Cablegate: Media Report Abuja Commonwealth Follow-Up;

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

300642Z Oct 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO3275

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 USNW-00
DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 IRM-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00
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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0148
INFO AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 003241

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S, AF/P, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR
JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ABUJA COMMONWEALTH FOLLOW-UP;
HARARE

1. FOLLOWING THE VISIT LAST WEEK BY A COMMONWEALTH
TEAM TO ZIMBABWE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE COUNTRY IS
MEETING ITS COMMITMENTS UNDER A NIGERIAN-LED LAND
AGREEMENT SIGNED IN ABUJA ON SEPTEMBER 6, ALL THREE
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 28 CARRIED
EDITORIALS CENTERING ON THE MEETING IN HARARE:

2. UNDER HEADLINE "ZIMBABWE IS A SOVEREIGN STATE," THE
GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" COMMENTS:

". . .WHY SHOULD FOREIGNERS COME HERE TO MONITOR AND
SUPERVISE OUR ELECTIONS WHEN WE NEVER MEDDLE IN THEIR
INTERNAL POLITICS? THE WHOLE WORLD WITNESSED HOW
GEORGE W. BUSH'S REPUBLICAN PARTY RIGGED ITS WAY TO
VICTORY IN THE UNITED STATES' LAST PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS. DID TONY BLAIR AND HIS ILK COMPLAIN ABOUT
THIS? THE PROGRESSIVE FORCES OF AFRICA SHOULD BE
WORRIED TODAY THAT THE ACCORD. . .RUNS THE DANGER OF
BEING HIJACKED BY BRITAIN, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. WE
HOPE REASON WILL PREVAIL OVER VANITY IN THESE TALKS."

3. UNDER HEADLINE "GAME UP FOR MUGABE," THE
INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE STANDARD" COMMENTS:

"IF THERE IS ONE ADMINISTRATION AROUND THE WORLD WHICH
HAS PERFECTED THE ART OF PLAYING TRUANT WHEN IT COMES TO
HONORING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS, IT IS THAT OF MR.
ROBERT MUGABE. . . THE LATEST AGREEMENT. . .IS ABUJA. .
.WHICH THE STATE IS NOW TRYING TO WRITHE OUT AGAINST THE
BACKGROUND OF DEMANDS BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR
POLITICAL CLEANLINESS. . . WITH THIS WEEK'S SPITING OF
THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) DELEGATION, ONE IS. . .FORCED TO
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 03241 300715Z
ASK WHETHER MUGABE REALIZES - OR CARES - THAT HE HAS
ALSO TOLD HIS REGIONAL COLLEAGUES TO GO TO HELL. . . IT
IS TIME THAT MUGABE'S TRICKS ARE BROUGHT TO FINAL CHECK.
WE HOPE THAT THE DECISIONS OF THE DELEGATION (WILL)
FINALLY BRING THE MESSAGE TO HIM THAT THE REST OF THE
WORLD, INCLUDING ZIMBABWE, EXPECT HIM TO BEHAVE IN A
CIVILIZED MANNER."

4. UNDER HEADLINE "NO AMOUNT OF LIES WILL STOP LAND
REFORM," THE OCTOBER 28 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-
CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" COMMENTS:

". . .THE VISIT BY THE COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS. . .
REVEALED HOW TORTUOUS IT IS TO KEEP THE (ABUJA) ACCORD
GOING. IT ALSO SHOWS HOW MUCH THE ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT
IS COMMITTED TO MAKING IT SUCCEED. THEY WERE CLEARLY
GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO RESTRAIN THEMSELVES IN THE
FACE OF RACIST INSULTS AND OPEN BIAS. . . THIS IS A
REVOLUTION THAT PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF DISPOSSESSION,
LIKE THE MINISTERS FROM THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN THE
COMMITTEE, CAN EASILY APPRECIATE. IT IS ALSO A
REVOLUTION THAT THE LIKES OF MR. (DAVID) KILGOUR
(CANADIAN SECRETARY OF STATE - AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA)
AND THEIR VANQUISHED COLLEAGUES WILL FIND DIFFICULT TO
SWALLOW."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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