US embassy says Mugabe is using land as a smokescreen

President Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front were using the land issue to drum up nationalist sentiment and garner votes for the pending parliamentary elections, the United States embassy said in a cable two months before the 2000 elections.

“The issue is little more than a smokescreen and electric cattle prod to intimidate and direct the nation……. In our view, it is clear that the land and its white ownership is being used as a very blunt political instrument by Mugabe, who has personally taken charge of the issue, to bludgeon the nation to declare its near-unanimous fealty to himself,” the embassy said.

Mugabe and his lieutenants were therefore not interested in a near term resolution to the land question, rather, they wanted to keep the situation on the ground unsettled.

“Mugabe and company have a stake in keeping the temperature high on this topic. He is sending three cabinet members, Industry and Commerce Minister Nathan Shamuyarira, Local Government and Housing Minister John Nkomo and Mudenge, to London to discuss a compensation plan with the British.

“He knows that the talks will end in failure because he has made maximalist demands that simply cannot be met: full payment for 5 million hectares of land to consummate his land reform and resettlement programme (the commercial farmers collectively own about 11 million hectares).

“We would wager that the ministers are going with the instruction to bring home all or nothing. If those talks fail, Mugabe could well point out to his domestic constituency, ‘you see, it was a waste of time to talk to the British’, and perhaps order an even more intensified invasion of white-owned land,” the embassy said.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE2221, MUGABE USES THE LAND ISSUE AS A SMOKESCREEN

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

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

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO9664

PAGE 01       HARARE 02221 01 OF 04 251426Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00 COME-00

CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00

EUR-01   EXIM-01 E-00     FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-01   FRB-00

H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00   ITC-01   L-00     AC-01

NEA-00   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00

ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 SA-00   R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /011W

——————4FA74F 251426Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5842

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 002221

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR SA/INS – STEVEN KRAFT

PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCCALL AND AFR/SA – W. JEFFERS

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 02221 01 OF 04 251426Z

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

USDOC FOR 4510/ITA/ANESA/OA/SMILLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2010

TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON ZI

SUBJECT: MUGABE USES THE LAND ISSUE AS A SMOKESCREEN

REF: (A) HARARE 2202 (NOTAL)

(B) PRETORIA 2820 (NOTAL)

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5

(B) AND (D).

——-

SUMMARY

——-

¶1. (C) AS CURRENTLY INVOKED BY PRESIDENT MUGABE AND

SENIOR RULING ZANU-PF PARTY OFFICIALS, THE LAND REFORM

ISSUE IS A CANARD. IN OUR JUDGMENT, THE ZIMBABWEAN

PRESIDENT AND PARTY DO NOT WANT A NEAR TERM RESOLUTION

TO THE LAND QUESTION, BUT RATHER WANT TO KEEP THE

SITUATION ON THE GROUND UNSETTLED. CONSEQUENTLY, WHILE

WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO URGE THE GOZ TO RETURN TO THE

AGREEMENTS REACHED AT THE SEPTEMBER 1998 DONORS’

CONFERENCE, WE SHOULD NOT SEARCH FOR NEW OFFERS TO PUT

ON THE TABLE, IN RESPONSE TO MUGABE’S BLACKMAIL. THE

ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT IS BANKING ON THE FACT THAT BETWEEN

APPEALING TO BLACK NATIONALIST SENTIMENT AND

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 02221 01 OF 04 251426Z

INTIMIDATING WHITES, AND, INCREASINGLY MORE BRUTALLY,

BLACK FARM WORKERS, HIS PARTY WILL WIN THE STILL

UNSCHEDULED PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. FROM THE LITTLE WE

HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ELICIT ON THE SUBJECT, REGIONAL

LEADERS MEETING MUGABE IN VICTORIA FALLS ON APRIL 22

LIKELY SAID THAT THE SPECTACLE OF VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE

AND ITS ATTENDANT BAD PUBLICITY WAS HURTING THE SOUTHERN

AFRICAN REGION. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT MUGABE MAY HAVE

INTERPRETED THEIR MESSAGE TO MEAN THAT HE MUST KEEP HIS

INTIMIDATION CAMPAIGN BELOW THE RADAR SCREEN. WE THINK

MUGABE MIGHT YIELD TO INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE,

PARTICULARLY IF IT COMES FROM A GROUP LIKE THE

COMMONWEALTH. WE SHOULD HELP FACILITATE THAT, ALTHOUGH

NOT TAKE THE LEAD. AT THE SAME TIME, WE SHOULD CONTINUE

OUR OWN CAMPAIGN OF QUIET DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE ON THE

GOVERNMENT COMBINED WITH EFFORTS AIMED AT BUILDING

BRIDGES AMONG POLITICAL ADVERSARIES IN ZIMBABWE. END

SUMMARY.

