RUBERWA AS STATESMAN: AUDITIONING FOR HIS NEXT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001458

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM CG
SUBJECT: RUBERWA AS STATESMAN: AUDITIONING FOR HIS NEXT
ROLE


Classified By: PolCouns DBrown, reasons 1.4 b,d.


1. (C) Summary. Congolese Vice President and disappointed
presidential candidate Azarias Ruberwa has positioned himself
as a mediator and statesmen in the run-up to the second round
of elections. His primary message now consists of three main
points: reconciliation between Kabila and Bemba, active
engagement by the international community, and a new
government led by men of integrity. While Ruberwa still is
pursuing his charges of first-round election fraud, his
emphasis has changed, a positive shift and perhaps an
inevitable one, given his party's meager first-round tally.
End summary.


2. (C) The Ambassador accompanied by PolCouns called on
Ruberwa September 5 for our first meeting since the events of
August 20-22. Ruberwa advisers Tshimpanga Matala and Nyamanga
Baleja Saidi sat in. Ruberwa's opening comments summarizing
current political developments reflected an apparent shift in
emphasis. In the immediate aftermath of the July 30
elections, Ruberwa spoke of little else than his charges of
massive election fraud. In the September 5 meeting, Ruberwa
spoke in terms of his efforts to mediate between President
Kabila and Vice President Bemba and his personal engagement
to restart Transition government operations, including
sessions of the Supreme Defense Council, the Espace
Presidentiel (President plus Four Vice Presidents),and the
Council of Ministers. Ruberwa also spoke of his estimates of
how the second-round campaign will go, and the nature and
composition of the post-election government.


3. (C) Ruberwa,s basic message consists of three key
objectives he is now working to promote:

o A meeting by Kabila and Bemba to reinforce their
commitment to the electoral process. ( Note: Which finally
took place September 13. End note.)

o Clear statements by the international community and the
United States on the August 20-22 disturbances.

o Ensuring that the new government be led by honest
individuals in key positions.


4. (C) Ruberwa emphasized bringing Kabila and Bemba together
as an essential step in building confidence for the electoral
process and civil peace. Ruberwa paid tribute to the efforts
of Ambassadors of the International Committee to Accompany
the Transition (CIAT),MONUC, and others toward this end,
while also stressing his own efforts to promote further
dialogue. Ruberwa cast himself in the role of peacemaker in
current discussion with both camps, citing his success in
disengaging rival forces during the shooting, when his office
had been in the line of fire of both. He did acknowledge his
personal interest during the clashes, with residence and
office located directly between GSSP positions at the Palais
de la Nation and Bemba forces located with Bemba at his
private residence. He confirmed that at least one of his
guards had been wounded during the shooting, although the
guard's wounds were not "serious". Ruberwa also spoke of the
need for forthright statements from the international
community regarding the August 20 - 22 events, and the need
for both second-round presidential candidates to understand
the need to avoid any further military action. In this
regard, Ruberwa asserted that U.S. statements can have an
even greater impact than those from European officials.


5. (SBU) Ruberwa stressed that whichever candidate emerged
victorious, the new government should be free of corruption
and led by good, honest, strong individuals in key positions.
He mentioned no names, but this appeared to be an obvious
reference to himself: he is clearly working to portray
himself as a man of integrity.


6. (C) The Ambassador agreed with the gist of Ruberwa's
comments, emphasizing that successful completion of the
election process represents the only acceptable way forward
for the DRC. The Ambassador also complemented Ruberwa on
already convening a session of the Security Mixed Commission,
a welcome start toward the resumption of government
operations. The Ambassador and Ruberwa also had an exchange
regarding composition and importance of the new National
Assembly, noting the likely need for ongoing work to
establish political alliance(s) and a working majority in
that body.


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7. (C) COMMENT: Ruberwa seems to have recovered from his
apparent surprise and disappointment over poor July 30
results for himself and his party. While pursuing his party's
formal first-round charges of fraud, it appears clear that
this is no longer Ruberwa's focus, and his emphasis on future
developments, completion of the Transition, and a
post-election government represents a positive
future-oriented agenda. His analysis of the August 20 - 22
fighting as a localized conflict resulting from a personal
clash between the Kabila and Bemba camps, was pretty close to
ours and that of most observers. Assuming Ruberwa continues
to seek to stress his credentials as a statesman largely free
of the taint of corruption (at least relative to most of the
DRC political class),he will most certainly serve a positive
role in the remaining months of the Transition government,
and position himself for a future role as favorably as
possible given his party's poor election showing. End
comment.
MEECE