Emmerson Mnangagwa who remained President Robert Mugabe’s point man on Democratic Republic of Congo issues said Zimbabwe was committed to withdrawing its troops from the DRC.
He said he would be travelling to Lubumbashi with some military officials to brief President Laurent Kabila because he did not believe his ministers were giving him the best advice.
Kabila was against the continuation of former Botswana President Ketumile Masire as the facilitator for the peace talks in the DRC, something that was worrying the United States special envoy Howard Wolpe.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE4311, S/E WOLPE BRIEFS MNANGAGWA ON LUANDA MEETINGS
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4890
PAGE 01 HARARE 04311 031205Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00
DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00
NSAE-00 PM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /002W
——————75C1E2 031205Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6761
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 004311
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/10
SUBJECT: S/E WOLPE BRIEFS MNANGAGWA ON LUANDA MEETINGS
CLASSIFIED BY S/E HOWARD WOLPE FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D.
¶1. (C) ON AUGUST 3 SPECIAL ENVOY HOWARD WOLPE AND AF
SPECIAL ASSISTANT JOHN PRENDERGAST MET BRIEFLY WITH
ZIMBABWE’S SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA IN
THE LATTER’S OFFICE. MNANGAGWA REMAINS PRESIDENT
MUGABE’S ENVOY FOR SENSITIVE MISSIONS VIS-A-VIS THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. WOLPE REPORTED THAT HE
HAD HAD VERY GOOD MEETINGS IN LUANDA, PARTICULARLY WITH
VICE-MINISTER OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS MANUEL AUGUSTO,
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 04311 031205Z
WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS THE EXPERT ON THE DETAIL OF LUSAKA
ACCORDS AND BEING VERY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT DOS SANTOS.
“ZIMBABWE AND ANGOLA ARE POINTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION,”
WOLPE STATED. HE REPORTED THAT THE ANGOLANS WANTED TO
BRIDGE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN THEIR COUNTRY AND RWANDA AND
UGANDA, AND THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS COMMITTED TO HELP
THEM DO SO.
¶2. (C) RESPONDING TO WOLPE’S CONCERN THAT CONGOLESE
PRESIDENT LAURENT KABILA WAS PLACING OBSTACLES IN THE
WAY OF THE PEACE PROCESS AND THAT ONLY TWO WEEKS
REMAINED UNTIL THE UN SECURITY GENERAL HAD TO SUBMIT HIS
REPORT ON THE CONGO TO EXPAND THE MONUC MANDATE,
MNANGAGWA CHIMED IN THAT “THE DRC DELEGATION WAS WAY OFF
THE MARK.” THE SPEAKER SAID THAT HE HAD CHAIRED THE
VICTORIA FALLS MEETING OF JULY 27 IN WHICH HE MADE PLAIN
TO THE CONGOLESE CHIEF DELEGATE TO THE UPCOMING
POLITICAL COMMITTEE MEETING THAT ZIMBABWE WAS COMMITTED
TO THE LUSAKA PROCESS. THE CONGOLESE IN TURN OBDURATELY
INSISTED THAT HE HAD “A MESSAGE” FROM PRESIDENT KABILA
AND COULD NOT CHANGE HIS POSITION. MNANGAGWA
NEVERTHELESS THOUGHT THAT SOME CONGOLESE MINISTERS HAD
SENSE AND FELT ZIMBABWE’S POSITION WAS THE CORRECT ONE.
OBSERVING THAT SOMETIMES THOSE MINISTERS DO NOT GIVE
THEIR PRESIDENT THE BEST ADVICE, MNANGAGWA REPORTED THAT
HE WOULD BE TRAVELING TO LUBUMBASHI, ACCOMPANIED BY
MEMBERS OF THE ZIMBABWEAN MILITARY, TO MEET WITH
PRESIDENT KABILA ON AUGUST 7.
¶3. (C) SPECIAL ASSISTANT PRENDERGAST INFORMED MNANGAGWA
THAT UGANDA AND RWANDA HAD GIVEN THE USG ASSURANCES THAT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 04311 031205Z
THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE IF ZIMBABWE WERE WILLING
TO APPLY NEEDED PRESSURE ON THE CONGOLESE, SUCH AS
WITHDRAWING OR RE-DEPLOYING TROOPS. WOLPE NOTED THAT
THE RWANDANS ALSO WOULD LIKE TO RE-DEPLOY TO THE KIVUS,
BUT ARE CONCERNED THAT KABILA AND THE FAC WOULD SEEK TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH A MOVE. IN RESPONSE THE SPEAKER
INTERJECTED THAT “OUR INTERESTS ARE IDENTICAL.” “WE
NEED TO FORCE KABILA’S HAND IN IMPLEMENTING LUSAKA,” HE
ADDED, “HE WON’T DIFFER WITH US IF WE TELL HIM.” THE
SPECIAL ENVOY CONTINUED THAT THERE WERE TWO FLASH POINTS
THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION: EQUATEUR AND IKELA,
WHERE WE HAD UNCONFIRMED MOVEMENTS ON BOTH SIDES.
MNANGAGWA SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY DEVELOPMENTS IN
IKELA, BUT WOULD CHECK WITH THE COMMANDER OF THE DEFENSE
FORCE. HE CONCURRED WITH WOLPE’S ASSESSMENT THAT
ZIMBABWE WAS PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO BEING DRAGGED INTO
RENEWED HOSTILITIES AS A RESULT OF KABILA’S MISPLACED
TRIUMPHALISM.
¶4. (C) IN RESPONSE TO WOLPE’S AND PRENDERGAST’S
QUESTIONS ON INTERNAL ZANU-PF DEBATES ON ZIMBABWE’S
MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE CONGO, MNANGAGWA SAID THAT THE
RULING PARTY HAD IN FACT DECIDED TO PULL OUT ZIMBABWEAN
TROOPS FROM THE CONGO. IT IS NOW UP TO THE GOVERNMENT
TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY DECISION, MNANGAGWA CONCLUDED.
IRVING
CONFIDENTIAL
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