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