximately 200,000 Zimbabweans currently in Mozambique. 
She also said that UNHCR had received reports that Zimbabwean 
intelligence agents or possibly ZANU-PF officials have been 
entering Mozambique to harass MDC sympathizers and take them 
back to Zimbabwe.  UNHCR believes that these acts are being 
perpetrated with the tacit approval of local Mozambican 
authorities.  This information was repeated in a separate 
meeting on June 26 with UNHCR's local field representative in 
Chimoio Josep Zapatera (strictly protect), who specifically 
cited examples of such occurrences in Gaza province. 
Zapatera (on loan from UNCHR Afghanistan and with previous 
work experience in Bosnia and Serbia) has been in-country for 
a month and spends most of his time interviewing Zimbabweans 
in small camps in the bush.  He estimates that there are at 
least 3,000 Zimbabwean political refugees in Manica province 
alone, although officially UNHCR has received approximately 
600 applications for political asylum in the past month. 
Zapatera also relayed reports that Zimbabwean police and 
possible army units were stationed near the border to "catch" 
any returning MDC supporters attempting to vote in the June 
27 runoff. 
 
¶4. (SBU) At first glance, the June 26-27 drive by poloffs to 
the border towns of Machipanda, Manica, and Chimoio revealed 
a business as usual atmosphere.  Traffic along the corridor 
from Beira to the border was moderate and the towns showed no 
signs of being overwhelmed by Zimbabweans.  However, while 
Manica city, Mayor Mogne Candeeiro towed the usual party line 
that that Zimbabweans and Mozambicans have always been one 
big family, he did not hide frustration concerning the 
challenges his town is facing with the influx of Zimbabweans. 
 Candeeiro estimated that as much as a quarter of his town's 
45,000 residents are now Zimbabwean and noted that limited 
resources are creating a difficult situation.  Zimbabwean 
children receive schooling, medical services are provided to 
Zimbabweans, and a temporary site has been allotted for 
Zimbabweans to sell their products, but as the number of 
arrivals increase he is finding it more and more burdensome. 
Mozambicans in Manica city have been mostly accepting of the 
arrivals and generally are critical of Mugabe and ZANU-PF. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In Chimoio, residents share the critical view of 
Mugabe, in stark contrast to the local authorities.  Many of 
 
MAPUTO 00000616  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the people spoken with have visited Zimbabwe recently and 
think that Mugabe is plunging the country into an abyss.  One 
truck driver who has been visiting Zimbabwe regularly told 
poloff that he felt obliged to place ZANU-PF posters and 
bumper stickers on his truck while in Zimbabwe, so that the 
"war veterans," police, and intelligence officials would not 
harass him for being an MDC supporter.  Another Chimoio 
resident said he would not be visiting Zimbabwe as regularly 
as he used to because of the increased presence of armed 
Zimbabwean soldiers and sympathizers roaming around 
intimidating people. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: The party line towed by the local GRM 
officials during the meetings was decidedly out of touch with 
the views of local residents.  While UNHCR is attempting to 
adjust to the influx of more politically-oriented refugees 
entering the country, including MDC supporters, the GRM 
continues to deny the existence of these refugees.  More 
worrisome are the reports of tacit support for Zimbabwean 
officials to enter into Mozambique to pursue MDC supporters. 
Post will follow up with UNHCR officials to discuss next 
steps on addressing this troubling issue with senior GRM 
officials.  END COMMENT. 
 
Chapman