VZCZCXRO5877
RR RUEHMR
DE RUEHKI #0876/01 1531027
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021027Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4028
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000876 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UG CG
SUBJECT: RUBERWA ACCOUNT OF MAY MEETING WITH UGANDA 
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Roger Meece.  Reason 1.4 (b/d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Vice President Ruberwa told the Ambassador 
that he had a frank but useful exchange in a long meeting 
with Ugandan President Museveni in Kampala on the margins of 
the latter's inauguration.  Ruberwa said he told Museveni 
that the GDRC is concerned over continuing reports of Ugandan 
support for Ituri District militias, unilateral threats to 
send the UPDF back to the Congo, a recent incursion of UPDF 
in northern DRC, and the status of rebel militia leaders 
being held in Uganda.  Ruberwa's account suggested something 
less than a meeting of the minds, but Ruberwa said it is 
useful to raise these issues periodically with Museveni to 
help preclude an open confrontation between Kinshasa and 
Kampala.  Ruberwa will urge his colleagues in the GDRC 
Transition Government to send a senior level representative 
(not necessarily Ruberwa) to Kampala roughly every three 
months for a similar discussion.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) During a May 24 meeting with Vice President Azarias 
Ruberwa, the Ambassador asked Ruberwa about his trip to 
Kampala for the inauguration of Ugandan President Museveni, 
and the reported long meeting between the two.  Speaking from 
memory, Ruberwa provided an extensive read-out, noting by way 
of preamble that Museveni is a "complicated" person, and 
often difficult to read.  Later in the conversation, 
referring to a Museveni denial of support to militias in the 
DRC, Ruberwa reiterated that he found it difficult to judge 
exactly what he should believe from Museveni, and what he 
should question. 
 
¶3. (C) Ruberwa said that he presented Museveni very frankly 
four major GDRC concerns. These were continuing reports of 
arms or other support provided to illegal militias operating 
in DRC,s northeastern Ituri District; negative reactions to 
Museveni's public threats to send UDPF forces unilaterally 
into the DRC in pursuit of LRA troops; further concerns about 
a recent account of UPDF troops inside Congolese territory; 
and lastly GDRC questions regarding Ugandan intentions 
regarding six Congolese Revolutionary Movement (MRC) rebel 
chiefs currently held by Ugandan authorities. 
 
¶4. (C) According to Ruberwa, Museveni flatly denied that 
there is continuing Kampala support of Congolese militia 
groups.  Ruberwa said that Museveni added that the last 
support Uganda had provided to armed groups in the Congo was 
that given to Jean-Pierre Bemba's MLC, and to combatants 
associated with Mbusa Nyamwisi.  Ruberwa observed that Mbusa 
was next to him in the same meeting, but did not respond to 
the Museveni comment.  (Note: Mbusa is currently GDRC 
Regional Affairs Minister under terms of the 2003 Sun City 
Accord which established the Transition Government.  End 
note). 
 
¶5. (C) Ruberwa said Museveni did not respond directly to the 
concerns about threats to re-enter the DRC, but did say that 
it was not Ugandan policy to have troops in the DRC.  He did 
not, however, deny the account of UPDF troops found in 
northeastern DRC (comment: presumably implying the incident 
was a mistake).  Ruberwa said Museveni did comment that the 
DRC harbors "terrorists", a presumed reference to LRA units 
reportedly now camped in Garamba National Park on the Sudan 
border, and possibly as well to Ugandan ADF/NALU rebels who 
have been attacked by MONUC/GDRC troops in North Kivu 
province.  Ruberwa also observed that Museveni has apparently 
not repeated any public threats of UPDF troops going to the 
Congo since the Museveni/Ruberwa meeting. 
 
¶6. (C) Speaking of the six detained MRC rebel leaders, 
Museveni reportedly told Ruberwa that Uganda could not 
extradite these individuals to the DRC, as there is no 
bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries. 
Ruberwa, a lawyer, said he did not see the necessity of a 
treaty; an agreement between the two governments for return 
of the six should be sufficient.  Ruberwa said Museveni 
raised the possibility of sending the detained leaders to a 
third country, possibly France.  Ruberwa said he pointed out 
that at least some of the detainees are on a Security Council 
list, and he doubts any other country would want them. 
Museveni also reportedly commented that he might free at 
least one of the six, as Museveni was not convinced he was 
guilty, or at least a significant figure.  Ruberwa said he 
strongly discouraged any such action.  He said he asked 
Museveni that if extradition is too difficult, why not 
prosecute the MRC leaders in Uganda under Ugandan law, for 
example arms violations, since Museveni had already 
 
KINSHASA 00000876  002 OF 002 
 
 
acknowledged that the MRC leaders had been found with arms. 
Per Ruberwa, Museveni seemed discomfited by the question, 
agreed that this was an interesting suggestion and asked 
another official present to follow up on the idea. 
 
¶7. (C) Ruberwa also said in the course of the conversation, 
Museveni questioned why the DRC had arrested another Ituri 
militia figure, Thomas Lubanga, and transferred him to the 
International Criminal Court (ICC).  Ruberwa said he 
presented the facts, including the DRC,s interest in 
cooperating with the ICC, but Museveni was not convinced of 
the merits of the action. 
 
¶8. (C) Ruberwa commented that the exchange was useful even if 
there were many points of disagreement.  He said he could not 
accept all of Museveni's observations.  Ruberwa noted, for 
example, that if all the detained MRC leaders were found with 
weapons, all inside Ugandan territory, it seemed logical to 
assume these weapons would find their way to Ituri, in 
apparent contradiction to Museveni's assertions that there 
are no further arms flows from Uganda to support Congolese 
armed groups.  In any event, Ruberwa asserted it is good 
periodically to point out to Museveni that the Congolese are 
aware of what is going on.   The Ambassador asked if Museveni 
did not know that already.  Ruberwa said "maybe," but it 
seems useful to make it clear.  Ruberwa added he believes it 
important for Kinshasa to send a senior-level person to 
Kampala to have an exchange with Museveni perhaps every three 
months to help avoid a major clash between the two 
governments.  He said he would encourage his GDRC colleagues, 
notably President Kabila, to do exactly that.  He added 
neither Bemba nor Mbusa, former allies of Kampala, would be 
good choices, but it did not have to be Ruberwa himself who 
went. 
 
¶9. (C) Comment:  Ruberwa's account of the meeting suggested 
few areas of agreement with Museveni.  Ruberwa the lawyer, 
however, did not appear angry or upset, speaking in measured 
tones as he might of an opposing lawyer in a court action 
with whom he disagreed.  He did not appear overly concerned 
about the possibility of imminent clashes between Uganda and 
the DRC.  Other elements of the Ruberwa meeting will be 
covered septel.  End comment. 
MEECE