GDRC ADMITS KABILA DEAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000328 KUALA LUMPUR PLEASE PASS TO AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2010 TAGS: PGOV CG SUBJECT: GDRC ADMITS KABILA DEAD CLASSIFIED BY CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) ¶1. (C) CHARGE, ALONG WITH FRENCH AND BELGIAN AMBASSADORS, WAS CONVOKED EARLY AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 18 FOR A MEETING WITH MWENZE KONGOLO (MINISTER OF JUSTICE),HENRI MOVA (MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT) AND MAWAMPANGA MWANA NANGA (MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND LIVESTOCK). AT THE BRIEF MEETING, MWENZE SAID HE WISHED TO INFORM THE US, BELGIUM AND FRANCE OF THE CURRENT STATE OF EVENTS AND TO REQUEST THE "UNDERSTANDING AND ASSISTANCE" OF THE DRC'S "CLOSE FRIENDS" AS THE COUNTRY GOES THROUGH A DIFFICULT PERIOD. ¶2. (C) MWENZE SAID THAT KABILA WAS HIT BY TWO BULLETS, ONE OF WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY FATAL. THE BULLET ENTERED THE SKULL NEAR THE EAR WENT DOWN THROUGH KABILA'S BODY AND CAME OUT NEAR THE ARM ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE (BY THE DESCRIPTION, IT APPEARS KABILA WAS PROBABLY SITTING DOWN AT THE TIME). KABILA WAS TAKEN IN A COMA TO HARARE, WHERE--ACCORDING TO MWENZE--HE DIED WEDNESDAY NIGHT. (NOTE: THIS ACCOUNT, IF THE GOVERNMENT STICKS TO IT, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO CLAIM THEY WERE TELLING THE TRUTH YESTERDAY NOON WHEN THE STATEMENT WAS ISSUED THAT HE WAS ALIVE.) THE ASSAILANT, MWENZE SAID, WAS KILLED. ¶3. (C) THE BODY, MWENZE ADDED, IS STILL IN HARARE AND ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE FOR ITS RETURN. A COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS IS WORKING ON FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS. MWENZE SAID HE COULD PROVIDE NO FURTHER DETAILS AT THE MOMENT AS DECISIONS WERE STILL BEING MADE. ¶4. (C) MWENZE INDICATED THAT AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE TODAY REGARDING THE DEATH AND HE CONFIRMED THAT JOSEPH KABILA WILL ADDRESS THE NATION TONIGHT (NOT A POLITICAL SPEECH, ACCORDING TO MWENZE, BUT A GENERAL SPEECH ABOUT CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRY, INTENDED TO MAINTAIN CALM). ¶5. (C) MWENZE SAID THE GDRC DID NOT DEFINITIVELY KNOW WHO WAS BEHIND KABILA'S ASSASSINATION BUT ADDED THAT "WE ARE ON THE TRAIL." ASKED ABOUT REPORTS OF AN IMMINENT CABINET RESHUFFLE, HE SAID THAT IT WAS UNDER DISCUSSION BUT HE WASN'T FREE TO TALK ABOUT IT. ¶6. (C) CHARGE HAS BEEN CONVOKED FOR A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON WITH JOSEPH KABILA; MORE DETAILS MAY BE AVAILABLE AT THAT MEETING. WALKLEY