O 290745Z JAN 01
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8835
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY BANGUI 
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 
AMEMBASSY KIGALI 
AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 
XMT AMCONSUL DURBAN
AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000478 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2010 
TAGS: PGOV CG
SUBJECT: INAUGURAL ADDRESS:  CONTINUITY AND CHANGE 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA 476 
     ¶B. KINSHASA 475 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR WILLIAM LACY SWING FOR REASONS 
1.5(B)(D) 
 
------------------- 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: 
------------------- 
 
NEWLY-INAUGURATED PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA ADDRESSED THE 
CONGOLESE PEOPLE EVENING OF JANUARY 26.  HIS HALF HOUR 
ADDRESS SKILLFULLY THREADED HIS SLAIN FATHER'S NAME AND 
LEGACY THROUGHOUT HIS REMARKS WITH COURSE CORRECTIONS ON 
ABOUT ALL MAJOR ISSUES AND AREAS OF CONCERN.  HIS 
REFORM-MINDED AGENDA HAS BEEN, OVERALL, WELL RECEIVED HERE, 
HELPING TO MAINTAIN THE CALM ALTHOUGH, NOW, THE CHALLENGE 
WILL BE TO INITIATE RATHER QUICKLY SOME CONCRETE MEASURES TO 
IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES KABILA HAS OUTLINED.  THERE IS A FAIRLY 
GENERALIZED RUMOR (AND EXPECTATION) THAT ONE SUCH EARLY 
MEASURE WILL BE A NEW GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE NAMING OF A 
PRIME MINISTER.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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¶2. (C) REFORM-MINDED INAUGURAL REMARKS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
AWAITED WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION AND SOME ANXIETY LOCALLY, 
JOSEPH KABILA'S INAUGURAL SPEECH SKILLFULLY EULOGIZED 
LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA'S POLICIES WHILE, SIMULTANEOUSLY, 
ALTERING THEM, WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS (SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, HIS 
INSISTENCE THAT ELECTIONS COULD ONLY BE HELD AFTER RWANDAN 
AND UGANDAN TROOPS DEPART). 
 
-------------------------- 
¶3. (C) KABILA EULOGIZED 
-------------------------- 
 
JOSEPH KABILA BEGAN AND CONCLUDED HIS CAREFULLY-PREPARED 
HALF-HOUR ADDRESS WITH ELABORATE PRAISE FOR HIS LATE FATHER, 
PRESIDENT LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA. WHOM HE EULOGIZED VARIOUSLY 
AS "ARCHITECT OF THE NATION'S LIBERATION" WHO "REAWAKENED ITS 
NATIONAL CONSCIENCE...PRIDE AND DIGNITY"; A "VISIONARY," 
"FORERUNNER" AND "STATESMAN." 
 
THE NEW PRESIDENT ASSERTED THAT KABILA WAS ONE OF THE "RARE" 
CONTEMPORARY LEADERS WHO CONTRACTED NO FOREIGN DEBT AND WHO 
DID NOT "ENRICH" HIMSELF, CALLING HIM "AUSTERE," "DISCREET, 
SIMPLE, HUMBLE, FRIENDLY, AND OF LARGE GENEROSITY."  LUMUMBA 
LED THE CONGO TO INDEPENDENCE, HE SAID, AND LAURENT KABILA 
"STRUGGLED WITH HIS TRAGIC DEATH" FOR THE CONGO.  JOSEPH 
KABILA ASSURED THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE THAT A "JUDICIAL 
INVESTIGATION" OF THE ASSASSINATION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. 
 
--------------------------------- 
¶4. (C) A COMPREHENSIVE ROAD MAP 
--------------------------------- 
 
UNDER THE OVERALL RUBRIC OF A "POLICY OF OVERTURE AND 
CHANGE," PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA ADDRESSED A SERIES OF 
"CHALLENGES" WHICH, HE SAID, THE CONGO (DRC) FACES, PREFACING 
THIS BY "DEVOTING MYSELF TO MAKING DEEP CHANGES IN  ALL 
SECTORS OF NATIONAL LIFE."  AMONG THE MAJOR POLITICAL 
CHALLENGES, HE SAID, ARE: 
 
-- ESTABLISHING PEACE AND CONSOLIDATING NATIONAL COHESION. 
(THIS WILL REQUIRE THE "IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL 
WITHDRAWAL OF THE AGGRESSOR STATES -- RWANDA, BURUNDI AND 
UGANDA."  IN THIS REGARD, HE PROMISED TO "EXAMINE WAYS AND 
MEANS OF REVIVING THE LUSAKA ACCORD.") 
 
-- NORMALIZATION OF DEMOCRATIC LIFE, WITH THE GOALS OF 
STRENGTHENING RULE OF LAW, DEMOCRACY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, HUMAN 
RIGHTS AND JUSTICE. 
 
-- NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION, WHICH THE "WAR OF AGGRESSION" HAD 
SIDETRACKED. 
 
-- POLITICAL OPENNESS TO PERMIT ALL TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE 
THEIR RIGHTS.  HE UNDERLINED THAT POLITICAL ISSUES ARE TO BE 
RESOLVED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE 
AND HE CALLED FOR PURSUIT OF EFFORTS TO CONCLUDE THE 
"LIBREVILLE PROCESS." 
 
-- JUDICIAL REFORM, STARTING WITH RESTRICTING THE MILITARY 
COURT TO TRYING MILITARY, NOT CIVILIAN AFFAIRS. 
 
-- FREE AND TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS "ONCE PEACE IS ACHIEVED AND 
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY RESTORED." 
 
------------------------ 
¶5. (C) ECONOMIC REFORMS 
------------------------ 
 
NOTING THE DRAMATIC DECLINE IN BUSINESS ACTIVITY, KABILA 
PROPOSED SEVERAL ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION MEASURES TO REVIVE 
THE ECONOMY AND CREATE WEALTH TO FIGHT POVERTY: 
 
-- LIBERALIZING THE GOODS AND SERVICES MARKET IN THE DIAMOND 
SECTOR AND THE CURRENCY EXCHANGE SECTOR; 
 
-- AUTHORIZATION OF THE FREE CIRCULATION OF FOREIGN 
CURRENCIES CONCOMITANTLY WITH THE CONGOLESE FRANC; 
 
-- A NEW MINING CODE, AND A NEW INVESTMENT CODE; 
 
-- A FRAMEWORK FOR EXCHANGE OF VIEWS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT 
AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR; AND, 
 
-- AN APPEAL TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO 
PROVIDE FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THE CONGO'S 
NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS. 
 
(HE OFFERED NO DETAILS ON ANY OF THESE ISSUES.) 
 
------------------------------- 
¶6. (C) A MORE ACTIVE CONGO IN 
       WORLD AFFAIRS 
------------------------------- 
 
STATING THAT THE DRC INTENDED TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN 
WORLD AFFAIRS, KABILA ADDRESSED AFRICA (OAU, SADC, COMESA, 
AND SUPPORT FOR THE BURUNDI PEACE PROCESS OF MR. MANDELA). 
 
ON THE EUROPEAN UNION, HE SINGLED OUT FRANCE, LAUDING IT FOR 
ITS UNSC EFFORTS, AND BELGIUM, HOPING TO DEVELOP FRIENDLY 
TIES AND ENTENTE. 
 
AS REGARDS THE U.S., KABILA SAID HE WOULD NOT HIDE THE 
PERIODS OF MUTUAL MISUNDERSTANDING WITH THE CLINTON 
ADMINISTRATION.  ON THE OTHER HAND, HE STATED THE INTENTION 
OF "NORMALIZING" BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THE NEW BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION. 
 
THE NEW PRESIDENT REITERATED HIS GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO 
COOPERATE WITH MONUC ON THE URGENT DEPLOYMENT OF ITS FORCES 
IN ORDER TO RESTORE PEACE. 
 
-------------- 
7.(C) COMMENT: 
-------------- 
 
AS A CONSENSUS DOCUMENT AT THIS JUNCTURE -- TEN DAYS AFTER 
PRESIDENT LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA'S ASSASSINATION -- PRESIDENT 
JOSEPH KABILA'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS IS ENCOURAGING, REFLECTING 
A SHIFT TOWARD THE REFORM AND MODERATE ELEMENTS IN THE 
CONGOLESE POWER STRUCTURE. 
 
WHILE MORE SPECIFICS WOULD HAVE BEEN DESIRABLE (SUCH AS, FOR 
EXAMPLE, A STATED INTENTION TO ABOLISH, OR AT LEAST MODIFY, 
DECREE 194 ON POLITICAL PARTIES) -- THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK, 
TONE AND THRUST OF JOSEPH KABILA'S REMARKS POINT TOWARD A 
POLICY OF GREATER OPENNESS AND PERHAPS THE BEGINNING OF A 
RECONCILIATION PROCESS AND -- AT LAST, THE DEPLOYMENT OF 
MONUC. 
 
EVERYONE WILL NOW BE WATCHING CAREFULLY THE WILL AND CAPACITY 
OF JOSEPH KABILA AND THOSE AROUND HIM TO IMPLEMENT WHAT, FROM 
ALL ACCOUNTS, IS A PROGRAM THAT COULD PROPEL THE CONGO 
FORWARD.  IN THIS REGARD, PERHAPS THE FIRST NEXT STEP TO 
WATCH FOR WILL BE WHETHER OR NOT HE SHORTLY FORMS A NEW 
GOVERNMENT (INCLUDING A POSSIBLE PRIME MINISTER). 
 
SWING