VZCZCXRO3452
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0051/01 0230942
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 230942Z JAN 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3957
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2572
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2694
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1185
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1963
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2318
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2743
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5171
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1861
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000051 

SIPDIS 

AF/S FOR B. WALCH 
DRL FOR N. WILETT 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019 
TAGS: EMIN ASEC PHUM ZI RS ECON PREL
SUBJECT: MILITARY PLANS TO DISPLACE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS 
FROM XXXXXXXXXXXX
REF: A. HARARE 49 
¶B. HARARE 24 
¶C. 08 HARARE 1035 
¶D. 08 HARARE 1016 

Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d) 

------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 

¶1. (SBU) In mid-January, a local chief in the diamond rich 
and violence-ridden XXXXXXXXXXXX  
informed us of the Zimbabwean military's intention to 
displace as many as 25,000 villagers from their homes XXXXXXXXXXXX.
 The military operation is intended to establish 
control over the diamond fields as well as to provide 
village-based housing to troops. The plan was temporarily 
delayed due to the discovery of gold ore in the region where 
the villagers were to be relocated. END SUMMARY. 

---------------------------------------- 
Military Operation to Displace Thousands 
---------------------------------------- 

¶2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX the local chief in 
the conflict-ridden XXXXXXXXXXXX diamond fields of XXXXXXXXXXXX 
Zimbabwe, met with poloff to describe a military operation 
intended to displace the region's 20,000 to 25,000 residents. 
He said that the military had informed them that XXXXXXXXXXXX
had been named a "government reserve area" and consequently, 
it was authorized to displace all the local residents in and 
around the XXXXXXXXXXXX diamond fields. He estimated that the 
area in question encompassed several hundred square 
kilometers, which is well in excess of the 70 hectare site 
currently being hand-panned. 

¶3. (C) Chief XXXXXXXXXXXX told us that the military's plan had 
been to move the residents in mid-January from their villages 
to a site near the town of XXXXXXXXXXXX, some 60 kilometers north XXXXXXXXXXXX. 
XXXXXXXXXXXX has a farm in XXXXXXXXXXXX where the villagers would be placed. While the area is within the boundaries of the 
XXXXXXXXXXXX farm, the land was described by XXXXXXXXXXXX 
as "just rough bush." The villagers were to be provided with tents 
for shelter, but no other accommodations were to be made for 
their benefit. However, the chief said that the plan was 
scuttled because an unnamed Russian gold mining group with 
operations in the area informed the military that they had 
recently discovered gold at XXXXXXXXXXXX. Consequently, the military is now seeking an alternate relocation site for the villagers. 

¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX also explained that the operation was 
motivated by both a desire to control the area and a need to 
provide housing for the military brigades currently stationed 
in the Marange region. An independent NGO in the area, as 
well as the chief, reported that troops routinely force the 
local villages to provide them with food and shelter, while 
making residents dig for diamonds. 

¶5. (C) Chief XXXXXXXXXXXX is establishing a trust intended to 
raise funds for the legal defense and protection of displaced 
people in the area and sought our help in the endeavor. 

------- 
COMMENT 
------- 

¶6. (C) The relocation of these villagers, if it occurs, is 
the next preparatory step in the GOZ's plan to use the 
XXXXXXXXXXXX diamond fields to bail out the failed Zimbabwean 

HARARE 00000051 002 OF 002 


economy and prop-up the Mugabe patronage system (reftels). 
While we are highly skeptical of the success of that scheme, 
what is certain is that it would result in additional 
suffering for XXXXXXXXXXXX residents. END COMMENT. 

MCGEE 
  

SELECT * FROM `cable` WHERE `id` = '188474' ORDER BY `date` ASC