Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KIGALI31
2009-01-21 09:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kigali
Cable title:
GERMANY, RWANDA AGREE TO RESTORE NORMAL RELATIONS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0008 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHLGB #0031 0210929 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 210929Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5846 INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0064 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0378 RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0476 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 1290 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2066 RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0622 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0392 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1398 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0654 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0193
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000031
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV RW
SUBJECT: GERMANY, RWANDA AGREE TO RESTORE NORMAL RELATIONS
REF: 08 KIGALI 796
Classified By: CDA Cheryl Sim for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000031
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV RW
SUBJECT: GERMANY, RWANDA AGREE TO RESTORE NORMAL RELATIONS
REF: 08 KIGALI 796
Classified By: CDA Cheryl Sim for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (C) On January 19 the Rwandan and German governments
jointly announced they would appoint new ambassadors: the two
governments agreed to "post to each other's capitals new
heads of their respective missions in the near future."
Rwanda had withdrawn its ambassador and requested the
departure of the German ambassador in Kigali following the
November arrest of Presidential Chief of Protocol Rose Kabuye
in Frankfort on a French-issued warrant. Daily protests
began in front of the German embassy here immediately after
her arrest. The protests ended when Kabuye returned home for
the Christmas holidays, but did not start again when Kabuye
returned to France on January 9.
2. (C) Pol/Econ Chief spoke with German Charge Maier about
the current state of Rwandan-German relations January 20.
Maier said that following internal German government
discussions on relations with Rwanda and Germany's aid
package to the GOR, the German Foreign Ministry approached
the Rwandan embassy in Berlin and suggested the naming of new
ambassadors. Matters moved very quickly after that, he
commented. The GOR response was immediate, he said, and
positive. Maier said he met with Foreign Minister Rosemary
Museminali January 18 to finalize the agreement to exchange
new ambassadors.
3. (C) Given the time it took administratively to identify a
candidate and receive agrement, Maier did not think a new
German ambassador would arrive in Kigali before the normal
summer transfer season, in July or August. He noted that
language in the joint press announcement pledging "to work
together to iron out matters disagreed upon," referred mainly
to FDLR operatives active in Germany. He pointed to comments
in the government-associated New Times daily newspaper by
Museminali on that same subject. Maier hoped that normal
diplomatic dialogue would now be the channel of discussion on
this and other topics, rather than by remarks to the press.
4. (C) Comment. With France and Rwanda appearing anxious
to lessen tensions over the Kabuye case, the German
government chose a propitious moment to approach the GOR,
particularly following the Dutch and Swedish decisions to
suspend their direct budget support. We expect the full
range of German assistance to the GOR to continue unabated,
following this announcement. We also see this as Rwanda
welcoming engagement with an important partner rather than
allowing itself to be increasingly isolated within Europe.
End comment.
SIM
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV RW
SUBJECT: GERMANY, RWANDA AGREE TO RESTORE NORMAL RELATIONS
REF: 08 KIGALI 796
Classified By: CDA Cheryl Sim for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (C) On January 19 the Rwandan and German governments
jointly announced they would appoint new ambassadors: the two
governments agreed to "post to each other's capitals new
heads of their respective missions in the near future."
Rwanda had withdrawn its ambassador and requested the
departure of the German ambassador in Kigali following the
November arrest of Presidential Chief of Protocol Rose Kabuye
in Frankfort on a French-issued warrant. Daily protests
began in front of the German embassy here immediately after
her arrest. The protests ended when Kabuye returned home for
the Christmas holidays, but did not start again when Kabuye
returned to France on January 9.
2. (C) Pol/Econ Chief spoke with German Charge Maier about
the current state of Rwandan-German relations January 20.
Maier said that following internal German government
discussions on relations with Rwanda and Germany's aid
package to the GOR, the German Foreign Ministry approached
the Rwandan embassy in Berlin and suggested the naming of new
ambassadors. Matters moved very quickly after that, he
commented. The GOR response was immediate, he said, and
positive. Maier said he met with Foreign Minister Rosemary
Museminali January 18 to finalize the agreement to exchange
new ambassadors.
3. (C) Given the time it took administratively to identify a
candidate and receive agrement, Maier did not think a new
German ambassador would arrive in Kigali before the normal
summer transfer season, in July or August. He noted that
language in the joint press announcement pledging "to work
together to iron out matters disagreed upon," referred mainly
to FDLR operatives active in Germany. He pointed to comments
in the government-associated New Times daily newspaper by
Museminali on that same subject. Maier hoped that normal
diplomatic dialogue would now be the channel of discussion on
this and other topics, rather than by remarks to the press.
4. (C) Comment. With France and Rwanda appearing anxious
to lessen tensions over the Kabuye case, the German
government chose a propitious moment to approach the GOR,
particularly following the Dutch and Swedish decisions to
suspend their direct budget support. We expect the full
range of German assistance to the GOR to continue unabated,
following this announcement. We also see this as Rwanda
welcoming engagement with an important partner rather than
allowing itself to be increasingly isolated within Europe.
End comment.
SIM