This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

161433Z Mar 01


                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6762

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      LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   
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      DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /009W
                  ------------------D2D6DA  161436Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8452
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 
AMEMBASSY KIGALI 
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY LUANDA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 

                       CONFIDENTIAL    

PAGE 02        HARARE  01048  01 OF 02  161436Z

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/11 
TAGS: PREL MCAP MOPS PINR CG AO UG ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE HAPPY WITH US POSITION ON THE 
CONGO, MYSTIFIED BY THE BELGIANS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) DURING A ONE-AND-A-HALF-HOUR-MEETING MARCH 16 IN 
HARARE, VISITING MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CONGO 
EXPERT DAVID HAMADZIRIPI SHARED HIS GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS 
ON CERTAIN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONGO.  ACCORDING 
TO HAMADZIRIPI: 
 
--  THE ZIMBABWEANS ARE PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH THE 
U.S. ADMINISTRATION'S CURRENT STANCE ON THE CONGO.  HE 
CITED AS THE REASON FOR HIS HAPPINESS A RECENT 
CONVERSATION WITH AMBASSADOR CUNNINGHAM IN NEW YORK 
DURING WHICH THE LATTER REPORTEDLY SAID THAT THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION WAS PREPARED TO SUPPORT MONUC DEPLOYMENT; 
 
--  THE FRENCH INFORMED PRESIDENT MUGABE DURING THE 
LATTER'S RECENT TRIP TO PARIS THAT AMERICAN POSITION ON 
THE CONGO HAD "MOVED CLOSER" TO THEIR OWN (NFI); 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  01048  01 OF 02  161436Z 
 
--  ZIMBABWE IS MYSTIFIED BY BELGIUM'S RECENT, 
AGGRESSIVE INSERTION OF ITSELF INTO THE CONGO PEACE 
PROCESS.  HE SURMISED THAT BELGIUM FEELS A 
RESPONSIBILITY AS FORMER COLONIAL METROPOLE FOR THE 
CONGO'S SECURITY, BUT UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY THAT BRUSSELS 
HAS "OTHER INTERESTS" IN THE CONGO.  THE ZIMBABWEANS SAW 
THE BELGIANS AS BEING AMBIVALENT ABOUT JOSEPH KABILA, 
CLOSE TO THE UNARMED OPPOSITION IN THE CONGO AND HAVING 
LITTLE USE FOR ANY OF THE REBEL MOVEMENTS; 
 
--  ZIMBABWE HAS NO QUARREL OR TENSIONS WITH THE 
ANGOLANS OVER WHO HAS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE IN THE 
CONGO, ALTHOUGH HE PROFESSED TO UNDERSTAND HOW SUCH AN 
IMPRESSION MIGHT HAVE BEEN CREATED.  HE CLAIMED THAT 
PRESIDENT DOS SANTOS PERSONALLY SACKED FORMER ANGOLAN 
ARMED FORCES CHIEF JOAO DE MATOS, WHOSE MAIN SIN WAS 
ENTERING INTO AN EXCESSIVELY CLOSE EMBRACE WITH THE 
UGANDANS.  HAMADZIRIPI RECOUNTED HOW AT ONE SUMMIT IN 
LUANDA THEN PRESIDENT LAURENT KABILA ASKED DOS SANTOS TO 
PRACTICE TRANSPARENCY WITH RESPECT TO HIS DEALINGS WITH 
OUTSIDERS AND EXPLAIN MATOS' INVITATION TO HIS UGANDAN 
COUNTERPART TO VISIT LUANDA.  THE ANGOLAN PRESIDENT, WHO 
HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED ON THE INITIATIVE, REMAINED SILENT. 
"JOAO DE MATOS BEHAVED AS IF HE WERE THE HEAD OF STATE 
IN WAITING," THE ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT STATED, AND WHEN 
THE ANGOLAN PRESIDENT WENT ON A VISIT TO THE FAR EAST IN 
JANUARY HE MADE CERTAIN TO INCLUDE THE ALREADY FIRED 
FORMER GENERAL IN HIS TRAVELING PARTY; 
 
--  RWANDA'S CLAIM THAT IT IS IN THE CONGO BECAUSE IT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  01048  01 OF 02  161436Z 
HAS SECURITY CONCERNS IS A SHAM.  THE ZIMBABWEANS ARE 
SINCERELY READY TO WORK WITH THE RWANDANS ON IDENTIFYING 
AND DEALING WITH GENOCIDAIRES.  WHEN PATRICK MAZIMHAKA 
AND RWANDA'S AMBASSADOR IN PRETORIA VISITED HARARE 
RECENTLY TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS THEY MISSED AN 
OPPORTUNITY BY NOT PUTTING THEIR CARDS ON THE TABLE; 
 