——————————-

THE LAND ISSUE IS A SMOKESCREEN

——————————-

¶2. (C) ROBERT MUGABE HAS RESUSCITATED HIS OLD STANDBY,

THE LAND ISSUE, AS A WAY TO DRUM UP NATIONALIST

SENTIMENT AND GARNER VOTES IN THE PARLIAMENTARY

ELECTION. IN OUR RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE

PRESIDENT AND WITH FOREIGN MINISTER STANISLAUS MUDENGE

WE HAVE REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT, AS CURRENTLY USED

BY THE SENIOR ZANU-PF LEADERSHIP, THE ISSUE IS LITTLE

MORE THAN A SMOKESCREEN AND ELECTRIC CATTLE PROD TO

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 02221 01 OF 04 251426Z

INTIMIDATE AND DIRECT THE NATION. SUGGESTING STEPS THE

ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT MIGHT TAKE, AMBASSADOR MCDONALD

ASKED PRESIDENT MUGABE POINT BLANK WHETHER HE WAS

INTERESTED IN RESULTS OR POLITICKING. THE ZIMBABWEAN

CHIEF EXECUTIVE DEMURRED.

¶3. (C) IN OUR VIEW, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LAND AND ITS

WHITE OWNERSHIP IS BEING USED AS A VERY BLUNT POLITICAL

INSTRUMENT BY MUGABE, WHO HAS PERSONALLY TAKEN CHARGE OF

THE ISSUE, TO BLUDGEON THE NATION TO DECLARE ITS NEAR-

UNANIMOUS FEALTY TO HIMSELF. IF THE GOAL OF JUST LAND

REFORM WERE TO BE PURSUED HONESTLY AND WITH DUE CONCERN

FOR ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

CONCERNS, THE PRINCIPLES AND ACTION PLAN HAMMERED OUT IN

THE SEPTEMBER 1998 LAND DONORS CONFERENCE WOULD BE

ADHERED TO. THEY, HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN CAST ASIDE ALONG

WITH DUE PROCESS, LAW AND ORDER ENFORCEMENT AND RESPECT

FOR THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. APPROPRIATE LAND REFORM IS A

MATTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, BUT THERE IS NO ECONOMIC CASE

FOR WILLY-NILLY LAND REDISTRIBUTION. IN FACT THE

OPPOSITE IS TRUE, AS THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS ARE

EFFICIENT AND PRODUCE THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY’S

EXPORT EARNINGS WHILE LOOKING AFTER THE ASSET. THE

POLITICAL ELEMENT IS STRONG, ESPECIALLY BEFORE AN

ELECTION WHERE THERE IS A VIABLE OPPOSITION AND WHEN THE

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE ECONOMIC CALAMITY WROUGHT BY

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO9667

PAGE 01       HARARE 02221 02 OF 04 251426Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00 COME-00

CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00

EUR-01   EXIM-01 E-00     FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-01   FRB-00

H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00   ITC-01   L-00     AC-01

NEA-00   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00

ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 SA-00   R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /011W

——————4FA764 251426Z /38

O 251430Z APR 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5843

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 04 HARARE 002221

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR SA/INS – STEVEN KRAFT

PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCCALL AND AFR/SA – W. JEFFERS

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 02221 02 OF 04 251426Z

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

USDOC FOR 4510/ITA/ANESA/OA/SMILLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2010

TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON ZI

SUBJECT: MUGABE USES THE LAND ISSUE AS A SMOKESCREEN

MUGABE AND THE PARTY MAKE LIFE A DAILY STRUGGLE FOR THE

MAJORITY. THESE ARE MADE WORSE BY THE REALIZATION THAT

TWENTY YEARS OF PROMISES TO THE PEASANTRY ON LAND

REDISTRIBUTION HAS ONLY SEEN MUGABE’S CRONIES BECOME

SOME OF THE LARGEST LAND OWNERS OF ALL.

