The European Union was banking on the Southern African Development Community to put pressure on Zimbabwe to honour its obligations under SADC agreements regarding good governance, rule of law, human rights and free elections.
This seemed to be a clear indication that its sanctions on Harare which had been in force for five years were not working.
Zimbabwe was harassing opposition Movement for Democratic Change politicians most of whom had to be hospitalised after being beaten up by police.
They included party president Morgan Tsvangirai, spokesman Nelson Chamisa, MP Sekai Holland and deputy secretary for external affairs Grace Kwinje.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 07BRUSSELS917, EU VIEWS SADC AS BEST VEHICLE TO PRESSURE ZIMBABWE
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO0478
RR RUEHAG RUEHMR RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHBS #0917/01 0791652
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201652Z MAR 07
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000917
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR AF/S STEVE HILL
DRL/MLGA JULIETA NOYES
IO/RHS DOUG ROHN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNHCR ZI EUN BE
SUBJECT: EU VIEWS SADC AS BEST VEHICLE TO PRESSURE ZIMBABWE
REF: A. STATE 34009
¶B. STATE 33357
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Laurence Wohlers for reason
s 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C) Summary: EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana urged
the government of Zimbabwe in a March 19 statement to respect
the rule of law, and the German EU Presidency has issued
three public statements since March 12 condemning Zimbabwe’s
violent crackdown of opposition politicians. The EU has
instructed its Ambassadors in member countries of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) to urge those
governments to hold Zimbabwe accountable under SADC
regulations regarding good governance, fair elections, and
respect for human rights. The EU does not believe that a
resolution during the current session of the UN Human Rights
Council would be productive. End Summary.
2.(C) Poloff delivered ref demarches March 20 to Peter
Clausen, Deputy Head of the Africa Unit at the EU Council’s
General Secretariat, and to Didier Cosse, Human Rights
administrator at the Council Secretariat. Clausen said the
EU views SADC as the best vehicle to pressure Zimbabwe as a
SADC member to honor its obligations under SADC agreements
regarding good governance, rule of law, human rights, and
free elections. The EU has instructed its Ambassadors in
SADC capitals to demarche those governments and request that
they pressure Zimbabwe to respect its SADC obligations. He
said the EU views SADC as a better organization to deliver
that message than the African Union, which is currently
stretched thin responding to crises in Sudan and Somalia.
The EU already has sanctions in place against the Zimbabwe
leadership.
3.(C) Both Clausen and Cosse rejected the idea of working
through the Human Rights Council (HRC) to pressure Zimbabwe.
They said that given HRC dynamics and voting patterns, any
action against Zimbabwe would likely be seen as an attack on
Africa as a whole by the West and would dilute HRC efforts to
take meaningful action against Sudan on Darfur. The EU is
putting all its efforts during the current HRC session into
achieving follow-up action on the HRC’s recently released
Sudan report and is optimistic that a number of African
countries, including Zambia and Ghana, seem to be supporting
the EU instead of voting in a bloc against it.
4.(U) The EU has issued four public statements since March 12
condemning Zimbabwe’s abuse of opposition politicians. The
first, on March 13, was a statement by the EU Presidency
condemning “the violent break-up of a peaceful, church
sponsored rally” during which one participant was killed, one
was injured, and many, including opposition leaders Morgan
Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, were arrested and abused.
SIPDIS
The second, also by the German Presidency, noted on March 14
the release of some opposition members and called for the
immediate release of the rest. The Presidency said, “It was
deeply concerned to learn of the serious injuries suffered by
the opposition leaders as a result of maltreatment. The
Presidency emphasizes once more the Zimbabwean Government’s
responsibility for the safety and well-being of those
arrested. The Presidency will continue to observe events in
Zimbabwe with interest.”
5.(U) The third Presidency statement, issued March 18, said,
in its entirety: “The EU Presidency was outraged and deeply
concerned by the news of the arrest and brutal treatment of
the opposition MP Nelson Chamisa (MDC) on 18 March. Mr.
Chamisa was on his way to Brussels to attend a meeting of
parliamentarians from ACP and EU countries. He is now lying
in a critical condition in a Harare hospital under police
guard. The MDC executive members Sekai Holland and Grace
Kwinjeh, who were detained temporarily and mistreated by the
police last week, were arrested again yesterday (Saturday)
without being charged and prevented from travelling to South
Africa for medical treatment. The opposition MP Arthur
Muambara was also arrested once more. The Presidency
welcomes the statements issued by John Kufuor, President of
the African Union, and Bishop Tutu, who both protested
against these incidents. The Presidency condemns these
actions by the security forces in the strongest possible
terms and calls on the Zimbabwean Government to release all
BRUSSELS 00000917 002 OF 002
detained opposition politicians immediately, to enable them
to have access to legal assistance and medical care, and to
allow representatives of the EU Presidency to visit the
detainees. It appeals to the Government to respect the rule
of law and human rights and to refrain from doing anything
which might lead to a further escalation of the situation in
Zimbabwe.”
6.(U) The most recent public statement, issued March 19 by
Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign
and Security Policy said, “I follow with growing concern the
evolution of the situation in Zimbabwe, in particular the
increasing use of direct violence against members of the
opposition. I urge the authorities of Zimbabwe to work for
the rule of law, without which it will be impossible for the
people of Zimbabwe to overcome the current difficulties.”
Additionally, the European Parliament on March 19 forbade
three Zimbabwean officials from entering Parliament. The
officials, described as lower level members of the ruling
party, were in Brussels to attend the meeting of African,
Caribbean and European parliamentarians, the same meeting
that Nelson Chamisa was trying to get to when he was detained
and beaten at Harare International Airport on March 18. The
European Parliament’s action was only symbolic since the
officials did not plan to attend Parliament, they were
attending meetings at another location. But Glenys Kinnock,
chairwoman of the EU delegation to the meeting, said it was
“completely unacceptable” for the government delegation to
have proceeded to Belgium knowing that Chamisa had been
beaten.
MCKINLEY
.
(16 VIEWS)
