Goche told US ambassador MDC is a violent party

State Security Minister Nicholas Goche told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald that the Movement for Democratic Change was a violent party that imported weapons and had nefarious plans against the government.

The ambassador said the MDC was more astute than that and realised that if it was caught importing weapons it would invite a more extensive crackdown on its activities.

He said it was more important for both sides to use measured responses and not blow things out of proportion.

McDonald had gone to see Goche to get reassurances that the government would not arrest MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai over his remarks that if Mugabe did not go peacefully he would be removed violently.

Goche said he did not believe Tsvangirai would be arrested so long as the MDC did not follow through on his remarks and incite violent action against the government.

He characterised the remarks as a political statement to which the government responded with its own political statement saying it may arrest and prosecute Tsvangirai.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE5629, ZIMBABWE MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY SAYS MDC

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

041715Z Oct 00

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9109

PAGE 01       HARARE 05629 01 OF 03 041739Z

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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

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OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00

SP-00   SSO-00   SS-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00   DSCC-00

PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /012W

——————8D9F38 041748Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7278

INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

RWANDA COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 005629

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

USUN FOR HOLBROOKE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/10

TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PINR ZI CG

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY SAYS MDC

LEADER WILL NOT BE ARRESTED; NON-COMMITTAL ON DATE FOR

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 05629 01 OF 03 041739Z

WITHDRAWAL FROM DROC

REFS: A) HARARE 5579, B) HARARE 5585, C) HARARE 5602

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B)

AND (D).

¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ON OCTOBER 4, AMBASSADOR, R/P OFFICER,

AND POLOFF (NOTETAKER) CALLED ON MINISTER OF STATE FOR

NATIONAL SECURITY NICHOLAS GOCHE, WHO OVERSEES THE

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO). IN A ONE-ON-

ONE MEETING, AMBASSADOR URGED GOCHE TO USE RESTRAINT IN

DEALING WITH MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI FOR HIS

REMARKS AT A POLITICAL RALLY SEPTEMBER 30 (REF B). HE

TOLD THE MINISTER HE HAD MADE THE SAME POINT TO

TSVANGIRAI. GOCHE INFORMED AMBASSADOR THAT THE GOZ

SIPDIS

WOULD NOT/NOT ARREST TSVANGIRAI SO LONG AS THE MDC DID

NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON ITS STATEMENTS OF VIOLENT ACTION

AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. IN THE GENERAL MEETING, GOCHE

STRESSED THAT THE GOZ CONTINUES TO PRESS KABILA HARD TO

ABIDE BY LUSAKA AND BELIEVES THAT KABILA IS IN MORE OF A

CONCILIATORY MOOD AFTER HIS RECENT VISITS WITH MUGABE

(REF A). GOCHE INDICATED WITHDRAWAL PLANS EXISTED, BUT

WAS UNWILLING TO DISCUSS ITS IMPLEMENTATION DATE. END

SUMMARY.

——————————

GOZ WILL NOT ARREST TSVANGIRAI

——————————

¶2. (C) IN A BRIEF ONE-ON-ONE MEETING WITH MINISTER OF

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 05629 01 OF 03 041739Z

STATE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY NICHOLAS GOCHE, AMBASSADOR

STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF USING RESTRAINT WITH THE MDC

DESPITE THE UNWISE REMARKS MADE BY ITS LEADER, MORGAN

TSVANGIRAI, AT A RALLY SEPTEMBER 30 IN HARARE. (NOTE:

SIPDIS

TSVANGIRAI SAID THAT IF MUGABE DID NOT RESIGN SOON, HIS

SIPDIS

SUPPORTERS WOULD RESORT TO VIOLENCE TO FORCE HIM OUT.

MDC OFFICIALS HAVE SINCE BACKTRACKED ON THIS STATEMENT,

SAYING THAT THE PARTY DOES NOT INTEND TO VIOLENTLY

OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT BUT THAT ZIMBABWEANS MAY ACT

SPONTANEOUSLY IF MUGABE DOES NOT LEAVE OFFICE SOON. IN

FACT, THE MDC LEADERSHIP IS EMBARRASSED BY TSVANGIRAI’S

GAFF. SEE REF B). GOCHE, WHO OVERSEES THE CIO FROM THE

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE, ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THAT

TSVANGIRAI WOULD NOT BE ARRESTED SO LONG AS THE MDC DOES

SIPDIS

NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON HIS REMARKS AND INCITE VIOLENT

ACTION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. GOCHE CHARACTERIZED THE

REMARKS AS A POLITICAL STATEMENT, TO WHICH THE GOZ

RESPONDED WITH ITS OWN POLITICAL STATEMENT SAYING IT MAY

ARREST AND PROSECUTE TSVANGIRAI. GOCHE DESCRIBED THE

EXCHANGE AS POLITICAL POSTURING THAT WOULD PROBABLY NOT

AMOUNT TO MUCH. THE AMBASSADOR INFORMED GOCHE THAT WE

HAVE URGED TSVANGIRAI AND HIS TEAM TO EXERCISE

RESTRAINT.

¶3. (C) MORE OMINOUSLY, HOWEVER, GOCHE WENT ON TO SAY

THAT HE BELIEVES THE MDC IS A VIOLENT PARTY THAT IMPORTS

WEAPONS AND HAS NEFARIOUS PLANS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

GOCHE CITED THE SEPTEMBER 14-15 RAID ON THE MDC

HEADQUARTERS. THE AMBASSADOR INTERJECTED, SAYING THAT

THE MDC IS MORE ASTUTE THAN THAT AND SURELY REALIZES

THAT IF IT WAS CAUGHT IMPORTING WEAPONS, IT WOULD INVITE

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 05629 01 OF 03 041739Z

A MORE EXTENSIVE CRACKDOWN ON ITS ACTIVITIES.

AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH

SIDES TO USE MEASURED RESPONSES AND NOT TO BLOW THINGS

OUT OF PROPORTION.

————–

DROC SITUATION

————–

¶4. (C) IN THE GENERAL MEETING WITH R/P OFFICER AND

POLOFF (NOTETAKER), AMBASSADOR ASKED GOCHE FOR AN

APPRAISAL OF THE DROC SITUATION (GOCHE WAS IN THE REF B

MEETINGS BETWEEN KABILA AND MUGABE). THE MINISTER SAID

MONUC WAS STILL DEPLOYING DESPITE THE BUREAUCRATIC

DIFFICULTIES IT HAS ENCOUNTERED, AND IT WOULD BE IN

MBANDAKA SOON. HE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE RENEWED

FIGHTING IN EQUATEUR PROVINCE, AND SAID ZIMBABWE HAS

WARNED MLC LEADER BEMBA TO STOP HIS ADVANCE ON MBANDAKA.

NONETHELESS, ZIMBABWE REMAINS IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH

BEMBA AND HAS A GOOD RAPPORT WITH HIM, ACCORDING TO

GOCHE. BEMBA IS NOT A “CHESS PLAYER” (I.E., NOT A

SCHEMER) AND CAN BE TRUSTED WHEN HE SAYS THAT HE WILL

STOP FIGHTING ONCE KABILA STOPS FIGHTING.

——————————–

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9111

PAGE 01       HARARE 05629 02 OF 03 041739Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   MFA-01   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-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

IRM-00   SSO-00   SS-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00   DSCC-00

PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /011W

——————8D9F3E 041748Z /38

O 041715Z OCT 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7279

INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

RWANDA COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 005629

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

USUN FOR HOLBROOKE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/10

TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PINR ZI CG

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY SAYS MDC

LEADER WILL NOT BE ARRESTED; NON-COMMITTAL ON DATE FOR

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 05629 02 OF 03 041739Z

WITHDRAWAL FROM DROC

KABILA IN MORE CONCILIATORY MOOD

——————————–

¶5. (C) IN HIS MEETINGS WITH KABILA, MUGABE AGAIN

PRESSED KABILA HARD ON THE IMPORTANCE OF OBSERVING THE

LUSAKA CEASE-FIRE. WHEN ASKED IF MUGABE WAS BECOMING

ANGRY WITH KABILA’S RECALCITRANCE, GOCHE STATED THAT

MUGABE DOES NOT SHOW ANGER WITH KABILA, BUT DOES SPEAK

TO HIM IN STRONG TERMS. THE MINISTER BELIEVED THAT

KABILA GOT THE MESSAGE TO ABIDE BY LUSAKA. HE OBSERVED

THAT KABILA APPEARED MORE RELAXED AND FORTHCOMING WITH

MUGABE THAN IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, AND THAT KABILA WAS

COMING UP WITH NEW SUGGESTIONS ON THE WAY FORWARD,

SOMETHING HE WAS NOT PRONE TO DO IN THE PAST. GOCHE

SAID KABILA EVEN SHOWED SIGNS OF COMPROMISE ON THE

STATUS OF FORMER BOTSWANA PRESIDENT MASIRE AS

FACILITATOR, BUT THAT THIS WAS DISCUSSED PRIVATELY

BETWEEN KABILA AND MUGABE. GOCHE DID SAY THAT KABILA

WAS OPPOSED TO THE PRESENCE OF A MR. WINTER, A BRITISH

NATIONAL, AS MASIRE’S ASSISTANT FACILITATOR. KABILA

WANTS A FRENCH-SPEAKING AFRICAN IN THAT POSITION,

ACCORDING TO THE MINISTER.

