VZCZCXRO0683
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0410/01 1321347
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
P 111347Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7966
INFO RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 4649
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS EFTO SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000410 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EMIN CG BE
SUBJECT:  ANOTHER STEP ALONG A ROCKY ROAD: BELGIAN MINISTERS VISIT 
DRC 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU/NF) Summary:  Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht's 
meetings with President Kabila April 20-21 in Kinshasa aggravated 
pre-existing bilateral tensions on both sides.  Belgian Ministers of 
Defense and International Cooperation accompanied De Gucht during 
his April 20-26 visit to the DRC.  The Belgians also met with port 
officials in Bas-Congo, authorities in Lubumbashi, Amani Process 
officials in North Kivu, and international and local NGO's in Goma 
and Bukavu.  At an April 28 breakfast with Western ambassadors the 
Belgians were critical of Congolese Defense Minister Chikez and 
called for greater cooperation between donors.  Chikez later told us 
the Belgians, particularly De Gucht, had treated Kabila in ways 
unbecoming a sovereign head of state and had even criticized the 
President in front of his advisors.  Bilateral relations between 
Belgium and the DRC, never smooth, continue to be prickly and impact 
upon the DRC's interactions with other European nations.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU/NF) Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, accompanied by 
Defense Minister Pieter de Crem and International Cooperation 
Minister Charles Michel, emphasized good governance, human rights, 
corruption and transparency during his April 20-26 visit to the DRC. 
 DeGucht's message was not welcomed by President Kabila, who 
publicly questioned Belgium's commitment to good bilateral 
relations.  The three Belgian ministers expressed concern over lack 
of progress on these issues to Kabila in meetings on April 21 and 
¶22.  Kabila bristled at their message and tone.  His statement to a 
Belgian newspaper that "Belgium must decide whether it wants normal 
ties or seeks a master-slave relationship" received wide play here. 
A Belgian Embassy political officer told us the meetings with Kabila 
were tense and confirmed the accuracy of the quote. 
 
¶3. (SBU/NF) The ministers discussed economic investment and 
cooperation with Matadi and Boma port officials April 22.  De Crem 
also met with Defense Minister Chikez Diemu to follow up meetings in 
Brussels on military assistance (see para 6).  Although MONUC's 
Radio Okapi reported the signing of a new bilateral agreement, the 
Belgian political officer said this had not happened.  De Gucht and 
Michel discussed mining issues with Katanga Governor Moise Katumbi 
in Lubumbashi on April 23 while De Crem returned to Belgium.  They 
also visited two mining projects.  They concluded no new agreements 
or investments. 
 
¶4. (SBU) De Gucht and Michel traveled to eastern DRC April 24 for a 
two-day visit to Goma and Bukavu to demonstrate support for the Goma 
and Nairobi processes and call attention to weaknesses of the 
justice sector, the prevalence of impunity and the problem of sexual 
violence.  They discussed the Amani Program with National 
Coordinator Apollinaire Malu Malu in Goma and accompanied him and 
members of the Joint Technical Committee on Peace and Security on 
public awareness missions to Masisi and Uvira. 
 
¶5. (SBU/NF) The Belgian Consul General (protect) in Bukavu told us 
they also met with representatives of the EU-funded Restoration of 
Justice in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (REJUSCO) 
program, Avocats Sans Frontieres, and MONUC-Goma's Human Rights 
section to review the state of the justice system, and specifically 
address the progress in establishing mobile courts.  They discussed 
the widespread problem of sexual violence against women with the 
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and local and international 
NGOs in Goma and Bukavu. 
 
¶6.  (SBU/NF) On April 28 the ministers met with ambassadors resident 
in Kinshasa from the EU and the United States.  Cooperation minister 
Michel took the lead, explaining that Belgium wants the Congolese to 
treat the Chinese the way they treat other donors, i.e., to require 
transparency, conditionalities, etc.  He also called for greater 
coordination between the donor community, including regular 
systematic reviews of what all countries are doing in order to avoid 
duplication, etc.  Defense minister De Crem was critical of his 
counterpart Chikez, referring to an earlier meeting with Chikez in 
which the Congolese officially allegedly made request for assistance 
in areas that are not related to the military.  (Note:  Chikez later 
told us the Belgians, particularly De Gucht, had treated Kabila in 
ways unbecoming a sovereign head of state and had even criticized 
the President in front of his advisors.  End note.) 
 
¶7.  (SBU/NF) Comment: Belgian-DRC relations, never smooth, continue 
to be conflicted.  Senior Belgian officials visit the Congo 
frequently, raising important issues like human rights, justice and 
corruption, but in a manner that appears pitched more to audiences 
back home than to their Congolese counterparts.  This hobbles the 
relationship with Kabila and his advisers and often spills over onto 
a wider stage, impacting negatively on DRC relations with other 
 
KINSHASA 00000410  002 OF 002 
 
 
European nations.  End comment. 
 
GARVELINK