Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BRUSSELS1180
2007-04-05 15:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT'S PLANNED APRIL 10-12 VISIT TO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0007 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBS #1180 0951539 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 051539Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5017 INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0894
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001180
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2012
TAGS: PREL BE CG
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT'S PLANNED APRIL 10-12 VISIT TO
DRC FACING SERIOUS OBSTACLES
Classified By: Political Counselor Theodore H Andrews, Reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001180
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2012
TAGS: PREL BE CG
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT'S PLANNED APRIL 10-12 VISIT TO
DRC FACING SERIOUS OBSTACLES
Classified By: Political Counselor Theodore H Andrews, Reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D)
1. (C) Belgian Foreign Minister De Gucht's planned visit on
April 9-10 to the DRC is facing serious obstacles, according
to Belgian Great Lakes Special Envoy Smets. As of April 5,
the DRC authorities had yet to give any formal sanction to
the trip, or to offer any indication that De Gucht would meet
with his counterpart, or with President Kabila. Belgian PM
Verhofstadt planned to pressure Kabila to grant permission in
a phone call scheduled for the 5th.
2. (C) The Belgians believe the recent troubles in Kinshasa
have empowered the hard-liners in Kabila's entourage. Their
dislike of De Gucht, always high in the best of times,
increased as a result of the recent EU statement on the
violence, and over a leaked internal document that cites a
much higher casualty figure than the publicly declared
number, Smets declared. Ambassador Adam, head of the Congo
desk in the Belgian MFA, told us also that the apparently
waning influence of the DRC ambassador here was another
worrying sign that the hard-liners were ascendant. He seemed
of late to have lost his ready access to the President and
his key advisers.
3. (U) In addition to a still hoped for session with the
Congolese leadership, De Gucht intends to deliver a speech at
a Kinshasa hotel before the Congolese political class. He
will go also to Lubumbashi to open a conference on natural
resource use.
4. (SBU) De Gucht's Africa tour will kick off on April 9 in
Monrovia. After the April 9-10 stop in the DRC, he heads to
Luanda on April 12-13 where Angolan involvement with the
Congolese army's integrated brigades will be the main topic.
Next follows a trip to Lusaka on April 13-14, a stop in
Kigali on April 14-16, and then participation in two Great
Lakes meetings in Bujumbura on April 17-18. One meeting
concerns economic integration, and the second the meeting of
the Great Lakes military chiefs of staff. EU Commissioner
Michel is expected to participate in the economic affairs
meeting. Imbrie
.
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2012
TAGS: PREL BE CG
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT'S PLANNED APRIL 10-12 VISIT TO
DRC FACING SERIOUS OBSTACLES
Classified By: Political Counselor Theodore H Andrews, Reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D)
1. (C) Belgian Foreign Minister De Gucht's planned visit on
April 9-10 to the DRC is facing serious obstacles, according
to Belgian Great Lakes Special Envoy Smets. As of April 5,
the DRC authorities had yet to give any formal sanction to
the trip, or to offer any indication that De Gucht would meet
with his counterpart, or with President Kabila. Belgian PM
Verhofstadt planned to pressure Kabila to grant permission in
a phone call scheduled for the 5th.
2. (C) The Belgians believe the recent troubles in Kinshasa
have empowered the hard-liners in Kabila's entourage. Their
dislike of De Gucht, always high in the best of times,
increased as a result of the recent EU statement on the
violence, and over a leaked internal document that cites a
much higher casualty figure than the publicly declared
number, Smets declared. Ambassador Adam, head of the Congo
desk in the Belgian MFA, told us also that the apparently
waning influence of the DRC ambassador here was another
worrying sign that the hard-liners were ascendant. He seemed
of late to have lost his ready access to the President and
his key advisers.
3. (U) In addition to a still hoped for session with the
Congolese leadership, De Gucht intends to deliver a speech at
a Kinshasa hotel before the Congolese political class. He
will go also to Lubumbashi to open a conference on natural
resource use.
4. (SBU) De Gucht's Africa tour will kick off on April 9 in
Monrovia. After the April 9-10 stop in the DRC, he heads to
Luanda on April 12-13 where Angolan involvement with the
Congolese army's integrated brigades will be the main topic.
Next follows a trip to Lusaka on April 13-14, a stop in
Kigali on April 14-16, and then participation in two Great
Lakes meetings in Bujumbura on April 17-18. One meeting
concerns economic integration, and the second the meeting of
the Great Lakes military chiefs of staff. EU Commissioner
Michel is expected to participate in the economic affairs
meeting. Imbrie
.