Cablegate: Donors Demarche On Humanitarian Space

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OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0644 2121501
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301501Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3233
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2185
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2304
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0836
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1581
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1939
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2360
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4791
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1450
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS HARARE 000644

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

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: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL EAID ZI
SUBJECT: DONORS DEMARCHE ON HUMANITARIAN SPACE

REF: HARARE 615

1. (U) Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Goche refused to
meet with UN and donor reps to discuss humanitarian space
(reftel) because, he said, he was fully occupied as a ZANU-PF
negotiator in the South African facilitated power sharing
talks with MDC factions. On July 29, Dutch Ambassador Jos
Weterings delivered a demarche on behalf of the donor
community to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary
Joey Bimha. The demarche (text e-mailed to AF/S and PRM/AFR)
stressed the urgency of a blanket reauthorization of NGOs and
the GOZ's responsibility to protect IDPs. Weterings reported
that Bimha took the demarche seriously and promised to
discuss it with the relevant authorities.

2. (SBU) IOM and CRS representatives told Emboffs on July 30
that their contacts had told them the NGO ban would be lifted
this week.

3. (SBU) COMMENT: The GOZ will likely soon allow NGOs to
resume humanitarian activities, but will seek to exert
increased control by providing selective authorization only
to "well-behaved" NGOs and/or by closely controlling
activities at a local level. The donor community is
currently united in its insistence on full and complete
humanitarian access. As severe food insecurity increases in
the coming weeks and months, it will grow more and more
difficult to maintain a united front in the face of a
restricted opening of humanitarian space. END COMMENT.

MCGEE

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