BURUNDI: PRESIDENT BUYOYA SEEKS STEPPED UP U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004376 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE - MENNUTI AND AF/C, AF/E AND PRM/AF E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2012 TAGS: BY MOPS PGOV PREF PREL SF MOPS PGOV PREF PREL SF TZ TZBY SUBJECT: BURUNDI: PRESIDENT BUYOYA SEEKS STEPPED UP U.S. AND TANZANIAN PRESSURE ON REBEL FACTION REF: DAR ES SALAAM 4582 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR R. JAMES NICHOLSON, REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D) -------------- SUMMARY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 04376 01 OF 02 091559Z -------------- ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: BURUNDI PRESIDENT BUYOYA, ATTENDING A SANT'EGIDIO CONFERENCE IN PALERMO ON CONFLICT AND DIALOGUE, REQUESTED A MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR NICHOLSON SEPTEMBER 1 TO REINFORCE HIS INTEREST IN STEPPED UP U.S. AND TANZANIAN PRESSURE ON THE CNDD FACTION OF THE FDD. MEETING AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE SANT'EGIDIO MEDIATOR INVOLVED IN BURUNDI, DON MATTEO ZUPPI, BUYOYA SAID HE BELIEVED THE U.S. SHOULD BOTH APPROACH THE FACTION DIRECTLY THROUGH ITS CONTACTS WITH THEM IN TANZANIA, AND ALSO URGE THE TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE TO PRESSURE THE FACTION TO PARTICIPATE SERIOUSLY IN NEGOTIATIONS. AMBASSADOR URGED BUYOYA TO APPROACH OUR EMBASSY IN BUJUMBURA DIRECTLY, BUT PROMISED TO PASS ALONG THE PRESIDENT'S CONCERNS TO OUR EMBASSY AND WASHINGTON. END SUMMARY. -------------- BUYOYA FRUSTRATED BY CNDD/FDD RECALCITRANCE -------------- ¶2. (C) BURUNDI PRESIDENT BUYOYA, KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THE ANNUAL SANT'EGIDIO INTER-FAITH CONFERENCE, "FAITHS AND CULTURES WITHIN CONFLICT AND DIALOGUE," (SEPTEL) REQUESTED A MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR NICHOLSON AT THE SUGGESTION OF FATHER DON MATTEO ZUPPI, SANT'EGIDIO'S SPIRTUAL LEADER AND AFRICA EXPERT, WHO HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN BURUNDI AND THE REGION FOR MANY YEARS. BUYOYA OUTLINED FOR THE AMBASSADOR THE STATE OF PLAY IN BURUNDI, STRESSING THAT ALTHOUGH MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, THE GOVERNMENT'S INABILITY TO BRING THE REMAINING TWO REBEL FACTIONS INTO THE PEACE PROCESS, AND THEIR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 04376 01 OF 02 091559Z UNWILLINGNESS TO ENTER INTO A CEASE-FIRE THREATENS THE PROGRESS TO DATE. ACCORDING TO BUYOYA, THE CNDD/FDD CONTINUES TO FIND "PRETEXTS" TO AVOID SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS, SUCH AS INSISTING THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT WAS NOT A COMBATANT, AND THEREFORE ONLY THE ARMY COULD BE INVOLVED IN CEASE-FIRE NEGOTIATIONS. BUYOYA SAID HE HAD REQUESTED INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT -- PARTICULARLY FROM TANZANIA -- TO CONVINCE THE CNDD/FDD TO ENGAGE SERIOUSLY IN NEGOTIATIONS, BUT THAT THE REBEL GROUP "CONTINUED TO PLAY A DELAYING GAME." -------------- U.S. PRESSURE NEEDED -------------- ¶3. (C) BUYOYA SAID HIS GOVERNMENT HAD CONCLUDED THAT ONLY THE U.S., WORKING WITH TANZANIA, COULD OVERCOME THE CURRENT STALEMATE. NOTING THAT U.S. ENGAGEMENT IN THE GREAT LAKES, SUDAN, AND ANGOLA HAD LED TO SOLUTIONS, HE BELIEVED SIMILAR ENGAGEMENT NOW IN BURUNDI WOULD BE PIVOTAL. DESPITE CURRENT FRUSTRATIONS, HE BELIEVED THE "TIME WAS RIPE FOR A SOLUTION." OBSERVING THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CNDD/FDD REBEL LEADERS WERE "WELL-KNOWN" TO OUR EMBASSY IN TANZANIA, HE URGED THE U.S. TO PRESSURE THE LEADERS DIRECTLY TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS. IN ADDITION, HE URGED US TO APPROACH THE GOVERNMENT OF TANZANIA TO STEP UP THEIR PRESSURE ON THE FDD/CNDD. HE BELIEVED THAT TANZANIA HAD "ALL THE NECESSARY WEAPONS TO PUSH THEM," BUT NEEDED MORE PRESSURE FROM THE U.S. TO BRING THEM TO BEAR. ¶4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR THANKED BUYOYA FOR SHARING HIS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 VATICA 04376 01 OF 02 091559Z PERSPECTIVES AND ASKED IF HE HAD APPROACHED OUR EMBASSY IN BUJUMBURA DIRECTLY WITH HIS REQUEST. HE SAID HE HAD NOT, BUT THAT HE WOULD DO SO UPON HIS RETURN TO THE CAPITAL. THE AMBASSADOR ENCOURAGED HIM TO DO SO, AND PROMISED TO CONVEY HIS VIEWS TO OUR EMBASSIES IN BUJUMBURA AND DAR-ES-SALAAM AND TO WASHINGTON. HE NOTED THAT THE U.S. SHARED THE PRESIDENT'S DESIRE TO BRING ALL THE REBEL GROUPS ACTIVELY INTO THE PEACE PROCESS. ¶5. (C) ASKED ABOUT THE REBELS' OBJECTIVES, BUYOYA SAID IT WAS NOT CLEAR TO HIM AT THIS POINT WHAT MORE THEY NEEDED. HE BELIEVED ALL THE CLAIMS THE REBELS HAD PUT FORWARD -- DEMOCRACY, INSTITUTIONALIZING SECURITY GUARANTEES, AND SETTLEMENT OF PAST CONFLICTS -- WERE ANSWERED IN THE EXISTING PEACE ACCORD. THE REAL ISSUE WAS HOW TO INTEGRATE THE REBELS INTO THE NEW INSTITUTIONS, HE SAID. "WE ARE READY TO GIVE THEM ROOM," HE ADDED, "BUT WE NEED THEM TO ENGAGE SERIOUSLY." -------------- COMMENT -------------- CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ9263 PAGE 01 VATICA 04376 02 OF 02 091559Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 PM-00 IRM-00 SS-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 /002W -------------- E49A8A 091559Z /38 P 091536Z SEP 02 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY INFO RWANDA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 004376 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE - MENNUTI AND AF/C, AF/E AND PRM/AF E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2012 TAGS: BY MOPS PGOV PREF PREL SF MOPS PGOV PREF PREL SF TZ TZBY SUBJECT: BURUNDI: PRESIDENT BUYOYA SEEKS STEPPED UP U.S. AND TANZANIAN PRESSURE ON REBEL FACTION ¶6. (C) SANT'EGIDIO'S DON MATTEO ZUPPI REMAINS ACTIVE IN CONFLICT MEDIATION THROUGHOUT AFRICA. ZUPPI NO DOUBT SAW AN OPPORTUNITY WITH PRESIDENT BUYOYA AND THE AMBASSADOR AT THE SAME GATHERING TO SEEK TO CATALYZE SOME MOVEMENT AND PUT SOME PRESSURE ON THE REBELS. EMBASSY VATICAN WOULD BE WILLING TO COORDINATE A MEETING BETWEEN INCOMING AMBASSADOR YELLIN AND CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 04376 02 OF 02 091559Z DON MATTEO ZUPPI, SHOULD THE AMBASSADOR DESIRE, OR TO WORK WITH SANT'EGIDIO IN ANY WAY THAT COULD BE HELPFUL TO THE DEPARTMENT'S AND INVOLVED EMBASSIES' EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE PEACE PROCESS. ¶7. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. NICHOLSON CONFIDENTIAL > 2002VATICA04376 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL