US embassy cable - 00KINSHASA8621

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 008621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2010 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, CG 
SUBJECT: DRC FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES UN RESOLUTION 1332, 
SAYS PRESIDENT BONGO WILL PLAY LEAD ROLE AT LIBREVILLE II 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF KENT C. BROKENSHIRE FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B/D). 
 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY: FOREIGN MINISTER OKITUNDU TOLD AMBASSADOR 
SWING HE WAS PLEASED WITH UN RESOLUTION 1332, PARTICULARLY 
THE SPECIFIC MENTION OF CITIES WHERE MONUC WOULD DEPLOY. HE 
CLAIMED THIS WOULD DISCOURAGE PARTITION OF THE CONGO. HE 
PREFERRED THE CONGO CONFLICT'S FOLLOW-UP MEETING TO TAKE 
PLACE IN NEW YORK, NOT ADDIS ABABA. OKITUNDU DEFENDED THE 
GDRC'S DECEMBER 25 BOMBING RAIDS ON GBADOLITE AND GEMENA, AND 
PRAISED PRESIDENT KABILA'S WILLINGNESS TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE 
DRC TO MEET WITH OPPOSITION GROUPS. HE CLAIMED THE OPPOSITION 
SHUNNED PRESIDENT KABILA IN LIBREVILLE OUT OF FEAR THEY WOULD 
BE ARRESTED IF THEY BOARDED A KABILA-CHARTERED AIRCRAFT. TO 
ASSUAGE THE OPPOSITION, OKITUNDU SAID PRESIDENT BONGO WOULD 
"TAKE CHARGE" OF ORGANIZING A SECOND MEETING BETWEEN THE GDRC 
AND THE OPPOSITION IN LIBREVILLE AT THE END OF JANUARY. OTHER 
SUBJECTS SEPTELS. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
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TALK OF PEACE 
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2. (C) AMBASSADOR SWING MET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER LEONARD SHE 
OKITUNDU DECEMBER 27 TO  DISCUSS THE LATTER'S RECENT VISIT TO 
NEW YORK IN SUPPORT OF UN RESOLUTION 1332. OKITUNDU SAID HE 
WAS PLEASED WITH THE DOCUMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SPECIFIC 
MENTION OF TOWNS WHERE MONUC FORCES SHOULD DEPLOY, I.E. 
KISANGANI AND MBANDAKA, AND POSSIBLY GOMA AND BUKAVU. AS A 
RESULT OF THIS, HE SAID RESOLUTION 1332 REINFORCES THE 
CONCEPT OF AN INDIVISIBLE CONGO SINCE IT SPREADS MONUC FORCES 
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY (AS OPPOSED TO STATIONING UN TROOPS 
ALONG THE FRONT SEPARATING THE WARRING FACTIONS). 
 
 
3. (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER WAS PLEASED AT THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL'S INVITATION IN UNSCR 1332 FOR THE SECRETARY GENERAL 
TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONVENING A MEETING IN FEBRUARY 
BETWEEN THE LUSAKA SIGNATORIES AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL. AS A 
VENUE HE PREFERRED NEW YORK RATHER THAN ADDIS ABABA, AS NEW 
YORK REPRESENTED A MORE NEUTRAL SETTING. IN THE MEANTIME, HE 
SAID ALL SIDES SHOULD RESPECT THE DISENGAGEMENT PLAN AND 
HONOR THE LATEST CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT. 
 
 
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TALK OF WAR 
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4. (C) AMBASSADOR SWING ASKED HOW OKITUNDU RECONCILED HIS 
GOVERNMENT'S RECENT SIGNATURE OF DISENGAGEMENT SUB-PLANS WITH 
REPORTS THAT KABILA AND HIS ALLIES HAD BOMBARDED GBADOLITE 
AND GEMENA ON DECEMBER 25. OKITUNDU REPLIED THAT GDRC WAS 
UNDER ATTACK ON TWO FRONTS, WITH ONE ASSAULT APPARENTLY 
TARGETING LUBUMBASHI. THESE ATTACKS ARE IN THEMSELVES 
VIOLATIONS AND MUST BE MET BY FORCE. "IF WE DO NOT FIGHT 
BACK, LUBUMBASHI WILL FALL." 
 
