LRA UPDATE: PRESIDENCY OFFICIAL SAYS OKIDI NOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001585 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2015 TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV KPKO CG UG SUBJECT: LRA UPDATE: PRESIDENCY OFFICIAL SAYS OKIDI NOT WANTED REF: A. (A) KINSHASA 1579 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. (B) KAMPALA 2067 ¶C. (C) STATE 177083 Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) Prompted apparently by a September 26 conversation between SRSG Swing and President Kabila, Kabila's Private Secretary, Kikaya bin Karubi, called PolCouns September 26 to SIPDIS say that Kabila was very upset at implications that elements of the GDRC or the Presidency might have been in touch with free lance "negotiator" Jongomoi Okidi-Olal on the LRA issue -- or, apparently, anything else. According to Kikaya, a "very angry" Kabila demanded of his closest advisors whether they had indeed had any such contact. Kikaya reminded PolCouns that Okidi has been a sort of informal "persona non grata," especially with the Presidency, for over two years, since the bogus uranium deal. When PolCouns asked what uranium deal, Kikaya responded that Okidi had been in Kinshasa shortly after the transition began in 2003, at which time he told Presidency officials (notably Kikaya) that he, Okidi, was representing a private U.S. firm interested in purchasing the Shinkolobwe mine (the source of the uranium used by the U.S. in World War II). He also told Congolese officials at that time that he was an "informal envoy" of the USG, which was deeply concerned about the potential for terrorist use of the uranium, and that consequently the USG was prepared to offer the DRC a $30 million loan to help secure the Shinkolobwe site. ¶2. (C) According to Kikaya, the Congolese expressed interest in the idea and asked Okidi to develop an offer. After several months, Okidi contacted Kikaya again and said that he and a group of investors would come to the Congo but he wanted the GDRC to pay for the trip, put them up in the Grand Hotel and then fly them to Katanga province (where the Shinkolobwe mine is located) in the President's plane. Kikaya claims that at this point the GDRC got wise to what seemed to be some sort of scam and backed out of the deal. Furthermore, Kikaya said, Kabila instructed his advisors at that time to avoid any future contact with Okidi. Kikaya repeatedly insisted that "no one" in the Presidency has been in touch with Okidi about anything, least of all about the LRA. ¶3. (C) We think that Kikaya doth protest too much. However, if Kikaya had indeed been in any sort of contact with Okidi, we believe that it was Kikaya freelancing. Whatever contact may have been, however, it appears to have been firmly stopped by no less than President Kabila himself. MEECE