NO FORMAL MEETINGS YET BETWEEN DRC ALLIES AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000494 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI CG SUBJECT: NO FORMAL MEETINGS YET BETWEEN DRC ALLIES AND DRC GOVERNMENT REF: HARARE 450 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) POLOFF SPOKE TO MAXWELL CHIKOROWONDO, THE ZIMBABWE MFA'S DRC DESK OFFICER, ON JANUARY 24. CHIKOROWONDO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM KINSHASA AND LUANDA, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 00494 241418Z WHERE HE ACCOMPANIED PRESIDENT MUGABE TO KABILA'S FUNERAL AND THE DRC ALLIES' MEETING. CHIKOROWONDO TOLD POLOFF THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE AND THE OTHER ALLIED HEADS OF STATE DID NOT/NOT HOLD A FORMAL MEETING WITH JOSEPH KABILA. THEY MERELY "CHATTED" WITH HIM DURING THE FUNERAL. THE ZIMBABWE MFA IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO ARRANGE A LUSAKA SIGNATORIES MEETING, ACCORDING TO THE DESK OFFICER. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT THE YOUNGER KABILA WAS NOT SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT, BUT THAT HE PROBABLY WILL BE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IN LUANDA ON JANUARY 21, THE HEADS OF STATE AGREED THAT THERE IS "NO GOING BACK" ON THE PEACE PROCESS, AND THAT THEY WILL DO ALL THEY CAN TO ENSURE THAT IT GOES FORWARD, CHIKOROWONDO REPORTED. ¶2. (C) ON THE SUBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO KABILA'S MURDER, THE DRC DESK OFFICER SAID IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE HOW LONG THE INVESTIGATION WILL TAKE. HE BELIEVES THAT ANGOLA HAD NOTHING TO WITH THE ASSASSINATION BECAUSE, AS HE PUT IT, "ALL THE ALLIES WORKED WELL WITH KABILA." CHIKOROWONDO WAS LESS SANGUINE ABOUT UGANDA AND RWANDA. WHEN ASKED IF THEIR GOVERNMENTS HAD TRIED TO CONTACT THE GOZ, HE SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO OFFICIAL CONTACT AS OF YET. CHIKOROWONDO ADDED THAT HE DOES NOT THINK UGANDA AND RWANDA WERE BEHIND THE KILLING, BUT NOTED THEY ARE "ENEMIES OF THE CONGO," AND SAID HE WAS SURPRISED AT HOW QUICKLY KIGALI HAD REPORTED THE SHOOTING OF KABILA (WITHIN AN HOUR OF ITS OCCURRENCE). NONETHELESS, HE HAS NOT HEARD OF THEIR REBEL ALLIES PREPARING ANY OFFENSIVE ACTION. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 00494 241418Z ¶3. (C) COMMENT: CHIKOROWONDO BASICALLY STUCK TO THE GOZ LINE ON THE DRC. HOWEVER, HIS REPORT THAT THE HEADS OF STATE PUT OFF A FORMAL MEETING WITH JOSEPH KABILA AT AN OPPORTUNE TIME SUGGESTS THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE PEACE PROCESS UNTIL THEY HAVE A FIRMER IDEA OF WHO IN THE DRC SUPPORTS HIM. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >