Cablegate: Media Report Wssd; Harare

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001912

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT WSSD; HARARE

1. Under headline "Powell faces more protests on
return to Africa" the August 22 edition of the
government-controlled daily "The Herald" carried
the following opinion piece by Tim Chigodo on
page 11:

2. "U. S. Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell is
returning to Africa, a continent he despises.
Mr. Powell who is well known for his anti-
African views will head the U. S. delegation to
the 10-day World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) starting August 26 in place
of President George W. Bush who has skipped the
meeting. . . Since assuming America's top and
powerful foreign post, the Gulf war veteran has
made more enemies in Africa than anywhere else
in the world. . . He faces more protests on his
return. . . The U. S. Secretary of State has
never had love for Africa and would therefore be
the least expected to say anything positive
about the continent and its leaders. . . While
Mr. Powell has been criticized as an Uncle Tom,
President Mugabe is revered the world over for
he has fought colonialism and refuses to be
cowed down by super powers. To black people he
is symbol of strength. Mr. Powell does not
understand Africa that he denigrates and
therefore cannot be expected to help the
continent solve its many problems. . . ."

SULLIVAN

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