¶4. (C) OBSERVERS AND PARTICIPANTS ON ALL SIDES AGREE

THAT PROGRESS SINCE THE SEPTEMBER 1998 CONFERENCE HAS

BEEN SLOWER THAN ENVISIONED. THE GOZ’S SMALL BUDGET

ALLOCATION DID NOT GO FAR, A FACT THAT SLOWED DOWN DONOR

SUPPORT. THE FOREIGN MINISTER TOLD THE AMBASSADOR IN A

SEPARATE MEETING APRIL 22 THAT THE SEPTEMBER 1998 LAND

DONORS’ CONFERENCE WAS NOT ONLY A WASTE OF TIME BUT A

“FAILURE,” STATING THAT SINCE THE DONORS DID NOT PONY UP

CASH TO BUY LAND, ZIMBABWE’S INTERESTS WERE NOT MET BY

IT. MUDENGE CONTINUED, “WHAT PROGRESS HAVE WE SEEN ON

LAND ACQUISITION SINCE THE CONFERENCE? NONE. THE

FARMERS HAVE BLOCKED IT IN THE COURTS AND THE BRITISH

HAVE ACTIVELY STOPPED THE WORLD BANK FROM PROVIDING

FUNDS. NOW, WITH THE NEW LAW, WE WILL FINALLY HAVE

PROGRESS.”

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 02221 02 OF 04 251426Z

—————————————–

MOVING THE GOALPOSTS AND STIRRING THE POT

—————————————–

¶5. (C) THERE ALSO HAS BEEN MOVEMENT ON THE FARM

INVASION FRONT. INITIALLY, SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS

ASSURED US THE WAR VETERANS OCCUPATION WOULD BE RESOLVED

ONCE THE CONSTITUTION WAS AMENDED WITH A LAND CLAUSE.

NOW THE GOAL POSTS HAVE MOVED: THE INVASIONS WILL BE

CALLED OFF WHEN 841 PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED FARMS, WHOSE

DESIGNATION WAS CHALLENGED IN COURT, ARE WILLINGLY

TURNED OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT WITHOUT CONCERN FOR THE

PETTY DETAIL OF PAYMENT.

¶6. (C) MUGABE AND COMPANY HAVE A STAKE IN KEEPING THE

TEMPERATURE HIGH ON THIS TOPIC. HE IS SENDING THREE

CABINET MEMBERS, INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE MINISTER NATHAN

SHAMUYARIRA, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING MINISTER JOHN

NKOMO AND MUDENGE, TO LONDON TO DISCUSS A COMPENSATION

PLAN WITH THE BRITISH. HE KNOWS THAT THE TALKS WILL END

IN FAILURE BECAUSE HE HAS MADE MAXIMALIST DEMANDS THAT

SIMPLY CANNOT BE MET: FULL PAYMENT FOR 5 MILLION

HECTARES OF LAND TO CONSUMMATE HIS LAND REFORM AND

RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM (THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS

COLLECTIVELY OWN ABOUT 11 MILLION HECTARES). WE WOULD

WAGER THAT THE MINISTERS ARE GOING WITH THE INSTRUCTION

TO BRING HOME ALL OR NOTHING. IF THOSE TALKS FAIL,

MUGABE COULD WELL POINT OUT TO HIS DOMESTIC

CONSTITUENCY, “YOU SEE, IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME TO TALK

TO THE BRITISH,” AND PERHAPS ORDER AN EVEN MORE

INTENSIFIED INVASION OF WHITE-OWNED LAND.

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 02221 02 OF 04 251426Z

——————————————–

DOES MUGABE REALLY CONTROL THE WAR VETERANS?

——————————————–

¶7. (C) JUST HOW MUCH CONTROL OVER THE “WAR VETERANS”

MUGABE ACTUALLY HAS IS NOW THE 64,000 DOLLAR QUESTION.

OCCUPATIONS OCCUR IN WAVES IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE

COUNTRY, WHILE IN OTHER PARTS IT’S QUIET. POLICE AND

OTHER SECURITY SERVICE MEMBERS SEEM TO WATCH THE GOINGS

ON WITHOUT HINDERING IT, BUT OCCASIONALLY COACH THE “WAR

VETERANS” ON WHAT FARMS TO TAKE AND WHICH TO AVOID.

INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE GOVERNMENT OR PARTY TO

TRANSPORT THEM, WAR VETERANS NOW HAVE “REQUISITIONED”

VEHICLES FROM THE PROPERTIES THEY’VE OCCUPIED FOR

MOBILITY. MOREOVER, EMBOLDENED BY THE PROTECTION THEY

HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR MISDEEDS,

THE WAR VETERANS HAVE TAKEN TO ISSUING THREATS ON WHICH

THEY DELIVER. THE TWO WHITE FARMERS RECEIVED DEATH

THREATS BEFORE THEY WERE KILLED. INDIVIDUALS NAMED IN A

PURPORTED WAR VETERANS’ HIT LIST, INCLUDING BUSINESSMEN

STRIVE MASIYIWA, NIGEL CHANAKIRA, EDDIE CROSS AND ERIC

BLOCH, TAKE THE THREATS SERIOUSLY. MEMBERS OF THE

OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) FEAR FOR

THE LIFE OF ITS LEADER, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, AND

DELIBERATELY KEPT HIM TRAVELING OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO9668

PAGE 01       HARARE 02221 03 OF 04 251426Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00 COME-00

CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00

EUR-01   EXIM-01 E-00     FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-01   FRB-00

H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00   ITC-01   L-00     AC-01

NEA-00   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00

ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 SA-00   R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /011W

——————4FA76D 251426Z /38

O 251430Z APR 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5844

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 04 HARARE 002221

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR SA/INS – STEVEN KRAFT

PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCCALL AND AFR/SA – W. JEFFERS

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 02221 03 OF 04 251426Z

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

USDOC FOR 4510/ITA/ANESA/OA/SMILLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2010

TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON ZI

SUBJECT: MUGABE USES THE LAND ISSUE AS A SMOKESCREEN

OUTSIDE ZIMBABWE UNDER HEAVY PROTECTION, AND PROVIDE

TIGHT SECURITY FOR HIM INSIDE THE COUNTRY.

¶8. (C) THE LESSENING — FOR NOW — OF ATTACKS ON WHITE

FARMERS IS WELCOME, BUT THIS HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY

CONTINUING OCCUPATIONS OF FARMS AND NEW OCCUPATIONS OF

PREVIOUSLY UNTOUCHED PROPERTIES. MOREOVER, THERE HAS

BEEN AN APPARENT TACTICAL SHIFT. AS IF RECOGNIZING THAT

THE WHITE FARMERS ARE A MINISCULE PART OF THE

ELECTORATE, INTIMIDATION NOW SEEMS FOCUSED ON THE BLACK

FARM WORKERS, WHOSE LARGE NUMBERS MAKE THEIR VOTING

PREFERENCE, IN A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION, THE REAL PRIZE.

THESE WORKERS APPEAR TO HAVE SUFFERED INCREASING NUMBERS

OF BEATINGS, BURNINGS, MUTILATIONS, AND VERBAL THREATS

IN RECENT DAYS. ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNTS REACHING THE

PRESS AND SOURCES OF THE EMBASSY, THESE ATTACKS HAVE

BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY WARNINGS THAT AFFILIATION WITH THE

MDC IS WHAT PLACES PEOPLE AT RISK; BY RECANTING AND

SUPPORTING ZANU-PF PEOPLE CAN BUY PROTECTION. IN ONE OF

THE LESS VIOLENT INCIDENTS COVERED IN THE LOCAL PRESS,

FOR EXAMPLE, ZANU-PF WORKERS DUG A PIT THEY TERMED

“TSVANGIRAI’S GRAVE,” AND FORCED FARM WORKERS TO THROW

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 02221 03 OF 04 251426Z

INTO IT ALL THEIR MDC MEMBERSHIP CARDS, STICKERS,

PLACARDS, AND SO FORTH, WHICH THEN WERE BURNED.

———————-

THE NEIGHBORS WEIGH IN

———————-

¶9. (C) WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN REGIONAL

LEADERS ON THE ZIMBABWE LAND OCCUPATION ISSUE AT THE

RECENT VICTORIA FALLS CONFERENCE, BECAUSE THE GOZ

REFUSES TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT WITH US (REF A). WE

SUSPECT, HOWEVER, THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST A

SUGGESTION FROM THE REGIONAL LEADERS THAT THE

OCCUPATIONS, VIOLENCE AND THE ATTENDANT BAD PUBLICITY

ARE NOT GOOD FOR THE REGION.   PRESIDENT MBEKI, FOR

EXAMPLE, FACES LIKELY ECONOMIC FALLOUT FROM AN

ACCELERATION OF THE ZIMBABWE MESS, AND ALREADY HAS FELT

THE IMPACT OF THE WORLD PERCEPTION OF THE PROBLEM AS

BEING ONE FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (REF B). U.S.

