AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001105

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC MOPS PHUM PREF CG AG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER
THAMBWE: MONUC MANDATE RENEWAL, DONGO, ANGOLA, AND
TRIPARTIE PLUS

REF: A) 12/16 LAMORA/BROCK EMAIL B) KINSHASA 1083 C)
12/14 WOLPE/GARVELINK EMAIL

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Garvelink for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Alexis
Thambwe Mwamba on December 17 to discuss MONUC's mandate
renewal, fighting in the Dongo area of Equateur Province, and
DRC-Angolan relations. Septel reports on discussions
regarding finding a site to build a new embassy, as well as
GDRC arrears/negligence concerning its properties in
Washington and New York. Thambwe said Kimia II military
operations would end on December 31, but some kind of
continued operations against the FDLR would continue.
Thambwe said that the FARDC had the situation in Dongo,
Equateur Province "under control," although he claimed that
an ex-Mobutu defense and intelligence official, Honore
Ngbanda, was directing the rebellion from overseas. On
Angola, Thambwe said that the DRC would soon send the GoA and
UN separate note verbale explaining the GDRC position on the
continental shelf delineation dispute. Thambwe pressed the
Ambassador for dates when the Tripartite Plus Commission
might take place in Washington. End summary.

MONUC Mandate Renewal
--------------


2. (C) Drawing from ref A Ambassador stated that for the
USG, combating the FDLR would remain our main focus for the
new mandate, and the U.S. would continue to support GDRC
attempts to deal with the FDLR in Eastern DRC. Noting that
Washington remained concerned with on-going human rights
violations in Eastern DRC, Ambassador stressed that the U.S.
would support some form of conditionality, based on respect
for human rights, for MONUC assistance to the FARDC.


3. (C) Thambwe agreed that pursuing the FDLR and reducing
human rights violations should be key elements of any revised
mandate, as would specific objectives and timelines to
achieve the objectives. He added that the MFA would present
its views on the mandate on December 18 to the Kinshasa-based
UNSC ambassadors. According to Thambwe, Kimia II would
formally end on December 31. The GDRC and MONUC, however,
would develop follow-on action to address the threats posed
by the FDLR and LRA.

Dongo Fighting
--------------


4. (C) Asked to comment on the situation in the Dongo region
of Equateur Province, Thambwe said it remained "confused."
Recently, for example, the rebels had captured a MONUC
armored vehicle with arms, which was subsequently
re-captured. General Amisi is commander of the FARDC force
in the region. A battalion from Maniema Province (ref B) has
reinforced the FARDC in Dongo. The FARDC, according to
Thambwe, continues to recapture villages, but the area is
virtually de-populated. Social Affairs Minister Bathelemy
Botshuali Longomo will soon travel to the Republic of Congo
in an effort to convince DRC refugees that it is safe to
return home. Overall, Thambwe said the situation was "under
control."


5. (C) Nevertheless, Thambwe acknowledged that outside
forces had taken advantage of what had started as an
inter-clan dispute over fishing rights to promote a political
agenda. Thambwe accused Honore Ngbanda of manipulating the
dispute. Ngbanda had recruited trained fighters to face the
Qdispute. Ngbanda had recruited trained fighters to face the
FARDC in Equateur (Bio note: Ngbanda was born in Lisala,
Equateur Province on May 5, 1946. After studying philosophy
at the Lubumbashi campus of the National University of Zaire,
he began a diplomatic career, ultimately becoming former
President Mobutu's Diplomatic Advisor and then ambassador to
Israel. He served in various defense and intelligence
positions during the Mobutu regime, including defense
minister and special counselor for security (1992-1997). He
lives in exile, most likely in France, where he created the
Patriotic Alliance for the Reform of Congo (APARECO). End
bio note).

Relations with Angola
--------------

KINSHASA 00001105 002 OF 002




6. (C) According to Thambwe, the DRC and Angola had just
concluded a joint commission meeting in Luanda, in which
bilateral issues were addressed. However, the disagreement
concerning the delineation of the continental shelf (and
rights to the oil blocks on it) was apparently not discussed;
both sides agreed to set up a specific commission, which
will only address this issue. Thambwe said that the GDRC
would soon send separate note verbale to the GoA and to the
UN Secretary General, outlining the DRC's claim to the
off-shore territory. He reiterated the GDRC's request for
the USG to serve as arbiter in the dispute. Ambassador
replied that he had queried Washington several times about
this, but he was still awaiting guidance.

Tripartite Plus
--------------


7. (U) Thambwe asked if the USG still planned to host the
next meeting of the Tripartite Plus Commission in January.
Ambassador said that the date may slip to February, but he
confirmed that we were interested in hosting to try to get
the Secretary to participate (ref C). We hoped to have more
precision on dates before the end of the year. Thambwe
flagged a potential conflict in early February, as many
ministers from African nations will attend the AU Summit
scheduled to start February 3. Thambwe said that even a
range of tentative dates would be helpful.


8. (C) Comment: Thambwe's announcement that Kimia II would
finish on December 31 and that some new type of operation
would take its place, was not unexpected. Thambwe's comments
on the Dongo situation were somewhat contradictory:
everything was under control, yet the GDRC still faced a
rebellion. Thambwe exuded confidence that the DRC would
prevail in any legal battle with Angola concerning the oil
dispute, but if both sides continue with legal action in
international fora, as expected, it could be quite some time
before we wee anything definitive.

GARVELINK