R 290701Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3965
INFO SADC COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY MASERU

UNCLAS MASERU 000389 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ZI OVIP LT
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER VISITS THE MOUNTAIN KINGDOM OF LESOTHO 
 
SUMMARY:  Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi E. 
Frazer's visit to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho was a brief 
and productive journey to the highlands.  A/S Frazer arrived in 
Maseru mid-afternoon on Friday, December 19, toured one of the 
leading garment manufacturing factories operating under the 
African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), and met with the 
Prime Minister of the government of Lesotho (GOL) before 
departing to South Africa to continue her five country trip on 
the African continent.  End Summary. 
 
Assistant Secretary Frazer visited Lesotho to meet Foreign 
Minister Kenneth Mohlabi Tsekoa and Prime Minister Pakalitha 
Mosisili, primarily to discuss the continuing crisis in 
Zimbabwe.  In the initial meeting with Tsekoa , A/S Frazer noted 
the strength of bilateral relations, touching on the recently 
signed Millennium Challenge Account entry into force agreement 
and subsequent developments, the President's Emergency Plan for 
AIDS Relief , and the long-standing work of the U.S. Peace 
Corps.  She delivered the current U.S. policy on Zimbabwe.  Mr. 
Tsekoa also noted the strength of the U.S.-Lesotho relationship. 
 He said that Lesotho has taken diplomatic measures to try to 
marginalize Zimbabwe  in the Southern African Development 
Community (SADC), but these efforts have obviously fallen short. 
 
In his opinion, it is extremely unlikely that Zimbabwe's 
President Robert Mugabe will submit to international pressure 
and step down; he stated that short of a coup, nothing will 
remove Mugabe from power.  Tsekoa did note that the recent 
incidents involving unrest among Zimbabwe's security forces 
might be a sign that internal support for Mugabe may be waning. 
 
Prime Minister Mosisili then warmly welcomed A/S Frazer, coming 
to the meeting directly from the state funeral of the 
Chieftainess of the northern district of Berea who was also a 
Senator in the National Assembly.  He wore a traditional red 
blanket as a sign of respect to the deceased.  Mosisili was 
clearly delighted to meet A/S Frazer again.  He spoke about the 
excellent assistance Lesotho has received from the U.S. over 
many years and indicated that Lesotho has taken a consistent 
approach to the Zimbabwe issue, which had met with serious 
disfavor by Mugabe.  At the Doha International Conference on 
Finance for Development  in late November 2008, Mosisili said 
that he pointedly asked Mugabe how unelected Zimbabwe government 
ministers could represent the people of that country and said 
that Mugabe himself did not represent the majority of the 
Zimbabwe people.  Noting that Lesotho was the former chair of 
the Southern African Development Community (SADC), A/S Frazer 
requested Mosisili make a telephone call to the current chair of 
the African Union, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, to 
press for more firm support from African leaders to remove Mr. 
Mugabe from office.  Mosisili agreed to do so. 
 
Comment:  A/S Frazer's visit to Lesotho to consult on Zimbabwe 
is an indication of the strength of the bilateral relationship 
and a compliment to this tiny democracy.  Mosisili's open 
criticism of Mugabe is a much stronger stance than most of the 
region has taken, a hopeful sign that the GOL will continue to 
align itself with the U.S. to promote democracy, despite 
regional pressures to the contrary.  End comment. 
 
POWER