 
5. (C) PROMPTED BY AMBASSADOR SWING, OKITUNDU SAID PRESIDENT 
KABILA'S DECEMBER 22 MEETING WITH ZIMBABWE'S ROBERT MUGABE 
AND NAMIBIA'S SAM NUJOMA IN KINSHASA, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT 
BRIEFING OF DOS SANTOS IN LUANDA ON THE KINSHASA MEETING, 
WERE IN FACT COUNSELS OF WAR IN RESPONSE TO RWANDAN AND 
UGANDAN ATTACKS IN THE CONGO. WHILE HE DID NOT DIVULGE THE 
DETAILS OF THE MEETINGS, THE FOREIGN MINISTER SAID THAT IF 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FAILED TO STOP THE CURRENT 
OFFENSIVES "THEN WE MUST BE PREPARED TO USE OTHER MEANS." 
 
 
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BONGO TO TAKE CHARGE OF LIBREVILLE II 
------------------------------------- 
 
 
6. (C) PRESIDENT KABILA'S ATTEMPT TO MEET WITH OPPOSITION 
GROUPS IN LIBREVILLE DECEMBER 21 FAILED IN PART BECAUSE 
MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION FEARED FOR THEIR SAFETY. ACCORDING 
TO OKITUNDU, MAJOR OPPOSITION FIGURES REFUSED TO BOARD AN 
AIRCRAFT CHARTERED BY PRESIDENT KABILA OUT OF FEAR THE PLANE 
WAS IN FACT A TRAP SET TO BAG THE LOT OF THEM, AND SEND THEM 
TO DETENTION CENTERS IN LUBUMBASHI. MANY ALSO FEARED THAT 
KABILA WOULD SO DOMINATE THE LIBREVILLE AGENDA (AS HE HAS 
ATTEMPTED TO DO IN EVERY POLITICAL FORUM TO DATE) THAT IT WAS 
POINTLESS TO ATTEND. 
 
 
7. (C) YET THE WILL TO MEET WITH KABILA IS THERE, INSISTED 
OKITUNDU. HE CLAIMED THAT OPPOSITION GROUPS ROUTINELY CALL 
THE PRESIDENT TO ASK FOR APPOINTMENTS, AND THAT BOTH THE 
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL OPPOSITION ORIGINALLY APPROVED OF THE 
LIBREVILLE MEETING. 
 
 
8. (C) IN ORDER TO DISPEL OPPOSITION FEARS, OKITUNDU SAID THE 
GDRC IS ASKING PRESIDENT BONGO TO TAKE COMPLETE CHARGE OF 
LIBREVILLE II, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF JANUARY. THE 
FOREIGN MINISTER DID NOT ELABORATE ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE 
GOB'S COMING RESPONSIBILITIES. HOWEVER, THEY ARE LIKELY TO 
INCLUDE THE FORUM'S AGENDA AS WELL AS LOGISTICAL SUPPORT IN 
ARRANGING FOR THE TRANSPORTATION, LODGING, AND FEEDING OF 
WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE SEVERAL HUNDRED CONGOLESE PARTICIPANTS. 
 
 
9. (C) COMMENT: ALTHOUGH HIS "PACKAGING" OF KABILA'S POLICIES 
IS MORE ATTRACTIVE, AND HIS PRESENTATION OF THE ISSUES FAR 
LESS EMOTIONAL THAN HIS PREDECESSOR'S, IT IS ALSO APPARENT 
THAT OKITUNDU'S MARGIN OF MANEUVER IS EXTREMELY NARROW -- IN 
CONTRAST TO THAT OF HIS EARLIER HUMAN RIGHTS PORTFOLIO -- AS 
THIS LATEST CONVERSATION APTLY ILLUSTRATES. 
SWING