———————————-

MBEKI EXTERNAL SIGNATORIES MEETING

———————————-

¶6. (C) SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT MBEKI’S PROPOSED MEETING

BETWEEN THE LUSAKA EXTERNAL SIGNATORIES IS DUE TO BE

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 05629 02 OF 03 041739Z

HELD “SOON,” GOCHE STATED, BUT NO FIRM DATE HAS BEEN SET

(SEE REF C). MBEKI HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED THE MEETING

FOR THE SEPTEMBER 30 WEEKEND, BUT MUGABE OBJECTED TO THE

SHORT NOTICE AND ASKED THAT IT BE SCHEDULED A LITTLE

LATER. THE PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE, WHICH IS TO

INCLUDE KABILA, IS TO REVIEW THE DROC CONFLICT, ENSURE

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LUSAKA, PUSH KABILA TO UNDERTAKE

THE INTERNAL DIALOGUE PROCESS, AND TELL HIM THAT HE

CANNOT BE A “PERPETUAL OBSTACLE” TO PEACE IN THE DROC.

GOCHE ADDED THAT ZIMBABWE DOES NOT SUPPORT THE “PERSON”

OF KABILA NECESSARILY, BUT THAT IT DOES SUPPORT THE

“SOVEREIGNTY OF THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE.” IF KABILA HELD

ELECTIONS AND WAS ELECTED, ZIMBABWE WOULD SUPPORT HIM

PERSONALLY IN THAT CASE.

——————————

NO DETAILS ON EARLY WITHDRAWAL

——————————

¶7. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF

ZIMBABWEAN FORCES FROM THE DROC, GOCHE WAS COY AND NON-

COMMITTAL. EVEN THOUGH HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PLANS WERE

ALREADY FORMULATED, HE WOULD NOT SAY IT WOULD HAPPEN

BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. GOCHE WAS RELUCTANT TO GO

INTO FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT A WITHDRAWAL, BUT SAID IT WAS

NOT CONTINGENT UPON MONUC DEPLOYMENT. AMBASSADOR ASKED

GOCHE IF ZIMBABWE WOULD WITHDRAW IF THERE WAS NOT A FULL

MONUC DEPLOYMENT IN DROC, AND HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW.

¶8. (C) COMMENT: WE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED BY GOCHE’S

STATEMENT THAT THE GOZ DOES NOT INTEND TO ARREST

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 05629 02 OF 03 041739Z

TSVANGIRAI AND WE SHARE HIS ASSESSMENT THAT THE BACK-

SIPDIS

AND-FORTH BETWEEN THE MDC AND ZANU-PF THIS WEEK OVER THE

ISSUE IS MORE ABOUT POLITICAL POSTURING THAN ANYTHING

ELSE. THEY DO NOT WANT TO MAKE TSVANGIRAI A MARTYR.

TSVANGIRAI’S OVERBLOWN STATEMENT WAS LIKELY DONE IN THE

SIPDIS

HEAT OF THE MOMENT, BUT NEITHER SIDE SEEMS EAGER FOR A

FIGHT IN THE CURRENT TENSE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT. OF

MORE CONCERN IS AN MDC ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE MASS STAY-

AWAYS OR A GENERAL STRIKE. IAN HAY-CAMPBELL, THE

BRITISH DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER HERE, TOLD US THAT THE

MDC LEADERSHIP HAS DECIDED TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY ANY

MASS ACTION IN LIGHT OF TSVANGIRAI’S WEEKEND STATEMENT.

¶9. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: REGARDING GOCHE’S STATEMENTS

ON THE DROC, WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THAT KABILA

SEEMS TO BE IN A MORE FLEXIBLE MOOD. THE ATTENTION AND

STRAIGHT TALK CONVEYED TO HIM BY HIS ALLIES IN THE LAST

WEEK HAS PROBABLY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.

HOWEVER, THERE STILL SEEMS TO BE UNCERTAINTY IN THE GOZ

ABOUT THE TIMING AND MANNER OF A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF

ZIMBABWEAN FORCES FROM THE DROC. OUR INTERLOCUTORS SAY

THAT IT IS NOT CONTINGENT UPON A MONUC DEPLOYMENT, BUT

IN REALITY, IT PROBABLY IS. MUGABE HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR

A FACE-SAVING WAY TO PULL OUT ALMOST SINCE HE WENT IN,

AND THE FULL MONUC DEPLOYMENT WILL GIVE HIM THAT.

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9110

PAGE 01       HARARE 05629 03 OF 03 041739Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   MFA-01   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-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

SSO-00   SS-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00   DSCC-00 PRM-01

DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /011W

——————8D9F3A 041748Z /38

O 041715Z OCT 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7280

INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

RWANDA COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 005629

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

USUN FOR HOLBROOKE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/10

TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PINR ZI CG

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY SAYS MDC

LEADER WILL NOT BE ARRESTED; NON-COMMITTAL ON DATE FOR

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 05629 03 OF 03 041739Z

WITHDRAWAL FROM DROC

MUGABE IS IN A RACE TO CONVINCE KABILA TO COOPERATE WITH

THE U.N. BEFORE THE FINANCIAL DRAIN AND POLITICAL

OPPOSITION ARISING FROM THE DROC DEPLOYMENT FURTHER

UNDERMINE HIS BID FOR RE-ELECTION. END COMMENT.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

>

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