POLICYMAKERS, HOWEVER, MUST BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY

THAT THIS MESSAGE, HOWEVER DELIVERED, WAS INTERPRETED BY

MUGABE TO MEAN THAT PUBLICITY ABOUT ATTACKS AND CHAOS

WAS THE BAD THING. BY SEEKING TO FRIGHTEN THE LARGELY

VOICELESS BLACK FARM WORKERS, MUGABE MAY HAVE THUS FOUND

A MEANS TO SLIP HIS CAMPAIGN OF INTIMIDATION BELOW THE

RADAR SCREEN OF WORLD PRESS AND REGIONAL LEADERS, AND

MEET HIS NEIGHBORS’ CONCERNS.

——————-

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

——————-

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 02221 03 OF 04 251426Z

¶9. (C) EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT MUGABE DOES YIELD TO

PUBLIC PRESSURE. REGIONAL LEADERS HAVE TOLD HIM TO

ALTER HIS BEHAVIOR AND FROM EARLY SIGNS HE HAS, ALTHOUGH

TO A MORE SINISTER MODE. IN ADDITION TO REMAINING

ENGAGED WITH MUGABE AND ALL RELEVANT FIGURES ACROSS THE

POLITICAL SPECTRUM HERE, WE MUST KEEP HIS FEET TO THE

FIRE THAT HIS CAMPAIGN IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE ALREADY

RECOMMENDED THAT THE PRESIDENT PLACE A CALL IN THIS

CONNECTION TO MUGABE. IN ADDITION TO MUGABE HEARING

FROM HIS NEIGHBORS AND OURSELVES, A SIMILAR MESSAGE IS

LIKELY TO BE FORTHCOMING FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION,

POSSIBLY DELIVERED IN PERSON BY A TROIKA CONSISTING OF

THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF PORTUGAL AND FRANCE AND THE

HEAD OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. WHILE THE LATTER ARE

DOING THE RIGHT THING, THEIR ACTION IS LIKELY TO HAVE

MINIMAL IMPACT, AS THE MESSAGE WILL BE FROM THE RICH

WHITE MAN’S CLUB. A TOUGH MESSAGE THAT MUGABE CANNOT

CONTINUE TO HIDE BEHIND A LEGITIMATE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE

IN ORDER TO COMMIT CRIMES FROM THE COMMONWEALTH,

HOWEVER, MIGHT BE THE WAY TO GO. WE NOTE THAT THE

COMMONWEALTH ACTION GROUP IS SCHEDULED TO MEET THE FIRST

WEEK OF MAY. WHILE DEVELOPING A CONSENSUS WITHIN

COMMONWEALTH TO EXERT PRESSURE ON ZIMBABWE CLEARLY

SHOULD BE A BRITISH INITIATIVE, WE OUGHT TO EXPLORE WITH

LONDON WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN BE HELPFUL. WE ENVISION

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO9669

PAGE 01       HARARE 02221 04 OF 04 251426Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00 COME-00

CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00

EUR-01   EXIM-01 E-00     FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-01   FRB-00

H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00   ITC-01   L-00     AC-01

NEA-00   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00

ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 SA-00   R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /011W

——————4FA773 251426Z /38

O 251430Z APR 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5845

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 04 OF 04 HARARE 002221

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR SA/INS – STEVEN KRAFT

PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCCALL AND AFR/SA – W. JEFFERS

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 02221 04 OF 04 251426Z

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

USDOC FOR 4510/ITA/ANESA/OA/SMILLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2010

TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON ZI

SUBJECT: MUGABE USES THE LAND ISSUE AS A SMOKESCREEN

SUCH HELP TO BE LOW COST AND MIGHT ENTAIL PLACING HIGH-

LEVEL TELEPHONE CALLS TO INTERNATIONAL INTERLOCUTORS.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL BE EXPLORING WAYS LOCALLY IN

WHICH WE CAN BRIDGE DIFFERENCES AND PROMOTE DIALOGUE

BETWEEN ADVERSARIES, SUCH AS THE MDC AND ZANU-PF OR THE

COMMERCIAL FARMERS’ UNION AND THE GOZ.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

>

(81 VIEWS)