US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1855

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, KPKO, CG, UNSC 
SUBJECT: TSHISEKEDI GAMBIT WITH THE VISITING UNSC 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Roger Meece.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
1. (C) A few days prior to the arrival in Kinshasa of the 
U.N. Security Council (UNSC)on November 5 , two key officials 
of Etienne Tshisekedi,s opposition UDPS party approached 
French Ambassador Georges Serres to request a meeting with 
the UNSC.  (Note: The French PermRep was the UNSC's lead for 
the visit. End note).  According to Serres in a subsequent 
briefing to members of the International Committee To 
Accompany the Transition (CIAT), the two indicated that the 
party was modifying its stance opposing the election process 
and was looking for a way to participate.  They reported that 
party leader Tshisekedi was prepared to enter into a 
discussion without preconditions and passed along a draft 
document to be given to the UNSC.  Subsequent reading of the 
document indicated that indeed there were preconditions, for 
example calling for a dialogue to fix a "realistic election 
calendar," asserting that the voter registration process and 
election planning to-date were invalid, and stating that the 
Transition government "1 4" formula (President plus four Vice 
Presidents) as established by the 2003 Sun City Accord needed 
to be replaced by a "classic schema."  Serres reportedly told 
the UDPS reps that he could likely arrange a meeting with at 
least the delegation leader, the French PermRep, but it 
appeared the paper needed to be modified.  The two indicated 
that it was still being revised. 
 
2. (U) Tshisekedi did meet with French PermRep de la Sabliere 
at the French Ambassador,s residence on Saturday evening, 
November 5, following the UNSC,s arrival in Kinshasa.  The 
Algerian UN PermRep also participated in the meeting, as did 
the British Ambassador.  Tshisekedi handed over the UDPS 
position paper, reportedly slightly modified from the earlier 
draft. Tshisekedi's supporters had earlier staged a protest 
rally on the road from the airport, greeting the arriving 
UNSC with slogans.  The Japanese Ambassador reported that his 
car was rocked a bit, but the demonstration was peaceful. 
 
3. (C) The British and French Ambassadors told us that 
Tshisekedi and the UDPS members accompanying him at the 
 
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Saturday meeting delivered a mixed message to the UNSC.  On 
the one hand, there was expressed UDPS willingness to become 
involved in the election process.   On the other hand, the 
UDPS members condemned the current process as invalid.  The 
core idea of the UDPS initiative seemed to be to convene a 
broadly-based conference of political and other leaders to 
define a path forward.  The conference as proposed, however, 
could potentially wreck the current election calendar and 
process, which was possibly the intent.  The response from 
the PermReps was reportedly in essence that the UNSC would 
welcome UPDS full participation in elections, but the basic 
parameters of the process, including the December 18 
constitutional referendum and general elections in the first 
half of 2006 had to be respected. 
 
4. (C) Comment: Key members of the UDPS seem to recognize 
that the position taken by party leader Tshisekedi would lead 
them to a political dead end.  These more moderate members of 
the party are trying to find a way out, but it does not 
appear that they have yet succeeded.  Tshisekedi,s 
willingness to go the French Ambassador,s residence is a 
notable concession; Tshisekedi normally will not leave his 
Kinshasa residence and office.  It appears, however, he is 
still trying to redefine a future process on his own terms. 
Tshisekedi,s traditional position has been essentially that 
 
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he must occupy a leadership position, as President or Prime 
Minister.  The latter post does not exist in the Transition 
government structure; hence the UDPS draft paper,s reference 
to the need for a replacement "traditional schema."  The 
"unconditional talks" advanced by the two moderates did not 
square with either the paper or various remarks reportedly 
made in the Saturday meeting. It seems clear there are still 
differences within the UDPS party as to what the party should 
do.  Having failed to stop the transition, the party,s goal 
on June 30 of this year, UDPS leaders appear to be struggling 
to define a new position.  We, along with other CIAT members, 
will continue to urge dialogue, but the options available to 
the UDPS become more limited as time passes, with no 
breakthrough possibilities yet visible.  End comment. 
 
 
MEECE