VZCZCXRO1425
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0105/01 0340740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030740Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9127
INFO 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 SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000105 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS ECON KPKO CG
SUBJECT: KABILA PRESS CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON EASTERN DRC 
AND ECONOMIC SITUATION 
 
Ref:  Kinshasa 98 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) DRC President Joseph Kabila held a press conference 
January 31, addressing questions on the situation in the East and on 
the state of the economy in the DRC.  Kabila defended his decision 
to allow Rwandan troops into the DRC to pursue FDLR combatants, 
stressing that both Ugandan and Rwandan troops would leave the DRC 
by the end of February.  The GDRC, according to Kabila, wanted CNDP 
leader Laurent Nkunda extradited to the DRC.  Regarding the fate of 
Bosco Ntaganda, for whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant, 
Kabila stated that, if the choice was between restoring peace and 
stability now and heeding far-in-the-future international justice, 
the GDRC would chose the former.  Kabila acknowledged slow progress 
on achieving the "Cinq Chantiers," the GDRC's five priority areas 
for development.  The DRC economy, according to Kabila, would 
withstand the global drop in commodity prices, but it needed to 
better diversify its economy.  On the eve of the press conference, 
Kabila filled several key, vacant positions at the Presidency, 
including Presidential Chief of Staff.  The various appointments 
were not unexpected and reflected a careful balancing of ethnic 
interests, as well as increased influence for Katanga Province 
within the Presidency.  End Summary. 
 
 
Situation in the East 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Kabila rejected allegations that the DRC allowed Rwandan 
troops into eastern Congo as a result of international pressure. 
Stressing that it had been a difficult decision, Kabila said that 
this approach was necessary to confront the problems caused by armed 
groups, especially the FDLR and CNDP. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Regarding a timetable for the DRC-Rwandan military 
operations in North Kivu, Kabila said that the two governments would 
assess the progress of this joint effort on February 10.  He added 
that operations would be extended until late February, if they had 
not yet produced significant results.  According to Kabila, the 
joint operations had enabled the FARDC to occupy positions formerly 
held by CNDP; it had facilitated the return of IDPs to their homes; 
and it had helped to restore government authority in the region. 
DRC-Ugandan operations against the LRA would also terminate by the 
end of February. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Kabila stated that the GDRC would accelerate the 
integration of the CNDP, PARECO and other North Kivu armed groups 
into the FARDC.  These groups will be trained (not necessarily in 
North Kivu) and redeployed to other provinces.  A FARDC office, 
charged with overseeing the military integration, will ensure that 
all integrated combatants possess DRC citizenship. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Noting that there are less than 5,000 FDLR troops 
operating in the Kivus, Kabila dispelled fears that the Rwandan army 
might get bogged down in the region.  He maintained that over 1,200 
Rwandan Hutu combatants are willing to voluntarily repatriate and 
called on the international community to support the repatriation of 
Rwandan Hutu combatants. 
 
 
Nkunda and Bosco 
---------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Kabila asserted that the GDRC had begun political and 
diplomatic efforts to effect the extradition of CNDP leader Laurent 
Nkunda from Rwanda.  He denied that the GoR had arrested Nkunda in 
Rwanda as a quid pro quo to allow the RDF to hunt down FDLR militias 
on Congolese soil.  Kabila emphasized that the GDRC would not hand 
over CNDP renegade leader Bosco Ntaganda to the International 
Criminal Court, which has an arrest warrant for him.  In Kabila's 
view, the pressing need to restore peace and stability to Eastern 
DRC was more important than responding to international justice, 
which might in any case be protracted. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Kabila emphasized that the restoration of peace to Eastern 
DRC also depended on dismantling "mafia-like" groups that use or 
manipulate armed groups to promote their own private agendas.  He 
stated that these "puppet masters" operating in Kinshasa and in the 
East must be eradicated at all costs. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Referring to "international plans" to share the DRC's 
mineral wealth with Rwanda in the context of a regional common 
market, Kabila stressed that the DRC is a sovereign and independent 
 
KINSHASA 00000105  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
country whose "policies were not crafted in Western capitals."  Any 
regional trade agreement, he added, must be developed within the 
framework of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries 
(CEPGL). 
 
 
Economic situation 
------------------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Kabila said that the GDRC is gradually implementing its 
five priority areas (Cinq Chantiers in French) to rebuild and 
develop the DRC, although the slow pace was frustrating.  In 2009, 
Chinese companies will fund $750 million in infrastructure 
construction.  One billion dollars will be made available in 2010 
and $750 million will fund projects in 2011.  According to Kabila, 
logistical problems have prevented the implementation of 
reconstruction work in provincial areas. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Kabila expressed confidence that the global drop in raw 
material prices would not seriously affect the implementation of the 
government's five development priorities.  The DRC needed to 
diversify its economy to withstand the global economic crisis.  The 
DRC should concentrate more effort on developing its agricultural 
sector. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Kabila urged Congolese to "invest in local production" 
and reduce foreign import dependency to stabilize Congo's weakening 
currency.  He announced that the government would adopt an action 
plan to address the effects of the global economic crisis at the 
next cabinet meeting. 
 
 
Kabila ames Chief of Staff, Other Cabinet Changes 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) On the eve of the press conference, Kabila named former 
Minister for Parliamentary Relations Adolphe Lumanu Mulenda 
(biographical note at paragraph 13) as Chief of Staff.  Lumanu 
replaces Raymond Tshibanda, now Minister of International and 
Regional Cooperation.  Current Deputy Chief of Staff Louise Mayuma 
Kasende was named Deputy for Political, Administrative, and Judicial 
Affairs.  Henri Yav Mulang replaces Athanas Mukanya as Deputy Chief 
of Staff for Economic and Reconstruction Affairs.  Former Minister 
of Higher Education and Scientific Research Leonard Masu was named 
Presidential Counselor.  Marcellin Chisambo is no longer a counselor 
on the presidential staff. 
 
 
Biographical Note on New Chief of Staff 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Adolphe Lumanu Mulenda, an ethnic Songye from East Kasai, 
was born in 1954.  He received a PhD in Political Science from 
Lubumbashi University and served as a government counselor in 
several offices during the Mobutu era.  During the Transition 
Government of 2003-2006, he served as Counselor to the Governor of 
East Kasai before becoming Vice Governor.  He was elected as a 
national deputy from East Kasai in 2006 as a member of the Alliance 
for the Presidential Majority (AMP), and became Minister for 
Parliamentary Relations in November 2007. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Kabila's appearance is the latest in a series of public 
speeches clearly aimed at winning public opinion in the face of 
falling popularity.  Kabila was under tremendous political pressure 
to establish a deadline for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops. 
However, we suspect that the deadline, both for Ugandan and Rwandan 
troops, may be fungible. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) The appointments in Kabila's presidential staff come as 
little surprise.  Kabila has maintained the existing ethnic balance 
of his closest advisors, while subtly altering the geographic 
composition of the team.  Lumanu is a Songye from East Kasai, 
replacing Tshibanda, also from East Kasai but an ethnic Luba. 
Mulang is a Lunda Katangan replacing Mukanya, a Luba Kasai. 
Chisambo and Masu are both Shi from South Kivu, but it is doubtful 
whether Masu will have the same influence Chisambo enjoyed.  The 
geographic shift suggests increased Katangan influence.  The center 
of gravity of presidential influence remains in the hands of 
Presidential Advisor Augustin Katumba, General John Numbi, Head of 
the Congolese National Police, and Jean-Claude Masangu, Governor of 
the Congolese National Bank.