Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01KINSHASA346
2001-01-18 18:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kinshasa
how-toO 181852Z JAN 01 FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8756 INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BANGUI IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY KAMPALA IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY KIGALI IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR IMMEDIATE NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE XMT AMCONSUL DURBAN AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000346
KUALA LUMPUR PLEASE PASS AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL CG
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH JOSEPH KABILA
REF: KINSHASA 300
CLASSIFIED BY CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000346
KUALA LUMPUR PLEASE PASS AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL CG
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH JOSEPH KABILA
REF: KINSHASA 300
CLASSIFIED BY CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D)
1. (C) CHARGE WAS CONVOKED FOR A MEETING WITH INTERIM HEAD OF
GOVERNMENT GENERAL JOSEPH KABILA AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 18.
THIS WAS NOT EXACTLY THE "KEEP IT IN CONFIDENCE" MEETING THAT
CHARGE HAD BEEN TOLD JOSEPH KABILA SOUGHT (REFTEL).
AMBASSADORS FROM THE OTHER UNSC PERMREP COUNTRIES (UK,
FRANCE, RUSSIA, CHINA) PLUS BELGIUM HAD ALSO BEEN INVITED FOR
A MEETING AT THE SAME TIME; WE WERE SEEN SEQUENTIALLY BUT
SEPARATELY, WHICH MEANT A LONG WAIT FOR SOME.
2. (C) JOSEPH KABILA WAS NOT IN UNIFORM (HE WAS WEARING A
SAFARI SUIT) AND SPOKE IN ENGLISH (WHICH IS EXCELLENT:
VIRTUALLY UNACCENTED NATIVE FLUENCY). THE ONLY OTHER PERSON
IN THE ROOM WAS PRESIDENTIAL CHEF DE CABINET GEORGES BUSE.
KABILA SAID THAT IN THIS TIME OF TRIAL HE SEEKS US MORAL
SUPPORT FOR HIS GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE. HE
SAID THE GOVERNMENT WISHES TO MOVE FORWARD TO GENUINE
DEMOCRACY, NOT SIMPLY TO REMAIN IN POWER. HE STRESSED THAT HE
RECOGNIZES THAT POWER COMES FROM THE PEOPLE, THROUGH HONEST
AND FAIR ELECTIONS. HOWEVER, HE ADDED, THERE CAN'T BE
DEMOCRACY WITHOUT PEACE--WHICH IN TURN IS DEPENDENT UPON "THE
DEPARTURE OF THE AGGRESSORS."
3. (C) PRESIDENT KABILA DIED FOR PEACE, HE SAID, AND HE
(JOSEPH) HIMSELF IS TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES. THE US, AS
THE WORLD'S SUPERPOWER, HAS AN OBLIGATION TO SUPPORT THE
PEACE INITIATIVES, PARTICULARLY THE RELEVANT UNSC RESOLUTIONS
AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF MONUC. HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD BE
SEEING SRSG KAMEL MORJANE JANUARY 19 TO INSIST THAT THE UN
UNDERTAKE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND BEGIN MONUC DEPLOYMENT
"SINCE WE HAVE ALREADY AGREED TO THE CONDITIONS FOR
DEPLOYMENT."
4 (C) WHETHER THE WORLD BELIEVES IT OR NOT, KABILA SAID, THE
GDRC SEEKS DEMOCRACY--"JUST LIKE SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA."
"WE WANT OPENNESS," HE SAID, WE WANT FREEDOM OF
DISCUSSION"--BUT NOT AT THE PRICE OF A DIVIDED COUNTRY. THE
CONGO'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, HE SAID, CANNOT BE
COMPROMISED. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR AT THE MOMENT, HE
CONCLUDED, IS A PERIOD OF STABILITY AND CALM THAT WILL ALLOW
US TO PURSUE PEACE INITIATIVES.
5. (C) COMMENT: THERE WAS NOTHING STRIKINGLY NEW IN JOSEPH
KABLA'S COMMENTS; THEY COULD JUST AS READILY HAVE BEEN MADE
BY HIS FATHER, LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA. HOWEVER, HE GAVE EVERY
IMPRESSION OF WISHING TO GET OFF ON A NEW FOOTING WITH THE
US. HE PRESENTED HIS POINTS WELL AND CONVINCINGLY--DESPITE
HIS RELATVELY YOUNG AGE (HE IS APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS OLD)
AND INEXPERIENCED IN THIS SORT OF ROLE.
WALKLEY
KUALA LUMPUR PLEASE PASS AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL CG
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH JOSEPH KABILA
REF: KINSHASA 300
CLASSIFIED BY CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D)
1. (C) CHARGE WAS CONVOKED FOR A MEETING WITH INTERIM HEAD OF
GOVERNMENT GENERAL JOSEPH KABILA AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 18.
THIS WAS NOT EXACTLY THE "KEEP IT IN CONFIDENCE" MEETING THAT
CHARGE HAD BEEN TOLD JOSEPH KABILA SOUGHT (REFTEL).
AMBASSADORS FROM THE OTHER UNSC PERMREP COUNTRIES (UK,
FRANCE, RUSSIA, CHINA) PLUS BELGIUM HAD ALSO BEEN INVITED FOR
A MEETING AT THE SAME TIME; WE WERE SEEN SEQUENTIALLY BUT
SEPARATELY, WHICH MEANT A LONG WAIT FOR SOME.
2. (C) JOSEPH KABILA WAS NOT IN UNIFORM (HE WAS WEARING A
SAFARI SUIT) AND SPOKE IN ENGLISH (WHICH IS EXCELLENT:
VIRTUALLY UNACCENTED NATIVE FLUENCY). THE ONLY OTHER PERSON
IN THE ROOM WAS PRESIDENTIAL CHEF DE CABINET GEORGES BUSE.
KABILA SAID THAT IN THIS TIME OF TRIAL HE SEEKS US MORAL
SUPPORT FOR HIS GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE. HE
SAID THE GOVERNMENT WISHES TO MOVE FORWARD TO GENUINE
DEMOCRACY, NOT SIMPLY TO REMAIN IN POWER. HE STRESSED THAT HE
RECOGNIZES THAT POWER COMES FROM THE PEOPLE, THROUGH HONEST
AND FAIR ELECTIONS. HOWEVER, HE ADDED, THERE CAN'T BE
DEMOCRACY WITHOUT PEACE--WHICH IN TURN IS DEPENDENT UPON "THE
DEPARTURE OF THE AGGRESSORS."
3. (C) PRESIDENT KABILA DIED FOR PEACE, HE SAID, AND HE
(JOSEPH) HIMSELF IS TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES. THE US, AS
THE WORLD'S SUPERPOWER, HAS AN OBLIGATION TO SUPPORT THE
PEACE INITIATIVES, PARTICULARLY THE RELEVANT UNSC RESOLUTIONS
AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF MONUC. HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD BE
SEEING SRSG KAMEL MORJANE JANUARY 19 TO INSIST THAT THE UN
UNDERTAKE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND BEGIN MONUC DEPLOYMENT
"SINCE WE HAVE ALREADY AGREED TO THE CONDITIONS FOR
DEPLOYMENT."
4 (C) WHETHER THE WORLD BELIEVES IT OR NOT, KABILA SAID, THE
GDRC SEEKS DEMOCRACY--"JUST LIKE SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA."
"WE WANT OPENNESS," HE SAID, WE WANT FREEDOM OF
DISCUSSION"--BUT NOT AT THE PRICE OF A DIVIDED COUNTRY. THE
CONGO'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, HE SAID, CANNOT BE
COMPROMISED. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR AT THE MOMENT, HE
CONCLUDED, IS A PERIOD OF STABILITY AND CALM THAT WILL ALLOW
US TO PURSUE PEACE INITIATIVES.
5. (C) COMMENT: THERE WAS NOTHING STRIKINGLY NEW IN JOSEPH
KABLA'S COMMENTS; THEY COULD JUST AS READILY HAVE BEEN MADE
BY HIS FATHER, LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA. HOWEVER, HE GAVE EVERY
IMPRESSION OF WISHING TO GET OFF ON A NEW FOOTING WITH THE
US. HE PRESENTED HIS POINTS WELL AND CONVINCINGLY--DESPITE
HIS RELATVELY YOUNG AGE (HE IS APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS OLD)
AND INEXPERIENCED IN THIS SORT OF ROLE.
WALKLEY