Cablegate: Media Reaction Droc; Harare

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001217

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR AND AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS

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

1. Under headline "U. N.'s indifference to DRC conflict
disturbing" the government-controlled daily "The
Herald" dedicated its June 13 editorial to accusing
the United Nations of dragging its feet in solving
the political discord in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC). Excerpts:

2. "Reports coming out of the DRC. . .make depressing
reading and make the sincerity of the United Nations
in solving conflicts in Africa questionable. The U.
N. is mandated to stop conflicts and maintain peace
and security, yet Congolese nationals in the Ituri
province of the vast country have been killing each
other while the U. N. stands by. . .It was not until
fairly recently that the U. N. decided to move in.
So far, its involvement has . . .been
lukewarm. . .Reports say that the U. N. has deployed
700 peacekeepers in the war-torn country, a figure
which, given the size of the DRC and the complexity
of the situation, we feel is negligible. While
these few and ill-equipped `monitors' are sauntering
about in the DRC, the fighting is raging
on. . .Africa has never meant much for the U. S. or
other influential members of the U. N. Security
Council, hence the apparent slow manner in which the
U. N. has been moving over the DRC issue. . .We feel
that the U. N. has the capacity - but lacks the
will - to mobilize a big enough force to stop the
carnage in the DRC. . . ."

SULLIVAN

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