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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT LOUIS 000224 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E; AF/S 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI MP
SUBJECT: UK, AUSTRALIA AND US EMBASSIES JOINTLY DEMARCHE 
MAURITIAN PRIME MINISTER REGARDING ZIMBABWE 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Virginia M. Blaser 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On 24 June, DCM met with the High 
Commissioners of Australia and the UK to demarche the 
Mauritian Prime Minister regarding Zimbabwe.  The joint 
demarche was somewhat disappointing, with the Prime Minister 
agreeing to take only modest actions with regard to Zimbabwe. 
 Specifically, PM Ramgoolam agreed to call South African 
President Mbeki to express concern over the growing problems 
in Zimbabwe.  He also agreed to call for a SADC meeting 
regarding Zimbabwe during the upcoming African Union Summit 
in Egypt this week.  He did not agree with UK requests to 
make a formal statement of condemnation for the violence in 
Zimbabwe; nor did he agree to personally attend the AU 
summit.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) At the request of the UK High Commissioner, DCM and 
the Australian High Commissioner elected to do a joint 
demarche on Zimbabwe and on 24 June called for an urgent 
meeting with the Prime Minister.  At the last moment of the 
day, the PM agreed to an "immediate" meeting.  DCM opened the 
joint demarche noting the important role Mauritius plays in 
SADC as a strong and vibrant democracy.  She thanked 
Mauritius for sending observers, as part of their concern for 
human rights and electoral freedom in Zimbabwe, and asked for 
Mauritius to continue to take a forward-leaning stance in 
working toward stopping the violence and finding a 
resolution.  The UK High Commissioner focused his requests on 
obtaining the PM's commitment to make a public statement both 
against the violence and to note that Mauritius would not 
accept any results from Zimbabwe elections that may take 
place on 27 June.  Although diplomatic in response, PM 
Ramgoolam declined to make such a statement. He reasoned that 
making such statements would do two things; first, it would 
undermine the work of President Mbeki, who is conducting 
"behind closed doors" negotiations; and second, that such a 
statement could put at risk the handful of remaining 
Mauritians in Zimbabwe. 
 
¶3.  (C) The PM said that he spoke with Mbeki very late in the 
evening on 23 June, having returned Mbeki's call following 
the PM's long night in parliamentary budget discussions 
(NOTE: These discussions ended after midnight Mauritius time 
on 24 June). According to Prime Minister Ramgoolam, Mbeki was 
upset by the statements that had been made by other SADC 
countries, and felt strongly such statements were not helpful 
to his efforts.  For this reason, PM Ramgoolam is not 
inclined to make a statement because he does not wish to 
alienate President Mbeki.  Ramgoolam did agree, however, to 
call Mbeki again on 24 June to express greater concern over 
the lack of results from current negotiations and to urge him 
to affect positive results quickly. 
 
¶4. (C) Ramgoolam noted that during his conversation with 
Mbeki last night, Mbeki did not mention the UN Security 
Council statement. Ramgoolam speculated that perhaps the 
statement had not been concluded prior to his phone call with 
Mbeki. The PM believes that Mbeki looks to him for support 
and guidance.  Ramgoolam did note that Mbeki expressed some 
guilt over a recent incident in which Mbeki convinced a 
member of the opposition, who was in South Africa as part of 
an opposition delegation meeting for negotiations with 
Zimbabwe government officials, to return to Zimbabwe. 
According to the PM, Mbeki spoke to Mugabe personally to 
ensure the safety of the returning opposition member and was 
satisfied that his safety was assured.  Unfortunately, 
immediately upon returning from South Africa, the opposition 
member was arrested. 
 
¶5. (C) Part way through the meeting with the PM, the 
Mauritian Foreign Secretary Anand Neewoor joined the meeting. 
 Neewoor noted shortly upon entering the PM's office that he 
was suspicious of Tsvangirai's presence in the Danish 
Embassy, implying that Tsvangirai is not a "courageous" 
leader because he is afraid to die.  The PM noted that it is 
important for leaders to be courageous, and gave an anecdote 
of death threats he received when he first decided to run for 
Prime Minister.  DCM acknowledged that it did indeed often 
take courage to be a leader, and asked the Prime Minister to 
consider the courage to take a proactive role, as both the 
leader of a key democracy in Africa and as a respected member 
of SADC. 
 
¶6. (C) The PM agreed that perhaps Mauritius could play a 
greater role, and to that end said he would ask for a SADC 
meeting on Zimbabwe along the margins of the upcoming AU 
 
PORT LOUIS 00000224  002 OF 002 
 
 
discussions in Egypt.  He noted, however, that he would not 
be attending the AU meeting because of parliamentary 
discussions still underway on his budget proposals for the 
year.  (COMMENT: Foreign Secretary Neewoor will be 
representing Mauritius at the AU summit.  Post doubts he will 
have much impact there.) 
 
¶7. (C)  As a final positive from the discussions, the PM did 
agree to keep Mauritian election observers in Zimbabwe for 
the present time.  He planned to speak to them in the next 
day or so, to get an on-the-ground account from his own 
staff.  He said he tried to contact them earlier, but did not 
have success in reaching them because phone service into 
Zimbabwe was "sometimes difficult." 
 
¶8. (C) On 23 June, DCM took advantage of a pre-arranged 
meeting with the Prime Minister's Cabinet Secretary, Suresh 
Seeballuck, to also raise the issue of Zimbabwe. During this 
meeting, Seeballuck expressed grave concern over the 
situation and repeated several times his disgust that Mugabe 
would claim to be in power as an "act of God."  He agreed 
that Mauritius should take a more active role, and promised 
to raise his opinions with the Prime Minister.  (Comment: 
While there was no evidence of Seeballuck's opinions 
surfacing during our meeting with the PM, Seeballuck is one 
of the few close advisors to the PM, and post believes his 
views will be considered when the PM makes decisions on 
Zimbabwe.  End Comment.) 
 
¶9.  (C) COMMENT: We expected Prime Minister Ramgoolam to be 
more inclined to action.  It is with disappointment that the 
joint demarche seemed, to Post, to make so little immediate 
headway.  The UK High Commissioner, however, felt quite 
differently. He remarked that in all the time the he had 
demarched the PM on Zimbabwe, this joint demarche was the 
first time the PM agreed on any action, however small.  END 
COMMENT. 
CABRERA