GDRC CLAIMS KABILA ALIVE

S E C R E T KINSHASA 000300 KUALA LUMPUR PLEASE PASS TO AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2010 TAGS: PGOV PREL CG SUBJECT: GDRC CLAIMS KABILA ALIVE CLASSIFIED BY CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) ¶1. (U) THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS WAS SUMMONED TO THE OAU VILLAGE EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 17. PRESIDENTIAL CHEF DE CABINET GEORGES BUSE PRESIDED OVER THE MEETING AND READ A SHORT COMMUNIQUE; HE WAS FLANKED BY GENERAL EDDY KAPEND AND KABILA ADVISOR AND COUNSEL JEAN MBUYU. ¶2. (U) BUSE SAID KABILA WAS WOUNDED IN THE JANUARY 16 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, GIVEN INITIAL MEDICAL TREATMENT IN KINSHASA AND THEN FLOWN "OUT OF THE COUNTRY" FOR ADDITIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DOCTOR AND THE MINISTER OF HEALTH. (NOTE: BUSE DID NOT IDENTIFY THE DESTINATION, BUT EVERYONE ASSUMES IT TO HAVE BEEN HARARE.) ¶3. (U) THE GDRC HAD THIS MORNING DECIDED IN AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF MINISTERS, BUSE SAID, THAT UNTIL KABILA IS ABLE TO RETURN, HIS SON -- GENERAL JOSEPH KABILA -- WOULD ACT AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF AND HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT. ¶4. (U) BUSE SAID THE GDRC URGED CALM AND A RETURN TO NORMALCY. THE GDRC CONSEQUENTLY HAD TAKEN TWO DECISIONS: THE AIRPORTS WILL BE REOPENED AND THE CURFEW RELAXED (NEW CURFEW HOURS ARE TO BE 2200-0500). ¶5. (U) BUSE CONCLUDED HIS REMARKS BY SAYING THE GDRC WISHES KABILA A PROMPT RECOVERY. ¶6. (U) AT THE END OF THE MEETING, THE DIPS WERE LINED UP AND IN WALKED JOSEPH KABILA TO SHAKE EVERYONE'S HAND. CHARGE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT HIS HAND ON KABILA'S SHOULDER; HE DID NOT APPEAR INJURED IN ANY WAY (CONTRARY TO SOME RUMORS THAT HE HAD BEEN SHOT). ¶7. (S) WHEN CHARGE WAS WALKING OUT, HE WAS APPROACHED SEPARATELY BY JEAN MBUYU AND VICE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ILUNGA AWAN. BOTH DISCREETLY SAID THAT JOSEPH KABILA SEEKS A PRIVATE MEETING WITH CHARGE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING (TIME NOT YET IDENTIFIED) AND ASKED THAT THIS BE KEPT IN CONFIDENCE. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: IT IS DIFFICULT AT THE MOMENT TO DETERMINE THE TRUTH. IS KABILA ALIVE, OR IS THIS SIMPLY A CYNICAL GDRC LINE DESIGNED TO EARN ADDITIONAL TIME FOR MANEUVER? ¶9. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: WHATEVER THE TRUTH ABOUT KABILA'S CONDITION, THE CHOICE OF JOSEPH KABILA AS INTERIM HEAD OF GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO BE AN ASTUTE MOVE. NO DOUBT THOSE BEHIND THE SCENE SEE HIM AS A MALLEABLE FIGUREHEAD WHO IS PRESENTABLE TO THE PEOPLE (AND WHO, FOR THE TIME BEING AT LEAST, MAKES POSSIBLE A PUBLIC PAPERING-OVER OF THE SERIOUS MILITARY AND POLITICAL SPLITS IN THE GDRC). WALKLEY