Kabila rejects AU plea from Jean Ping

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000883 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO AU CG SUBJECT: Kabila rejects AU plea from Jean Ping to restore diplomatic ties with Kigali ¶1. (SBU) African Union Commission Chair Jean Ping made a lightning trip to Kinshasa October 10-12 in an effort to defuse tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda over fighting in the eastern DRC. Ping met with P-3 plus 2 ambassadors, SRSG Alan Doss, EU representatives, Senate President Leon Kengo wa Dondo, and National Assembly president Vital Kamerhe prior to meeting with President Kabila on October 12. ¶2. (SBU) Ping explained to P-3 plus 2 ambassadors at a hastily-arranged meeting October 10 that he had decided to come to Kinshasa -- despite very pressing business in Eritrea -- because of the seriousness of the current situation. He reviewed recent developments and emphasized that the conflict between the DRC and Laurent Nkunda could not be won militarily by either side; the only possible solution was political. He emphasized that the main thrust of his demarche to President Kabila would be to push for a restoration of diplomatic relations, since an institutional mechanism for dialogue was needed. He noted that this was a "pre-condition" for President Kagame of Rwanda if he, Kagame, were to talk with Kabila. Ping asked P-3 plus 2 ambassadors to reinforce his efforts vis-a-vis Kabila with regard to reestablishing diplomatic relations, apparently unaware that all P-3 plus two nations have, individually and collectively, lobbied the DRC to do this. ¶3. (SBU) Ping also referred in general terms to a "future plan" to move the peace process forward after ties had been restored and greater confidence between the DRC and Rwanda was achieved. He did not appear to know of MONUC's comprehensive disengagement plan, which the GDRC has signed on to, as an existing road map to peace. When asked if he would go to Rwanda after leaving the Congo to brief Kagame, Ping said he was too busy but he would call Kagame to brief him. Ping also announced that the AU would soon send a representative to work in Goma on a permanent basis; until now the AU has dispatched staff members to the eastern DRC from headquarters or from nearby AU missions. ¶4. (SBU) At a MONUC meeting on October 13, AU representative in Kinshasa Martin Bongo briefed ambassadors of UN Security Council members. Bongo stated that Kabila, with whom the AU chairman met on October 12, had turned down Ping's request for a restoration of diplomatic ties. Although Bongo did not provide details, he suggested that Kabila's reluctance to restore ties is based on a fear of negative public opinion in the DRC, where memories of Rwanda's 1998 invasion are still fresh. Bongo also noted that Ping had referred to the current "setback" in the Amani Process, although he did not suggest that the Amani process be abandoned. ¶5. (SBU) In a later conversation between Charge d'Affaires and Ambassador Pierre Yere, AU senior rep in Kinshasa, Yere stated that the AU will send a delegation to the DRC in the coming weeks to look specifically at the issue of the FDLR which it (the AU) considers to be the biggest obstacle to peace in the country. Yere indicated that the AU would look specifically at ways to "involve Rwanda more" in solving the FDLR issue, noting that Rwanda needed to be more active in facilitating the return of the FDLR to Rwanda. Yere also indicated that the AU will look at the issue of governance because, as Yere said, "if there is no government presence in the east, there can be no peace." ¶6. (SBU) Comment: Ping's efforts to resolve the latest Rwanda-DRC crisis were well received by MONUC and the international community, although diplomats here were somewhat surprised at his apparent lack of knowledge of International Community efforts to obtain a peaceful solution to the conflict in the east. We were also surprised that Ping described re-establishing diplomatic ties as President Kagame's pre-condition ("prealable"); we hope he did not pitch it to Kabila as such. End comment. BROCK