US embassy cable - 00KINSHASA8515

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 008515 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR AF/C-CHARLES NEARY 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2010 
TAGS: CG, PGOV, PREL 
SUBJECT: REPORTED KABILA REQUEST FOR INAUGURAL INVITATION 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B) (D) 
 
 
1. (C) Retired Haitian General Herard Abraham phoned 
Ambassador Swing on December 21 to report the following: 
 
 
2. (C) Abraham said that a friend of his named Beaulieu had 
contacted him from Brussels seeking Abraham's support with 
regard to what his friend described as a desire by Congolese 
(DRC) President Kabila, that he and his Minister of State 
Kakudji be invited to the inauguration of President-elect 
Bush.  Kabila is eager, Abraham said, to establish good 
relations with the new US administration. 
 
 
3. (C) The Ambassador expressed a personal opinion that such 
invitations are extremely limited and the possibility of 
obtaining one highly unlikely.  The Ambassador agreed only to 
report the request to Washington for any appropriate action. 
 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: 
 
 
       General Abraham, who splits his time between Haiti and 
Miami (305-895-2354), was Haitian President Aristide's last 
Army Chief of Staff before the 1991 coup which overthrew 
Aristide.  Well respected, Abraham was a good contact of 
Ambassador Swing's during latter's service in Haiti.  How 
Abraham became a conduit for this reported request is 
unclear, however. 
SWING