Kabila tells new Belgian foreign minister he wants good

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000027

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/28
TAGS: PREL PGOV PNAT EAID MASS SOCI BE CG
SUBJECT: Kabila tells new Belgian foreign minister he wants good
relations; bemoans Western donors blaming him personally for Congo's
problems

CLASSIFIED BY: SBrock, DCM, State, Front Office; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)


1. (C) Summary: Belgium's DRC ambassador Dominique Struye
briefed P-3 ambassadors and others January 23 on the meeting
between new Belgian foreign minister Steven Vanackere and President
Joseph Kabila on January 19 in Katanga. Struye portrayed Kabila as
intent on repairing the DRC's damaged relationship with Belgium,
but also as someone who is discouraged by what he (Kabila) believes
is a higher standard applied by Westerners to the DRC than the
standard they apply to other countries. Kabila, the Belgians now
believe, suffers emotionally because of Western donors' "analysis
of blame." Kabila shuns international gatherings because he is
highly sensitive to other leaders' finger-pointing and media
accusations. Belgium's desire to mend fences with the DRC is
behind this new characterization of Kabila (Vanackere's predecessor
Karel de Gucht was openly critical of the DRC president). But
other factors, including a realization that Kabila has made
progress on some fronts, may also play a part. End summary.



King Albert invited to 50th anniversary events




2. (C) The briefing, at Struye's residence, included UK and French
ambassadors, U.S. and South African chargC)s, and SRSG Alan Doss.
Struye began by noting that Kabila came across as engaging and
articulate during the two-hour long meeting, held at Kabila's
farmhouse some two hours from Lubumbashi. The Belgian diplomat
said he and the other members of his delegation were surprised at
the farm's modest appearance: one small building with spartan
furniture and no amenities. Kabila began by asking (no formal
written request has yet been made, Struye said later),that King
Albert be the guest of honor at ceremonies marking the Congo's 50th
anniversary of independence on June 30. Vanackere said he had
heard reports the government was considering inviting the monarch
and would convey Kabila's verbal invitation. Vanackere, Struye
noted, was non-commital as to whether the King would attend.




3. (C) In a separate meeting, Belgian poloff opined to polcouns
that the king would almost certainly attend unless some
embarrassing political event/situation in the DRC were to occur
before June 30. Belgian poloff noted that Vanackere raised
sensitive issues in general terms - human rights violations, press
freedom, and elections in 2011. Kabila, who often recoils when
international interlocutors raise these topics, appeared relaxed
and thoughtful in responding, according to Belgian poloff.




4. (C) Note: Struye later told chargC) that Kabila's invitation is
sincere and is, logically, politically motivated. The King's
presence would symbolize the normalization of Congolese-Belgian
ties after two years of strained relations and would be a sign of
international confidence in Kabila and the DRC. It would also,
Struye continued, meet with approval from most average Congolese
citizens who recall the current King's brother, Baudouin, as a
statesman who gave the country its independence. We sense that
Belgians, like others, are not immune from self-deception. But it
is also true that many Congolese do in fact regard the colonial
period with nostalgia, given the DRC's disastrous history as an
independent nation. End note.




5. (C) Kabila then referred to the state of DRC-Belgian relations,
expressing his belief that the bilateral relationship between two
countries was once again on a solid footing. Struye noted in his
briefing that the new foreign minister came across as sympathetic
to the Congolese in attendance at the meeting (including the
foreign and defense ministers) and that Kabila's optimistic take on
the relationship is due in large measure to the departure of
foreign minister Karel de Gucht, whom the president disliked
personally. Uncharacteristically candid for a diplomat, Struye
said several times during the presentation that the relationship
could "only improve" because de Gucht is no longer the foreign
minister. (Note: The DRC press prominently ran Belgian press
accounts of de Gucht criticizing Vanackere for meeting with Kabila.
End note.)

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Rules for DRC are not same as for others




6. (C) Kabila, Struye said, then referred to Westerners'
perceptions of the DRC. Kabila was clearly offended that
Westerners use what he calls an "analyse de culpabilization"
(analysis of blame) when looking at the problems in the Congo.
Instead of taking into account significant improvements in the
country since Kabila took over (January, 2001),Westerners fixate
on specific problems and then talk about only those problems and
Kabila's failure to solve them when discussing the DRC. Kabila
contrasted the DRC with Afghanistan, where Westerners had provided
significantly higher levels of aid, yet did not hold the leaders of
that country personally responsible for not solving intractable
problems. Kabila feels great psychological pain, Struye
believes, because he is held to a different standard that that
which is applied to many other leaders. Struye ventured Kabila
shuns international gatherings because foreign leaders use such
occasions to bring to his attention his many failures and because
the foreign press is eager to criticize him.




7. (C) Comment: Dominique Struye, an accomplished diplomat who
served as ambassador to the United States just prior to coming to
Kinshasa, was not necessarily speaking on behalf of the Belgian
government. We suspect, nonetheless, that he was reflecting the
views of the new foreign minister in that Kabila should no longer
be seen by the Belgian government as a one-dimensional,
entirely-negative leader. Belgium's desire to mend fences with its
former colony, which were damaged seriously by de Gucht's and
Kabila's dislike of each other, explain in part Kabila's new image
for the Belgians. But we also believe the Belgians have come to
the realization that Kabila has made progress on some fronts,
particularly with regard to his willingness to reopen business
deals with China in order to obtain an agreement with the IMF. A
man of little action but even fewer words, Kabila has also not
stood in the way of others, including Europeans and Americans, from
advising him on needed changes in the military, although such
advice frequently goes unheeded. Finally, the Belgians may also
understand that Kabila, for all his imperfections, is the elected
president and is likely to remain in power for some time to come.
End comment.
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