Rare victory for Mugabe

While the local private media was still questioning President Robert Mugabe’s legitimacy, he received a tremendous morale booster when Zimbabwe was elected to the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights barely two months after his disputed victory.

The Herald hailed Zimbabwe’s election as another victory over Britain.

“The election of Zimbabwe to the influential 15-member Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights is an intrepid demonstration of the international community’s confidence in the country and its role in international affairs,” the paper said.

“We applaud the latest victory over Britain and its allies who have ganged up to demonise the government and President Mugabe. The election is recognition of Zimbabwe’s respect for human rights and democracy.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE1090, MEDIA REPORT ZIM’S ELECTION TO COMMISSION ON

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001090

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND

SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR

JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ZIM’S ELECTION TO COMMISSION ON

HUMAN RIGHTS; HARARE

¶1.   Under headline “Another victory over Britain,” the

government-controlled daily “The Herald” dedicated

its May 2 editorial to hailing Zimbabwe’s election

to the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights as

“an intrepid demonstration of the international

community’s confidence in the country,” adding that

Zimbabwe’s election was also a “victory over

Britain and its allies who have ganged up to

demonize” Mr. Mugabe’s government.

¶2.   “The election of Zimbabwe to the influential 15-

member Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights is an

intrepid demonstration of the international community’s

confidence in the country and its role in international

affairs. We applaud the latest victory over Britain

and its allies who have ganged up to demonize the

government and President Mugabe. The election is

recognition of Zimbabwe’s respect for human rights and

democracy. It has also over-ridden the erroneous

impression of a pariah state that has been portrayed by

the Western media and some governments. . . The latest

British defeat means that alleged human rights abuses

in Zimbabwe will not be used as a weapon to tarnish the

image of the country. . . Zimbabwe now needs to use

its position on the 15-member commission to be the

voice of the voiceless that have endured untold

suffering at the hands of the same forces that seek to

entrench their dominance on the earth. We hope that

sense will finally prevail and those tormenting

Zimbabwe will realize that their sinister actions have

been exposed. The only way for them to save face would

be to join the other nations in rallying behind

Zimbabwe’s efforts to redistribute land.”

SULLIVAN

(10 VIEWS)