Botswana President Ian Khama said he believed that he was being isolated within the Southern African Development Community because of his outspokenness.
Khama was seen as a staunch supporter of Movement for Democratic Change leader and Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai.
He said he believed that the only solution to Zimbabwe’s problems was internationally supervised elections.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE1037, NOTES ON TSVANGIRAI, KHAMA
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO5759
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #1037 3251430
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 201430Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3713
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2441
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2559
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1059
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1835
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2190
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2615
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5043
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1707
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001037
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: 11/20/2018
SUBJECT: NOTES ON TSVANGIRAI, KHAMA
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (U) The Ambassador attended a meeting November 20 of
donor Heads of Mission. The following information was shared:
¶2. (SBU) MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai was well received
in Strasbourg at the European Development Days conference.
He met with EC Commissioner Louis Michel and the AU’s Jean
Ping and addressed the closing ceremony on the political and
humanitarian crises. Tsvangirai is expected in South Africa
on Saturday to speak with the Elders delegation planning a
visit to Zimbabwe (Graca Machal, Kofi Annan and Jimmy
Carter). (NOTE: The government press is reporting that the
GOZ is investigating Tsvangirai for immigration violations,
alleging that his emergency travel document is good for
travel only to South Africa and Swaziland. There is no
indication that the government is about to issue him a
passport. The government press is also reporting that the
Elders will not be welcome in Zimbabwe at this time. END
NOTE.)
¶3. (C) The new Canadian ambassador to Zimbabwe is also
responsible for Botswana and presented her credentials to
President Ian Khama this week. Khama told her that SADC had
scheduled the Extraordinary Summit to exclude him since the
secretariat knew he was in the U.S. on private wildlife
conservation business. He believed that the only solution to
Zimbabwe was internationally supervised elections. He
admitted that his outspokenness is leading to his isolation
within SADC.
McGee
(16 VIEWS)
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