Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa denied that Zimbabwean troops were involved in any new clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Tom McDonald, did not believe him.
McDonald had gone to see Mnangagwa to convey the Unites States government’s concern over reports that Zimbabwean troops were involved in new fighting in the DRC.
According to the ambassador, though now Speaker of Parliament, Mnangagwa was still actively involved in managing Zimbabwe’s economic and political affairs in the DRC.
Mnangagwa professed ignorance of an offensive by DRC forces in Katanga province.
He said it was not possible for Zimbabwean forces to be assisting in any offensive near Lake Tanganyika because Zimbabwe no longer had an airlift capability in the DRC and Zimbabwean forces pulled out of Kalemie on Lake Tanganyika long ago.
McDonald was not convinced. In his comment, he said Mnangagwa almost certainly pretended to be ignorant of the fighting in Katanga.
“He personally has too many financial interests at stake to be unaware of what’s going on, especially with his easy access to General Zvinavashe,” the ambassador said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE6175, ZIMBABWE LOOKING INTO KATANGA CLASHES
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
011532Z Nov 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTO1000
PAGE 01 HARARE 06175 011533Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 DCP-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-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /010W
——————99738D 011533Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7494
INFO NSC WASHDC
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RWANDA COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006175
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/10
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE LOOKING INTO KATANGA CLASHES
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 06175 011533Z
REFS: A) SECSTATE 208489, B) MAPUTO 4092
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS: 1.5
(B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY POLOFF (NOTETAKER),
MET SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA NOVEMBER 1
TO CONVEY USG CONCERN OVER RECENT REPORTS OF ZIMBABWEAN
INVOLVEMENT IN NEW FIGHTING IN THE DRC. MNANGAGWA, WHO
IS STILL ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MANAGING ZIMBABWE’S
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS IN THE DRC, PROFESSED
IGNORANCE OF AN OFFENSIVE BY FAC FORCES IN KATANGA
PROVINCE. HE ALSO SAID IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR
ZIMBABWEAN FORCES TO BE ASSISTING IN ANY OFFENSIVE NEAR
LAKE TANGANYIKA BECAUSE 1) ZIMBABWE NO LONGER HAS AN
AIRLIFT CAPABILITY IN THE DRC, AND 2) ZIMBABWEAN FORCES
PULLED OUT OF KALEMIE ON LAKE TANGANYIKA LONG AGO.
MNANGAGWA REITERATED A POINT HE HAS MADE TO US BEFORE
THAT KABILA OFTEN GOES BEHIND HIS ALLIES’ BACKS ON NEW
MILITARY OPERATIONS AND THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THEIR
BIGGEST QUARRELS WITH HIM.
¶2. (C) THE AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZED THAT MONUC’S MANDATE
EXPIRES DECEMBER 15 AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO STOP
FIGHTING SO THAT MONUC OBSERVERS CAN FULLY DEPLOY. THE
USG IS TELLING RWANDA AND UGANDA THE SAME THING AND
URGING THEM NOT TO TRY TO RETAKE LOST TERRITORY SO THAT
THE PEACE PROCESS STAYS ON TRACK. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
MEETING, MNANGAGWA TELEPHONED GENERAL VITALIS
ZVINAVASHE, COMMANDER OF THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 06175 011533Z
(ZDF), TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE KATANGA CLASHES.
ZVINAVASHE CONFIRMED THAT AN “INCIDENT” HAD TAKEN PLACE
IN KATANGA, BUT THAT IT INVOLVED FAC AND INTERAHAMWE
FORCES, AND NOT ZIMBABWEAN FORCES. NONETHELESS, THE ZDF
COMMANDER WAS GOING TO TALK TO HIS COMMANDERS IN THE DRC
AND PERSONALLY VISIT THE REGION ON NOVEMBER 3, ACCORDING
TO THE SPEAKER. THE AMBASSADOR SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS
SOME LOCAL ZIMBABWEAN COMMANDERS WERE ACTING ON THEIR
OWN IN HELPING THE CONGOLESE, TO WHICH MNANGAGWA REPLIED
THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT WAS OCCURRING SINCE THE ZDF
IS A VERY DISCIPLINED FORCE.
¶3. (C) COMMENT: MNANGAGWA, EVER COY WITH US ON DRC
MATTERS, ALMOST CERTAINLY PRETENDED TO BE IGNORANT OF
THE FIGHTING IN KATANGA. HE PERSONALLY HAS TOO MANY
FINANCIAL INTERESTS AT STAKE TO BE UNAWARE OF WHAT’S
GOING ON, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS EASY ACCESS TO GENERAL
ZVINAVASHE. NONETHELESS, MNANGAGWA, WHO REMAINS ONE OF
OUR FEW AUTHORITATIVE CONTACTS ON THE DRC IN THE
ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT, APPEARED TO TAKE OUR CONCERNS ON
BOARD. IF ZVINAVASHE INTENDS TO GO TO KATANGA THIS
WEEK, IT IS A SIGN THAT, AT A MINIMUM, ZIMBABWEAN FORCES
ARE THREATENED BY THE RECENT CLASHES. WE WILL BE
CONTACTING MINISTER OF STATE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
NICHOLAS GOCHE, WHEN HE RETURNS LATER THIS WEEK, TO GET
AN ADDITIONAL READ ON THE DRC FIGHTING. END COMMENT.
MCDONALD
CONFID
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