Paper says quiet diplomacy does not work with Mugabe

The Daily News on Sunday said though South African President Thabo Mbeki had brokered the exit of Liberian leader Charles Taylor he should be aware that quiet diplomacy did not work with President Robert Mugabe.

“President Thabo Mbeki, who played a crucial role in getting Taylor out of Monrovia, must know that quiet diplomacy may work well with leaders whose egos may be normal in size, but that Mugabe’s is nothing of the kind. . .,” the paper said.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 03HARARE1643, MEDIA REACTION TAYLOR/MUGABE; HARARE

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190626Z Aug 03

UNCLAS HARARE 001643

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR NEARY

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION TAYLOR/MUGABE; HARARE

¶1.   Under headline “Curse of quiet diplomacy” the

independent weekly “The Daily News On Sunday”

dedicated its August 17 editorial to criticizing

South African President Thabo Mbeki’s “quiet

diplomacy” towards Robert Mugabe, arguing, “It was

not quiet diplomacy which forced Charles Taylor to

leave his country, Liberia.” Excerpts:

¶2.   “It was not quiet diplomacy which forced Charles

Taylor to leave his country, Liberia, kicking and

screaming, for luxurious exile in Kalabar, Nigeria. Both

the president of the United States and the leaders of the

African countries who helped the dictator to leave his

country must have used rather loud diplomacy to make him an

offer he could not refuse. The carrot of an opulently

furnished mansion in Kalabar may have played its part in

persuading Taylor to leave. The specter of his indictment

on human rights violations by the United Nations could have

had an impact on his king-size ego as well. But there can

be no doubt that all the men discussing with Taylor the

paucity of his options told him bluntly that the only way

he could save his country – and his own political bacon –

was to leave Liberia. The comparison with President Robert

Mugabe’s situation may be different, but not because he can

contribute anything worthwhile to the survival of his

country any more. Apart from inflaming his critics’

passions with his rhetoric of blasphemy, there is precious

little else he can do to bring his country back to normal.

President Thabo Mbeki, who played a crucial role in getting

Taylor out of Monrovia, must know that quiet diplomacy may

work well with leaders whose egos may be normal in size,

but that Mugabe’s is nothing of the kind. . . .”

SULLIVAN

(38 VIEWS)