Movement for Democratic change leader Morgan Tsvangirai asked Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to convene an emergency meeting of the Southern African Development Community to discuss the security situation in Zimbabwe but Mwanawasa said he could not do so because there was a meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development the following week.
Strive Masiyiwa who met Mwanawasa with Tsvangirai said the Zambian President‘s interest in Tsvangirai’s request was piqued when one of his ministers informed him during the meeting that over 800 Zimbabwean military deserters had entered Zambia recently. Mwanawasa expressed concern about potential crime problems.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE454, TSVANGIRAI ASKS MWANAWASA FOR SADC ASSISTANCE
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO0877
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0454 1431248
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 221248Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2927
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1987
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2108
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0657
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1385
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1743
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2164
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4595
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1248
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000454
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2018
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI ASKS MWANAWASA FOR SADC ASSISTANCE
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) MDC advisor Strive Masiyiwa told the Ambassador on
May 22 that he and MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai had met
May 21 in Lusaka with Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa and
other high-ranking Zambian officials. Tsvangirai requested
that SADC convene an emergency summit to discuss the security
situation and SADC observation in Zimbabwe.
¶2. (C) Mwanawasa told Tsvangirai that TICAD IV in Tokyo, to
begin next week, made convocation of a summit difficult. He
said he would try to hold a meeting on the issue of SADC
observation with his SADC colleagues on the margins of TICAD
IV. Mwanawasa, referring to the SADC Communique issued after
SADC’s April 13 Extraordinary Summit in Lusaka, said he
supported SADC observation and believed SADC could send as
many observers as it wished. He also said SADC would take
(unspecified) measures to guarantee Tsvangirai’s safety in
Zimbabwe.
¶3. (C) According to Masiyiwa, Mwanawasa’s interest in
Tsvangirai’s request was piqued when one of his ministers
during the meeting informed him that recently over 800
Zimbabwean military deserters had entered Zambia. Mwanawasa
expressed concern about potential crime problems.
McGee
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