African peacekeeping force for DRC

Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge said leaders of the countries involved in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo were likely to formalise an agreement to send an African peacekeeping force to the DRC.

He said that more results were achieved when Heads-of- State were locked in a room together without their ministers and delegations.

Mudenge said defence ministers of the governments involved were also prepared to present their plans on implementing the 15km pullback agreed upon in Kampala.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE6643, ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON DRC

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

281350Z Nov 00

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO8049

PAGE 01        HARARE 06643 282205Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-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   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00

PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00

DSCC-00 PRM-02   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00

/011W

——————A4E720 282310Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7712

INFO NSC WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

RWANDA COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006643

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

USUN FOR HOLBROOKE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/10

TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV PINR ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON DRC

DEVELOPMENTS

REFTEL: LUSAKA 5253

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS: 1.5

(B) AND (D).

¶1. (C) IN A MEETING WITH ASSISTANT SECRETARY SUSAN E.

RICE NOVEMBER 15, ZIMBABWE FOREIGN MINISTER STAN MUDENGE

REPORTED THAT THE MAPUTO II SUMMIT, RESCHEDULED FOR

NOVEMBER 27, WAS EXPECTED TO FORMALIZE THE AGREEMENT

REACHED IN TRIPOLI TO SEND AN AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING FORCE

TO THE DRC. THE DEFENSE MINISTERS OF THE STATE ACTORS

WERE ALSO PREPARED TO PRESENT THEIR PLANS ON

IMPLEMENTING THE 15KM PULLBACK AGREED UPON IN KAMPALA.

THE MINISTER EMPHASIZED THE TRIPOLI AGREEMENT WILL

SUPPORT THE LUSAKA ACCORDS, NOT UNDERMINE THEM. HE

COMMENTED THAT MORE RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED WHEN HEADS-OF-

STATE ARE LOCKED IN A ROOM TOGETHER WITHOUT THEIR

MINISTERS AND DELEGATIONS. MUDENGE LATER TOLD THE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY THAT HE AND UGANDAN MINISTER AMAMA

MBABAZI WROTE THE TRIPOLI DRAFT DECLARATION, INDICATING

THAT RWANDA AND UGANDA ARE COMMITTED TO WITHDRAWING

THEIR FORCES FROM THE DRC, IF AN AFRICAN FORCE IS

DEPLOYED. THE MINISTER DID NOT EXPECT MUCH PROGRESS IN

THE JMC MEETING, HELD NOVEMBER 17-18 (REFTEL), BECAUSE

EACH SIDE WILL SIMPLY PRESENT THEIR ACCUSATIONS, KNOWING

FULL WELL THAT EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROPAGANDA.

¶2. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT ZIMBABWE’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 06643 282205Z

RECENT KATANGA CLASHES, MUDENGE DENIED ACTIVE ZIMBABWEAN

PARTICIPATION. HE SAID THAT IT IS NOT ZIMBABWE THAT IS

MOVING ITS FORCES IN KATANGA, BUT IT IS THE FAC. HE

ALSO BLAMED REBEL LEADER BEMBA FOR THE FIGHTING IN

EQUATEUR BECAUSE HE IS “BENT ON GOING TO KINSHASA.”

MUDENGE REMARKED THAT THERE IS GROWING FRUSTRATION AMONG

THE STATE PLAYERS WITH UGANDAN PRESIDENT MUSEVENI, BUT

DID NOT ELABORATE.

¶3. (U) ASSISTANT SECRETARY RICE CLEARED THIS MESSAGE.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

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