GDRC ANNOUNCES LIBREVILLE PARTICIPANTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 008417

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2010
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL CG
SUBJECT: GDRC ANNOUNCES LIBREVILLE PARTICIPANTS


REF: A. LIBREVILLE 2335

B. KINSHASA 8382


CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF JONATHAN PRATT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D).



1. (U) WITH BOLD HEADLINES, KINSHASA NEWSPAPERS ANNOUNCED
DECEMBER 19 THE GDRC LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THE
"PRE-DIALOGUE" IN LIBREVILLE, PROVIDING THE STRONGEST SIGNAL
YET THAT THE KABILA GOVERNMENT WILL ATTEND THE DECEMBER 21
MEETING IN GABON. INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER "LA REFERENCE PLUS"
CALLED THE 201 GDRC-SELECTED PARTICIPANTS "ILLUSTRIOUS
UNKNOWNS", NOTING THAT NO PROMINENT FIGURES FROM THE
INTERNAL, EXTERNAL, OR ARMED OPPOSITION PLANNED TO
PARTICIPATE. PRESIDENT KABILA HAS NOT YET ANNOUNCED WHETHER
HE WILL ATTEND.



2. (U) THE LIST OF 201 NAMES, PRODUCED BY THE CONSTITUENT AND
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY'S SPECIAL COMMISSION FOR THE
INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE, IS BROKEN INTO REPRESENTATIONAL
CATEGORIES CLEARLY INTENDED TO DEMONSTRATE BREADTH OF
PARTICIPATION. SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INCLUDING FOREIGN
MINISTER OKITUNDU AND EDUCATION MINISTER YERODIA APPEAR IN
THE CATEGORY TITLED "NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF THE CPP"
(PEOPLE'S POWER COMMITTEES). THE SMALL SECTION FOR POLITICAL
PARTIES (ONLY SEVEN SPOTS) INCLUDES 5 UNKNOWNS AND TWO
UN-NAMED UDPS PARTICIPANTS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT UDPS
ANNOUNCED A BOYCOTT AND EVEN BREAK-AWAY UDPS PRESIDENT
KIBASSA MALIBA ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULDN'T ATTEND. A WHOPPING
SIXTY PARTICIPANTS WILL REPRESENT CONGOLESE CIVIL SOCIETY,
BUT AS IN THE POLITICAL PARTIES CATEGORY, NONE OF THE NAMES
ARE FAMILIAR TO THE EMBASSY.



3. (U) PROMINENT OPPOSITION FIGURES CONTINUE TO INSIST
PUBLICLY THAT THEY WON'T GO TO LIBREVILLE. RFI REPORTED
DECEMBER 19 THAT BOTH UDPS PRESIDENT ETIENNE TSHISEKEDI AND
FONUS PRESIDENT JOSEPH OLENGHANKOY HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THEY
PLANNED TO BOYCOTT THE MEETING. BOTH CITED THE FACT THAT THE
LIBREVILLE MEETING FELL OUTSIDE OF THE LUSAKA PROCESS AS
THEIR JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT ATTENDING. (NOTE: TSHISEKEDI IS
REPORTEDLY SPENDING THE WEEK TRAVELING TO AFRICAN CAPITALS
INCLUDING LOME, LUANDA, KIGALI, KAMPALA, AND HARARE. END
NOTE.)



4. (C) COMMENT: THIS PROMINENT ANNOUNCEMENT INDICATES THAT
THE GDRC MAY IN FACT SEND A CONTINGENT TO GABON FOR A
"PRE-DIALOGUE" MEETING. HOWEVER, SEVERAL QUESTIONS REMAIN,
NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS HOW A LARGE GDRC DELEGATION WILL
TRAVEL TO LIBREVILLE BEFORE THURSDAY. MORE TO THE POINT,
OBSERVERS IN KINSHASA WONDER WHY THE DELEGATES WOULD TRAVEL
ALL THE WAY TO GABON GIVEN THAT NO RECOGNIZABLE MEMBERS OF
THE OPPOSITION PLAN TO ATTEND, AND OUTSIDE FACILITATION WOULD
THEREFORE BE OF LITTLE USE. END COMMENT.
SWING