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FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0736
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0033
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0026
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

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 
------- 
 
¶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 
 
------------------ 
Demarche Delivered 
------------------ 
 
¶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. 
 
----------------- 
A Bilateral Visit 
----------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
----------------------------- 
An Urgent Response Was Needed 
----------------------------- 
 
¶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, 
 
WINDHOEK 00000315  002 OF 003 
 
 
according to Hamutenya. 
 
------------------------- 
Misconstrued by the Press 
------------------------- 
 
¶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). 
 
---------------- 
Making Progress? 
---------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
---------------- 
Plenary Date Set 
----------------- 
 
 
¶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. 
 
------------------- 
Regional Task Force 
------------------- 
 
¶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 
 
WINDHOEK 00000315  003 OF 003 
 
 
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