US embassy cable - 01HARARE343

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000343 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
USUN FOR HOLBROOKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/01 
TAGS:  PREL, PGOV, MOPS, ZI, CG 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE VIEW ON KABILA'S APPARENT 
ASSASSINATION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 08596 

CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, ACCOMPANIED BY POLOFF, 
DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS TO THE ACTING PERMSEC IN 
ZIMBABWE'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DR. NGONI 
CHIDEYA THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 17.  THE CHARGE PRESSED 
OUR DESIRE FOR THE ADHERENCE TO THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT IN 
THE WAKE OF THE APPARENT ASSASSINATION OF DRC PRESIDENT 
KABILA AND THAT NO BELLIGERENT ATTEMPT TO TAKE MILITARY 
ADVANTAGE OF THE CONFUSED SITUATION.  DR. CHIDEYA 
REITERATED ZIMBABWE'S POSITION THAT IT WANTS TO SEE ALL 
PARTIES ABIDE BY THE PRINCIPLES OF THE LUSAKA ACCORDS. 
 
2.  (C) TURNING TO THE ASSASSINATION, CHIDEYA STATED 
THAT, ACCORDING TO THE VERSION OF EVENTS HE HAS HEARD, 
KABILA WAS MEETING WITH HIS FINANCE MINISTER AROUND 
2:30PM JANUARY 16 WHEN A "LIEUTENANT" MARCHED INTO THE 
ROOM AND SHOT KABILA THREE TIMES AT POINT-BLANK RANGE. 
THE ASSAILANT ATTEMPTED TO ESCAPE THROUGH A WINDOW, BUT 
KABILA'S BODYGUARDS STORMED IN AND FATALLY SHOT THE 
ASSASSIN.  KABILA WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL, WHERE HE DIED 
LATER THAT DAY.  ONCE IT BECAME KNOWN KABILA WAS DEAD, 
HIS CABINET MET TO APPOINT A TWO-MAN "PRESIDENTIAL 
COMMITTEE" TO RUN THE COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO CHIDEYA. 
THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF INTERIOR MINISTER GAETAN 
KAKUDJI AND JUSTICE MINISTER MWENZE KONGOLO. 
 
3.  (C) CHIDEYA REPORTED THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE IS 
CUTTING SHORT HIS ATTENDANCE AT THE FRANCO-AFRICAN 
SUMMIT IN YAOUNDE TO RETURN TODAY TO HARARE TO DEAL WITH 
THE DRC CRISIS.  BEFORE LEAVING YAOUNDE, MUGABE MET WITH 
NAMIBIAN PRESIDENT SAM NUJOMA AND BOTH AGREED TO A MORE 
SUBSTANTIVE MEETING BETWEEN KABILA'S ALLIES.  THE 
MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE "VERY SOON," ACCORDING TO 
CHIDEYA.  THE GOZ IS LIKELY TO ISSUE A STATEMENT ON THE 
ASSASSINATION TOMORROW MORNING (JANUARY 18), CHIDEYA 
CONTINUED.  HE AFFIRMED THAT KABILA'S BODY HAS BEEN 
BROUGHT TO HARARE FOR AN AUTOPOSY AND EMBALMING.  IN A 
SEPARATE CONVERSATION WITH POLOFF, THE MFA'S DRC DESK 
OFFICER, MAXWELL CHIKOROWONDO, REPORTED THAT, TO HIS 
KNOWLEDGE, THE MEETING BETWEEN THE DRC ALLIES HAD NOT 
YET BEEN ARRANGED, BUT PROBABLY WOULD BE ONCE MUGABE 
RETURNED TO HARARE.  CHIKOROWONDO FLATLY DENIED RUMORS 
THAT ZIMBABWE IS SENDING MORE TROOPS TO KINSHASA TO 
STABILIZE THE SITUATION THERE. 
 
4.  (C) THE DRC DESK OFFICER STATED THAT KABILA'S 
CABINET IS IN CHARGE OF THE CONGOLESE GOVERNMENT, AND 
THAT KABILA'S CHIEF OF STAFF, BRIGADIER COLONEL KAPENDE, 
IS NOT DIRECTING ANYTHING, BUT IS MERELY ACTING AS 
SPOKESMAN FOR THE MILITARY.  IF KAPENDE HAD BEEN BEHIND 
THE ASSASSINATION, HE WOULD HAVE SURELY ANNOUNCED HIS 
INTENTION TO TAKE OVER BY NOW, CHIKOROWONDO OPINED. 
WHEN ASKED ABOUT POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS, HE STATED THAT NO 
ONE REALLY STANDS OUT.  INTERIOR MINISTER KAKUDJI WAS 
TOO CLOSE TO KABILA, HAS NO SUPPORT, AND IS TOO DESPISED 
TO PRESENT HIMSELF AS A CREDIBLE, LONG-TERM SUCCESSOR TO 
KABILA, THE DESK OFFICER OFFERED. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT: CHIDEYA'S COMMENTS PROVIDE THE FIRST 
OFFICIAL ZIMBABWEAN CONFIRMATION THAT KABILA IS, IN 
FACT, DEAD AND THAT HIS BODY IS IN HARARE.  WE ARE 
INCLINED TO BELIEVE A VERSION OF EVENTS, REPORTED IN THE 
PRESS AND ATTRIBUTED TO DEFENSE MINISTER MOVEN MAHACHI, 
THAT KABILA DIED ON THE PLANE TO HARARE BECAUSE SHIPPING 
A BODY HERE MAKES LITTLE SENSE.  THE GOZ, PARTICULARLY 
THE MFA, HAS BEEN IN SOME DISARRAY WITH MUGABE AND MOST 
SENIOR MFA OFFICIALS OUT OF THE COUNTRY.  WE SHOULD BE 
ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THE GOZ'S OFFICIAL STANCE AND ITS 
INTENTIONS AFTER PRESIDENT MUGABE RETURNS TO HARARE, AS 
SENIOR GOZ OFFICIALS APPEAR TO BE AWAITING THE 
PRESIDENT'S DECISIONS ON NEXT STEPS.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING