Mnangagwa dodgy on foreign observers

Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald that foreign observers were welcome to Zimbabwe as they had been for every election since 1980 but when asked for a written invitation he said he could not issue one.

He said he would, however, propose to President Robert Mugabe to issue an oral invitation for foreign observers once an election date had been announced.

Mugabe and the chairman of the Delimitation Commission Justice Wilson Sandura had not yet agreed on an election date.

Mugabe wanted the elections in May but Sandura wanted then later.

Mnangagwa said Sandura had “his own agenda”.

 

 

Full cable:


Viewing cable 00HARARE2101, MNANGAGWA SAYS FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVERS

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

00HARARE2101

2000-04-14 12:11

2011-08-30 01:44

CONFIDENTIAL

Embassy Harare

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

 

141211Z Apr 00

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6351

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 02101 01 OF 02 141206Z

ACTION AF-00

 

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

SRPP-00 DS-00   EUR-01   VC-01   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00

IO-00   LAB-01   L-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   USIE-00 IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00  /013W

——————4BC90D 141206Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5767

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY KIGALI

AMEMBASSY KAMPALA

NSC WASHDC

DEPTTREAS WASHDC

SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002101

 

SIPDIS

 

DEPT FOR AF A/S RICE, AF PDAS POWELL,

AF DAS SCHNEIDMAN, AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER,

AND AF/S DESK OFFICER GURNEY

 

PASS TO USAID AFR/SA, WJEFFERS AND A/AID, RMCCALL

 

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 02101 01 OF 02 141206Z

 

LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/10

TAGS: PGOV PREL ZI CG

SUBJECT: MNANGAGWA SAYS FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVERS

WELCOME AND REVIEWS STATUS IN CONGO

 

REF: STATE 64290 (NOTAL)

 

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5

B/D.

 

1. (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD CALLED ON MINISTER OF

JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS EMMERSON

MNANGAGWA ON APRIL 14 TO ASK WHETHER FOREIGN OBSERVERS

WOULD BE WELCOME DURING THE GENERAL PARLIAMENTARY

ELECTIONS. THE JUSTICE MINISTER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH

THERE HAD BEEN SOME DESENTING VOICES, FOREIGN OBSERVERS

ARE WELCOME TO COME TO ZIMBABWE, AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR

EVERY ELECTION SINCE 1980. THERE IS NO CHANGE IN

POLICY, THE MINISTER AFFIRMED. AMBASSADOR MCDONALD THEN

ASKED FOR A WRITTEN INVITATION, BUT MNANGAGWA SAID THAT

ONE WOULD NOT BE FORTHCOMING. NEVERTHELESS, THE

MINISTER SAID HE WOULD PROPOSE TO PRESIDENT MUGABE TO

ISSUE AN ORAL INVITATION TO FOREIGN OBSERVERS WHEN HE

ANNOUNCED THE ELECTION DATE. THE AMBASSADOR THANKED THE

MINISTER, AND SAID THAT HE HOPED THE ZIMBABWEAN

GOVERNMENT WOULD GUARANTEE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF

THE OBSERVERS, BECAUSE IMAGES FLASHED AROUND THE WORLD

OF VIOLENCE IN HARARE AND ON THE FARMS HAD RAISED

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 02101 01 OF 02 141206Z

CONCERN IN WASHINGTON. MNANGAGWA FELT CONFIDANT THAT IT

COULD.

 

2. (C) THE MINISTER ALSO NOTED THE DISPUTE BETWEEN

JUSTICE SANDURA, CHAIR OF THE DELIMITATION COMMISSION,

AND THE PRESIDENT OVER THE ELECTION DATE. MNANGAGWA

SAID PRESIDENT MUGABE PREFERRED A DATE IN MAY, BUT

SANDURA “HAS HIS OWN AGENDA” AND WANTS IT LATER. THE

MINISTER SAID THE ISSUE HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED.

 

3. (C) TURNING TO MATTERS RELATING TO THE PEACE PROCESS

IN THE CONGO, THE AMBASSADOR INFORMED MNANGAGWA OF

SPECIAL ENVOY HOWARD WOLPE’S TRAVEL PLANS. THE MINISTER

AGREED TO RECEIVE WOLPE, TENTATIVELY THE AFTERNOON OF

APRIL 21. THE AMBASSADOR ALSO ASKED MNANGAGWA TO STRESS

TO PRESIDENT MUGABE THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO

RECEIVE S/E WOLPE. THE MINISTER AGREED TO DO SO.

