AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSSION WITH PRIME MINISTER MUZITO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000086 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2019 TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN MOPS PGOV PHUM PREF PREL CG SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSSION WITH PRIME MINISTER MUZITO Classified By: Ambassador William J. Garvelink for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D ) ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met with DRC Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito on the latter's request January 26 to discuss the economic crisis facing the country and the current situation in the east. In particular, Muzito asked for USG help with respect to IMF consideration of emergency financial assistance for the DRC through the Exogenous Shock Facility (ESF),and in publicly supporting the joint DRC-Rwanda operations in the east, while also stating an expectation that RDF soldiers will leave DRC territory as soon as possible. Ambassador told Muzito that the USG appreciates the GDRC's need for assistance through ESF and, while discussions are ongoing in Washington, we are supportive of the GDRC's request. He also said the USG could likely issue a statement regarding the RDF along the lines requested. End summary ¶2. (C) Ambassador met with DRC Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito on the latter's request on January 26. Muzito principally wanted to discuss the economic crisis facing the country and the current situation in the east. In particular, he asked for USG help with respect to IMF discussions on the Exogenous Shock Facility (ESF) for the DRC and in publicly supporting the joint DRC-Rwanda operations, while also stating an expectation that RDF soldiers will leave DRC territory as soon as possible. He noted as well that the GDRC is working with Uganda on oil exploitation agreements and separately on regularizing the minerals trade in the east. ¶3. (C) Ambassador told Muzito that the USG appreciates the GDRC's need for assistance through ESF and, while discussions are ongoing in Washington, we are supportive of the GDRC's request. He also pointed out that the State Department publicly noted on January 23 that the USG welcomes Nkunda's arrest. With respect to a statement calling for the departure of the RDF as soon as possible, he said he believed this would be acceptable and would verify the point with Washington. Overall, he said, the new Secretary of State is very interested in the DRC and will have received a country briefing on January 26. ¶4. (C) Ambassador asked Muzito for his help in obtaining the names of the soldiers who could be trained as part of our Rapid Reaction Force program, emphasizing that we cannot begin training if we are not able to vet the participants in advance. Muzito promised to assist in this matter. In response to a question from Ambassador on the current issues with Freeport McMoRan, Muzito believed that all the problems will be resolved successfully. Ambassador emphasized the USG's interest in this case, and that other U.S. businesses are watching to see how the GDRC handles it (Note: Freeport McMoRan, the largest single U.S. investor in the DRC, was one of six companies that did not reach agreement with the GDRC in the recently concluded review of 61 mining contracts. End note). ¶5. (C) Comment: While Muzito does not appear to be a key part of the inner circle of power around Kabila, we still find him to be an engaging and intelligent interlocutor, particularly compared to his predecessor. Nevertheless, the November 2008 change in government creating three Vice Prime Ministers, which theoretically was intended to streamline certain policy processes and would seem to increase the power of the Primature, does not yet appear to have significantly altered the reality that most key political decisions in the DRC are coordinated and decided within the Presidency. End comment GARVELINK