Mnangagwa says Zimbabwe is committed to withdrawing from DRC

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

TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS CG ZI

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,

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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

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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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