US embassy cable - 00KINSHASA8417

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 008417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: GDRC ANNOUNCES LIBREVILLE PARTICIPANTS 
 
 
REF: A. LIBREVILLE 2335 
     B. KINSHASA 8382 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF JONATHAN PRATT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
 
1. (U) WITH BOLD HEADLINES, KINSHASA NEWSPAPERS ANNOUNCED 
DECEMBER 19 THE GDRC LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THE 
"PRE-DIALOGUE" IN LIBREVILLE, PROVIDING THE STRONGEST SIGNAL 
YET THAT THE KABILA GOVERNMENT WILL ATTEND THE DECEMBER 21 
MEETING IN GABON.  INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER "LA REFERENCE PLUS" 
CALLED THE 201 GDRC-SELECTED PARTICIPANTS "ILLUSTRIOUS 
UNKNOWNS", NOTING THAT NO PROMINENT FIGURES FROM THE 
INTERNAL, EXTERNAL, OR ARMED OPPOSITION PLANNED TO 
PARTICIPATE.  PRESIDENT KABILA HAS NOT YET ANNOUNCED WHETHER 
HE WILL ATTEND. 
 
 
2. (U) THE LIST OF 201 NAMES, PRODUCED BY THE CONSTITUENT AND 
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY'S SPECIAL COMMISSION FOR THE 
INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE, IS BROKEN INTO REPRESENTATIONAL 
CATEGORIES CLEARLY INTENDED TO DEMONSTRATE BREADTH OF 
PARTICIPATION.  SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INCLUDING FOREIGN 
MINISTER OKITUNDU AND EDUCATION MINISTER YERODIA APPEAR IN 
THE CATEGORY TITLED "NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF THE CPP" 
(PEOPLE'S POWER COMMITTEES).  THE SMALL SECTION FOR POLITICAL 
PARTIES (ONLY SEVEN SPOTS) INCLUDES 5 UNKNOWNS AND TWO 
UN-NAMED UDPS PARTICIPANTS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT UDPS 
ANNOUNCED A BOYCOTT AND EVEN BREAK-AWAY UDPS PRESIDENT 
KIBASSA MALIBA ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULDN'T ATTEND.  A WHOPPING 
SIXTY PARTICIPANTS WILL REPRESENT CONGOLESE CIVIL SOCIETY, 
BUT AS IN THE POLITICAL PARTIES CATEGORY, NONE OF THE NAMES 
ARE FAMILIAR TO THE EMBASSY. 
 
 
3. (U) PROMINENT OPPOSITION FIGURES CONTINUE TO INSIST 
PUBLICLY THAT THEY WON'T GO TO LIBREVILLE.  RFI REPORTED 
DECEMBER 19 THAT BOTH UDPS PRESIDENT ETIENNE TSHISEKEDI AND 
FONUS PRESIDENT JOSEPH OLENGHANKOY HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THEY 
PLANNED TO BOYCOTT THE MEETING.  BOTH CITED THE FACT THAT THE 
LIBREVILLE MEETING FELL OUTSIDE OF THE LUSAKA PROCESS AS 
THEIR JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT ATTENDING.  (NOTE: TSHISEKEDI IS 
REPORTEDLY SPENDING THE WEEK TRAVELING TO AFRICAN CAPITALS 
INCLUDING LOME, LUANDA, KIGALI, KAMPALA, AND HARARE. END 
NOTE.) 
 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: THIS PROMINENT ANNOUNCEMENT INDICATES THAT 
THE GDRC MAY IN FACT SEND A CONTINGENT TO GABON FOR A 
"PRE-DIALOGUE" MEETING.  HOWEVER, SEVERAL QUESTIONS REMAIN, 
NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS HOW A LARGE GDRC DELEGATION WILL 
TRAVEL TO LIBREVILLE BEFORE THURSDAY.  MORE TO THE POINT, 
OBSERVERS IN KINSHASA WONDER WHY THE DELEGATES WOULD TRAVEL 
ALL THE WAY TO GABON GIVEN THAT NO RECOGNIZABLE MEMBERS OF 
THE OPPOSITION PLAN TO ATTEND, AND OUTSIDE FACILITATION WOULD 
THEREFORE BE OF LITTLE USE. END COMMENT. 
SWING