Ambassadors-designate from France, Germany and Canada were put in a quandary when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs threatened not to accredit them if they did not present their papers before President Robert Mugabe.
This was soon after the signing of the Global Political Agreement but the parties were haggling over the power-sharing arrangements.
The Ministry asked the embassies at short notice to present their papers but they claimed that they were not ready.
Following the threats the French and the German ambassadors said they would present their papers to Mugabe but stress that they were doing so in the context that he was the president according to the September agreement.
After the presentation they would meet with Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister-designate and Lovemore Moyo as Speaker of Parliament.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE916, MFA BUNGLES CREDENTIALS CEREMONY, THREATENS ENVOYS
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|
Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO6330
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0916/01 2840945
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 100945Z OCT 08 2ND ZDS PER NUM SVC’S
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3554
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2347
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2465
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0975
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1743
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2098
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2519
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4951
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1614
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000916
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B.WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018
SUBJECT: MFA BUNGLES CREDENTIALS CEREMONY, THREATENS ENVOYS
HARARE 00000916 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Charge d’Affaires Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (b) &
(d).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Japanese, French, German and Canadian
Ambassador-designates were invited to present letters of
credence to President Mugabe on October 9. Unfortunately,
only the Japanese Ambassador had his letters ready; the other
three explained to the Foreign Ministry that they could not
get the letters to Harare on such short notice. At 10 pm on
October 8, the MFA called the three and threatened that if
they failed to present the next day, they would never be
accepted. On October 9, the Japanese Ambassador presented
his credentials alone. The others believe Mugabe will
reconsider and they will be invited soon to another
credentials ceremony. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) On October 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited
Ambassadors-designate from Japan, Canada, Germany and France
for meetings with the Chief of Presidential Protocol to
discuss presentation of letters of credence; a date for the
credentials ceremony was not specified, but it was evident
that the GOZ was looking at October 9 or 10. Germany and
France informed the Ministry that their Ambassadors-designate
did not yet have the letters, and would not be able to
present until next week. Canada told the MFA that its
Ambassador-designate was currently in South Africa and that
Canada’s October 14 election was interrupting normal
governmental business, so the letters were not available.
Shortly after the French had informed the MFA, the Charges
d’Affaires from all three countries were convoked for an 11
am meeting with the MFA’s Permanent Secretary; fifteen
minutes after issuing the convocation, the meeting was
canceled.
¶3. (C) About 10 pm on October 8, an unidentified MFA protocol
official called the French and German residences and spoke
with the Ambassadors-designate; at about the same time a desk
officer called the Canadian Charge. The three diplomats were
told bluntly that if the Ambassadors-designate did not
present credentials on October 9, they would never be
permitted to present. The protocol official who called the
French and German envoys was extremely rude and menacing; the
desk officer who called the Canadian was polite but equally
unequivocal; the Canadian Charge was told the threat was
being made on the direct orders of President Mugabe. In each
case, the MFA was informed that the problem was technical in
that the letters were simply not ready, rather than
political. This explanation was not acknowledged. On
October 9, the Japanese Ambassador presented his credentials
alone.
¶4. (C) The European Union Heads of Mission discussed the
issue during a scheduled meeting on October 9. The French
and Germans will send a Note to the Ministry repeating the
explanation that the letters were not in hand on October 9.
According to the French Charge, they believe the MFA’s
threats will be reconsidered and the French and Germans
expect to be invited to present letters as early as next
week. Assuming this takes place, during their meetings with
Mugabe the French and German Ambassadors will stress the
critical nature of the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and
the urgent need to form a government to lead a response.
Following the ceremony, they will state publicly that they
presented their credentials to Mugabe as President in the
context of the September 15 agreement. They will seek to
meet (and be seen meeting) with Tsvangirai as Prime
Minister-designate and Lovemore Moyo as Speaker of the
National Assembly as soon after the credentials ceremony as
possible.
¶5. (C) COMMENT: We hope our counterparts are correct, and
HARARE 00000916 002 OF 002
that Mugabe and the MFA will swiftly back down from their
ill-advised threats. If Mugabe persists in responding to a
perceived political slight, instead of accepting assurances
in writing that failure to present on October 9 was due
merely to a technical deficiency, it will be a clear sign
that ZANU-PF’s siege mentality is preventing any rational
consideration of Zimbabwean national interests. END COMMENT.
DHANANI
(16 VIEWS)