--  THERE IS NO REAL RESENTMENT THAT JOSEPH KABILA HAD 
NOT MADE AN EARLY VISIT TO HARARE, ALTHOUGH IN SOME 
QUARTERS THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR HIM TO DO SO. 
HAMADZIRIPI EXPLAINED THAT THE WAY THE LEADERSHIP HERE 
SEES IT, KABILA SHOULD BE WORKING TO ESTABLISH THE 
PERCEPTION THAT HE IS HIS OWN MAN, RATHER THAN BE SEEN 
TO BE RUNNING TO THE ALLIES FOR EVERY LITTLE THING.  THE 
ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT DID SAY THAT KABILA  HAS COME UNDER 
PRESSURE AT HOME TO CUT BACK ON HIS TRAVEL ABROAD AS 
THERE ARE PROBLEMS APLENTY AT HOME.  HAMADZIRIPI ALSO 
OBSERVED THAT IN KATANGA THE ZIMBABWEANS WERE 
UNIVERSALLY WELCOMED WHEREAS IN KINSHASA THEY WERE LESS 
GLADLY RECEIVED; 
 
--  ZIMBABWE AND THE ALLIES WILL BEGIN WITHDRAWING FROM 
THEIR POSITIONS PER THE KAMPALA AGREEMENTS AND HARARE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO0226 
 
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ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  SMEC-00  USNW-00  DINT-00 
      DODE-00  DOEE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00 
      FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00 
      LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01 
      PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSO-00 
      SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01 
      DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /009W 
                  ------------------D2D6E4  161436Z /38 
O 161433Z MAR 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8453 
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 
AMEMBASSY KIGALI 
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY LUANDA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  01048  02 OF 02  161436Z 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/11 
TAGS: PREL MCAP MOPS PINR CG AO UG ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE HAPPY WITH US POSITION ON THE 
CONGO, MYSTIFIED BY THE BELGIANS 
 
SUB-PLANS WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  HE CLAIMED THAT ANY 
SLOWNESS IN DEPLOYING WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMUNICATIONS 
PROBLEMS.  ZIMBABWE AND THE CONGOLESE ARMY (FAC) ARE 
PREPARED NOT TO REOCCUPY PWETO IF IT WOULD HELP MONUC. 
ZIMBABWEAN ARMY COMMANDER CONSTANTINE CHIWENGA WAS 
CURRENTLY IN KINSHASA NEGOTIATING THE WITHDRAWAL 
MODALITIES WITH THE UN; 
 
--  BEGINNING POSSIBLY IN APRIL, ZIMBABWE WILL START 
BRINGING HOME THE TROOPS IT SENT TO THE CONGO IN THE 
IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF LAURENT KABILA'S ASSASSINATION 
AND MORE.  HE SAID THAT HIS COUNTRY'S MILITARY ASSESSED 
THAT IN SPITE OF CLAIMS OF MASSIVE TROOP WITHDRAWALS, 
UGANDA HAD ONLY BROUGHT HOME 569 MEN.  "THEIRS IS A 
GAME, A DANGEROUS GAME," THE ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMAT 
AVERRED. 
 
¶2.  (C)  COMMMENT: HAMADZIRIPI CONSISTENLY HAS BEEN OUR 
MOST FRANK AND BEST-INFORMED INTERLOCUTOR WHO IS EASILY 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  01048  02 OF 02  161436Z 
ACCESSIBLE.  HE IS VERY CLOSE TO FOREIGN MINISTER 
STANISLAUS MUDENGE AND THUS IS ABLE TO SPEAK 
AUTHORITATIVELY ON ZIMBAWEAN DIPLOMATIC POSITIONS.  HIS 
POSTING TO KINSHASA IN OCTOBER 2000 HAS BEEN A REAL LOSS 
TO US.  OF COURSE, LIKE MOST CIVIL SERVANTS HERE, HE 
DISPENSES REAL INFORMATION PARSIMONIOULSY, ALWAYS PORTRAYS 
HIS GOVERNMENT'S POSITION IN THE MOST FAVORABLE LIGHT 
AND SEEKS TO INFLUENCE AS MUCH AS TO INFORM.  NEVERTHELESS, 
WE FIND HIS ACCOUNT A CREDIBLE REFLECTION OF HIS GOVERNMENT'S 
THINKING ON THE ISSUES DESCRIBED. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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