Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KINSHASA61
2007-01-19 15:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kinshasa
Cable title:
BEMBA MAKES THEATRICAL RETURN TO KINSHASA
how-toVZCZCXRO2970 RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHKI #0061 0191515 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 191515Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5440 INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0026 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS KINSHASA 000061
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL CG
SUBJECT: BEMBA MAKES THEATRICAL RETURN TO KINSHASA
REF: 06 KINSHASA 1871
UNCLAS KINSHASA 000061
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL CG
SUBJECT: BEMBA MAKES THEATRICAL RETURN TO KINSHASA
REF: 06 KINSHASA 1871
1. (U) Transitional Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba,
defeated in his run for the presidency in October, returned
to Kinshasa from Europe January 14. He had been in Portugal,
where he maintains a residence, recovering from a broken leg
suffered here in December (reftel).
2. (U) Bemba pledged in his December concession speech to
actively participate in "republican opposition" to the Kabila
government. He is expected to be selected as one of eight
senators in a vote by the Kinshasa provincial assembly
December 19. His MLC party won four of the assembly's five
leadership positions in elections December 14 (septel).
3. (U) According to a Kinshasa newspaper report, Bemba went
directly from the airport to Kinshasa's Notre Dame Cathedral
on arrival late in the evening of January 14 to pay respects
to Archibishop Frederic Cardinal Etsou, a fellow native of
Equateur province whose funeral was scheduled for the next
day.
4. (U) Bemba and an armed escort returned to the cathedral
on January 15. He arrived in after the funeral mass had
already ended, with large group of supporters in tow,
contributing to a tense atmosphere in the large crowd
gathered at the cathedral. The same newspaper reported
confrontations between his men and soldiers of the Republican
Guard, who were providing security there. The Canadian
Embassy reported its charge d'affaires was physically
threatened by an armed Bemba guard and needed a UN escort to
leave the site.
MEECE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL CG
SUBJECT: BEMBA MAKES THEATRICAL RETURN TO KINSHASA
REF: 06 KINSHASA 1871
1. (U) Transitional Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba,
defeated in his run for the presidency in October, returned
to Kinshasa from Europe January 14. He had been in Portugal,
where he maintains a residence, recovering from a broken leg
suffered here in December (reftel).
2. (U) Bemba pledged in his December concession speech to
actively participate in "republican opposition" to the Kabila
government. He is expected to be selected as one of eight
senators in a vote by the Kinshasa provincial assembly
December 19. His MLC party won four of the assembly's five
leadership positions in elections December 14 (septel).
3. (U) According to a Kinshasa newspaper report, Bemba went
directly from the airport to Kinshasa's Notre Dame Cathedral
on arrival late in the evening of January 14 to pay respects
to Archibishop Frederic Cardinal Etsou, a fellow native of
Equateur province whose funeral was scheduled for the next
day.
4. (U) Bemba and an armed escort returned to the cathedral
on January 15. He arrived in after the funeral mass had
already ended, with large group of supporters in tow,
contributing to a tense atmosphere in the large crowd
gathered at the cathedral. The same newspaper reported
confrontations between his men and soldiers of the Republican
Guard, who were providing security there. The Canadian
Embassy reported its charge d'affaires was physically
threatened by an armed Bemba guard and needed a UN escort to
leave the site.
MEECE