 

4. (C) IN RESPONSE TO THE AMBASSADOR’S QUESTION,

MNANGAGWA SAID HE PLANNED TO TRAVEL TO KINSHASA ON APRIL

17, AT PRESIDENT KABILA’S INVITATION. HE BEGGED OFF

TRAVELING IMMEDIATELY, AS HE WISHED TO BE BRIEFED BY

PRESIDENT MUGABE, WHO ONLY RETURNS TO HARARE ON APRIL

16, REGARDING WHAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE SUMMIT IN

KINSHASA. WHEN THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THAT THE UNITED

STATES LOOKED TO ZIMBABWE TO EXERCISE ALL OF ITS

INFLUENCE WITH PRESIDENT KABILA TO ADHERE TO THE LETTER

AND SPIRIT OF THE LUSAKA ACCORD, THE MINISTER SAID THAT

THE ZIMBABWEAN NATIONAL ARMY COMMANDER HAD BEEN SENT TO

KINSHASA LAST WEEK TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FAC’S CEASE

FIRE VIOLATIONS. KABILA TOLD THE SENIOR ZIMBABWEAN

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 02101 01 OF 02 141206Z

MILITARY OFFICIAL THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH

VIOLATIONS, BUT ALLOWED THAT HIS COMMANDERS SOMETIMES DO

THINGS WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION OR KNOWLEDGE. HE SUMMONED

SEVERAL SENIOR CONGOLESE MILITARY OFFICERS TO HIS OFFICE

TO HEAR THE ZIMBABWEAN ARMY COMMANDER’S COMPLAINT.

KABILA INSTRUCTED HIS OFFICERS HENCEFORTH TO CLEAR ALL

MANEUVERS WITH THE ALLIES AND STRESSED HIS

DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THEY HAD NOT DONE SO. THE

CONGOLESE, MNANGAGWA SHRUGGED, SAY “YES”, AND THEN DO

SOMETHING ELSE.

 

5. (C) FINALLY, AMBASSADOR MCDONALD PROBED MNANGAGWA ON

PRESIDENT KABILA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FRENCH. HE

NOTED THAT THE FRENCH AND THE RWANDANS WERE CURRENTLY

EXPERIENCING SOME TENSION AND WONDERED WHETHER PRESIDENT

KABILA WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO MESSAGES FROM THE FRENCH.

MNANGAGWA SPECULATED THAT PROBABLY NOT, AS THOSE

SURROUNDING KABILA WOULD NOT ALLOW THE FRENCH TO GET

CLOSE TO HIM. MNANGAGWA OBSERVED THAT THE BELGIUMS WERE

USING GEORGE FORRESTER, CHAIRMAN OF THE UNION MINIERE,

TO GET CLOSE TO KABILA. THE ZIMBABWEAN MINISTER NOTED

THAT KABILA’S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE UNITED STATES HAD

CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION FOLLOWING

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6352

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 02101 02 OF 02 141206Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 SMEC-00 SRPP-00

DS-00   EUR-01   VC-01   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00

LAB-01   L-00     AC-01   NSAE-00 OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01

PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   USIE-00

IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00

SWCI-00   /011W

——————4BC911 141207Z /38

R 141211Z APR 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5768

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY KIGALI

AMEMBASSY KAMPALA

NSC WASHDC

DEPTTREAS WASHDC

SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002101

 

SIPDIS

 

DEPT FOR AF A/S RICE, AF PDAS POWELL,

AF DAS SCHNEIDMAN, AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER,

AND AF/S DESK OFFICER GURNEY

 

PASS TO USAID AFR/SA, WJEFFERS AND A/AID, RMCCALL

 

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 02101 02 OF 02 141206Z

 

LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/10

TAGS: PGOV PREL ZI CG

SUBJECT: MNANGAGWA SAYS FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVERS

WELCOME AND REVIEWS STATUS IN CONGO

 

HIS VISIT TO NEW YORK IN JANUARY. MNANGAGWA TOOK CREDIT

FOR THIS ABOUT FACE EXPLAINING THAT HE HAD PERSUADED

KABILA THAT IT WAS TO HIS ADVANTAGE TO HAVE THE

AMERICANS ON HIS SIDE.

 

MCDONALD

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

 

(107 VIEWS)

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *