VZCZCXRO9893
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1409/01 3610600
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270600Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7297
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001409 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS MARR PHUM PREF KPKO CG
 
SUBJECT:  PRESIDENT KABILA'S DECEMBER 20 MEETING 
      WITH P-3 PLUS 2 AMBASSADORS AND MONUC 
 
¶1.  (SBU) President Joseph Kabila received the P-3 plus 2 
ambassadors/charges at his residence on December 20.  The meeting 
was called with 15 minutes' notice, officially in response to a 
request made several weeks earlier to discuss military operations in 
North Kivu.  Topics covered included the fighting in North Kivu, the 
upcoming Kivus conference on Peace, Stability and Development, human 
rights, and the November 10 Nairobi commmunique.  The meeting was 
largely unremarkable except for interventions by Defense Minister 
Chikez Diemu, whose criticisms of the UK ambassador and MONUC were 
personal and impolitic.  Another surprise was a statement by the 
South African charge that a special envoy sent recently to North 
Kivu to negotiate Nkunda's exile had been arrested by Congolese 
authorities and then taken to Kinshasa before he was released. 
Kabila apologized for the mistake and asked for better coordination 
in the future. End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) At 4:45 pm on December 20, P-3 plus 2 ambassadors were 
summoned to the President Kabila's office at the presidential 
residence for a meeting at 5:00 pm.  The meeting, which did not 
begin until 5:45, was attended by the ambassadors of the U.S., 
Belgium, and the UK, and by the charges d'affaires of South Africa 
and France.  SRSG William Swing, in Goma, was represented by MONUC's 
acting polchief.  In addition to Kabila, GDRC participants included 
Defense Minister Chikez Diemu, Interior Minister Denis Kalume, 
Foreign Affairs Minister Antipas Mbusa, Presidential Chief of Staff 
Raymond Tshibanda, and presidential foreign affairs advisor 
Marcellin Chissambo. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Note:  The meeting had been requested by SRSG Swing on 
behalf of the P-3 plus 2 in early December, shortly after the GDRC 
launched a military offensive against Nkunda.  Just prior to the 
meeting participants decided that, in Swing's absence, Belgian 
ambassador Johann Swinnen, the most senior among the three 
ambassadors present, would open the meeting (Swing's role) with a 
short statement on behalf of the P-3 plus 2.  End note. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Kabila began, explaining that his very busy schedule had 
prevented him from holding the meeting until now.  He then invited 
ambassadors to speak.  Swinnen went through a list of "concerns" 
since the group last met, in Goma, in November.  He mentioned the 
fighting in Kivu, the Kivus Conference, the Nairobi communique, and 
human rights and impunity.  With regard to human rights, he praised 
the November 24 "Day Against Gender Based Violence" in Bukavu that 
was organized by MONUC and the GDRC and hosted by First Lady Olive 
Kabila. 
 
¶5.  UK ambassador spoke next, expressing support for the views put 
forward by Swinnen and asking if, given recent setbacks in the fight 
against Nkunda, the GDRC would be able to undertake a military 
campaign against the FDLR by March 15 pursuant to its commitments 
under the Nairobi communique.  U.S. ambassador voiced strong support 
for the Kivus Conference and congratulated GDRC for the decision to 
use this approach as a way to resolve the conflict in the eastern 
Congo.  French charge endorsed the holding of the Conference, and 
affirmed his government's willingness to support it.  He also asked 
for greater information about the toll on the civilian population 
resulting from recent fighting in North Kivu.  MONUC rep noted that 
his organization was prepared to support the Conference with 
logistics and security arrangements. 
 
¶6.  Kabila summarized participants' concerns:  (1) military 
developments; (2) the Kivus Conference: and (3) the humanitarian 
crisis.  On military developments, Kabila noted that although a 
decision had been made to move forward with the Conference, the 
military option "remained on the table."  Hence, the FARDC continued 
to send reinforcements and to re-supply its troops.  He stated that 
in furtherance of its commitments in Nairobi, the GRDC had put 
forward a plan on the FDLR, including awareness-raising and 
cantonment by January 15, and military action by March 15.  GDRC 
commitment to Nairobi had not changed, he asserted. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On the Conference, Kabila noted that plans to hold the 
event were stuck for a long time, acknowledging that much time had 
been lost.  He briefly reviewed the Conference's three themes -- 
peace, stability, and development -- noting that great progress was 
being made to adequately address all three themes.  He ended by 
noting that just prior to the P-3 plus 2 meeting he had signed the 
executive order convening the Conference.  He then asked Interior 
Minister Kalume to brief participants on the Conference.  Kalume 
went into detail on the history of the Conference idea but provided 
little detail on current plans for the event.  When pressed for 
specifics, he would not address cost estimates, numbers of persons 
expected to attend, meeting format, etc. as these matters were the 
 
KINSHASA 00001409  002 OF 002 
 
 
domain of the Technical Committee. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Defense Minister Chikez spoke next.  Visibly upset and 
barely able to control his anger, he launched a personal attack 
against the British ambassador who had "dared" to ask if the GDRC 
was still able to launch an attack against the FDLR come March 15. 
Chikez asserted that the FDLR had not attacked once in four years 
and that the only problem in North Kivu was Nkunda, supported by 
Rwanda, the same country whose oppression had created the problem of 
the FDLR.  He said the UK ambassador had no compassion for the 
people of North Kivu and had shown callous disregard for the brave 
soldiers of the FARDC.  He also attacked MONUC, claiming that DPKO 
officials in New York had ordered MONUC to withhold support for the 
FDLR in its fight against Nkunda despite promises given to the GDRC 
that it would take offensive action against Nkunda.  "MONUC has to 
be courageous," he stated.  (Note:  At a breakfast with the U.S. 
ambassador the following morning Chikez was only slightly contrite, 
asserting that the British had never cared about the interests of 
the Congolese people.  End note.) 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Foreign Minister Mbusa then addressed diplomatic 
developments.  He referred to meetings in New York, Nairobi, and 
Addis Ababa, noting that great progress had been made over the past 
few months.  "We are near a solution" he stated several times, 
emphasizing that the Government had high expectations for the 
upcoming Conference.  He also praised the international community 
for its efforts and asked for continued support. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The South African charge asked Kabila if the GDRC was 
still willing to allow Nkunda to go into exile.  He said the 
question was important because a special South African envoy who had 
traveled recently (no dates were given) to Goma to negotiate an 
exile agreement with Nkunda had been arrested and brought to 
Kinshasa for interrogation.  Kabila replied that exile was still an 
option apologized for the "misunderstanding," asking that the South 
African Government coordinate with his government its overtures to 
Nkunda the next time its sends a special envoy to the DRC.  (Note: 
The South African diplomat's revelations caused surprise, as others 
present apparently had not heard about this incident.  End note.) 
 
¶11.  (SBU) As the meeting ended the issue of attendance at the 
Conference was raised.  Kabila stated emphatically that Nkunda's 
political organization (the CNDP) would be officially invited to the 
Conference, but that Nkunda himself would not be allowed to attend. 
"He will be arrested the moment he sets foot in Goma," Kabila 
stated.  Kabila also made clear that the Conference was for 
Congolese citizens only, thereby dismissing out of hand FDLR 
participation. 
 
GARVELINK